Flying Spur tops 198mph

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

The fastest four-door Bentley ever built will go on sale in the UK in March 2005.

The Flying Spur is powered by a 552bhp 6.0-litre V12 engine

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The fastest four-door Bentley ever built will go on sale in the UK in March 2005.

The 198mph Continental Flying Spur is likely to cost only a little more than the GT coupe, which – despite its £112,750 price – has been a runaway success for the company since its launch 12 months ago.

Power for the Spur will come from the same 552bhp 6.0-litre engine as the GT. It is enough to haul the four-wheel-drive saloon to 60mph in around five seconds. Fuel consumption is expected to drop below 15mpg on the combined cycle, which means fuel bills of around £3500 over 12,000 miles.

Buyers can choose either a five- or four-seat layout. In the four-seat Spur, those in the rear will have added space and electrical adjustment of their thrones. Bentley has not said exactly how big the car will be yet but the images here show there will be plenty of legroom in the back.

Expect the opulent wood-lined and leather-trimmed cabin to come fully equipped with all the luxuries customers will expect at this price. A four-zone climate control system originally developed for the Volkswagen Phaeton will be installed in every car to ensure there are no heated arguments over temperature settings.

The Flying Spur is positioned as a more affordable luxury car to slot into the range underneath the Arnage, which will continue in production as Bentley’s most exclusive model. Company boss Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen said someone living in a major European city might expect to see a few Spurs in a month compared with a few Arnages in a year.