New Bentley Flying Spur Speed is a four-door supercar with 771bhp V8 hybrid
The luxury Bentley Flying Spur Speed’s highly potent plug-in hybrid system also offers a pure-electric range of 47 miles
Behold, the new Bentley Flying Spur Speed. While it might look almost identical to the last one, under the metal is the maker’s latest, highly potent plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain capable of such huge performance that the brand is calling this a ‘four-door supercar’.
The new Bentley Flying Spur is built around the firm’s ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’ set-up – the same one that powers the latest Bentley Continental GT Speed. It consists of a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, which produces 592bhp on its own. This then works together with a 187bhp electric motor integrated in the car’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The combination delivers 771bhp and 1,000Nm of torque in the Flying Spur Speed, which will be the first variant to go on sale. That’s nearly 150bhp and 100Nm more than its W12-powered predecessor, but more than that, the PHEV system creates more torque at low speeds. Peak power is higher throughout the rev range and the e-motor apparently negates turbo lag. The new Flying Spur Speed can do 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds.
But in addition to straight-line speed, Bentley is emphasising the duality the new Flying Spur offers. Its 25.9kWh battery offers a pure-electric range of up to 47 miles, and you can drive in EV mode up to 84mph. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions of just 33g/km will offer appeal for high-flying business execs in need of a new company car.
There are four modes for the hybrid system that dictate how it juggles the two power sources – pure EV, electric boost, regenerative braking and charge – with the latter using the engine to drive the car and top-up the battery.
With a maximum charging speed of 11kW, fully replenishing the 25.9kWh battery can take less than three hours, if you have a suitably fast home wallbox charger. However the Flying Spur doesn’t offer DC rapid charging like some other plug-in hybrids.
Elsewhere, Bentley’s new dual-valve dampers are meant to provide a wider dynamic range between the Comfort, Bentley and Sport drive modes. Dual-chamber air suspension also features, and the brand says it has significantly improved the ride comfort in Comfort mode.
The new Flying Spur Speed is equipped with rear-wheel steering to help with low-speed manoeuvrability and high-speed stability, plus an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential and a 48V active anti-roll system. The car is also capable of torque vectoring either through the centre differential or by using the brakes.
As mentioned, the new Flying Spur Speed looks almost indistinguishable from the previous model, though the front bumper has been tweaked, and there’s a new grille pattern and rear diffuser. There are new 22-inch alloy-wheel designs too.
It’s a similar story inside, with the cabin design much the same as before, but there are all-new seat designs, updated graphics for the driver’s display, and upgrades to the infotainment software and driver-assistance technology. Even the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been improved, plus Bentley is promising it’ll add new features each year, like green traffic-light prediction to help when driving in the city.
The new Bentley Flying Spur Speed isn’t available to order yet, and prices have yet to be confirmed, but we expect it’ll start from around £220,000.
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