A quarter of the way through the first tight corner I realize the Bentley Flying Spur is something different. Every other car demands you give up cornering performance if you want a serene, improbably smooth ride. So somewhere in my brain is the hardwired expectation that when you flick a 5000-pound barge into a hairpin, it'll flop over and make a fool of itself. The Flying Spur doesn't.
Its rear-axle steering system helps it pivot through the corner, but the real magic ingredient is the 48-volt active anti-roll bar. As you dial in more steering lock, it firms up, actively fighting back against the thousands of pounds trying to squash the Bentley's soft springs. The system keeps the car level and balanced. Add some throttle and you'll have 626 hp catapulting you toward the edge of vision, kept in check by a deft all-wheel-drive system.
Given enough runway this quilted-leather-lined frigate will cruise at 207 mph, the W-12 thumping away with a satisfying grunt. Boot it from a standstill and 664 lb-ft of torque will tow you to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds every time, thanks to the simple, Porsche-derived launch control. Gears flick by with little disturbance, the dual-clutch eight-cog unit blitzing through ratios without ever feeling brutal. Thick double-pane glass means you'll never hear the fading roar of the myriad featherweight sports cars the Flying Spur could leave for dead.
There is still a tradeoff for all of this luxury. Because while it's muscle-car quick and never feels out of sorts, the overconfidence that breeds will have you running out of grip sooner than you realize. The laws of physics yield for no man, woman, or $270,860 Bentley. You'll also get no steering feel, little at-the-limit playfulness, and absolutely no eagerness from the Flying Spur. This is no sports sedan; It just knows how to imitate one, should master ask.
Left to its own devices, it chooses to fade away. The W-12 is inaudible in comfort mode, the steering light and effortless. Suspension tuning is superb, blunting even the harshest potholes into unobtrusive thumps. Its dual personality means it doesn't quite have the unflappability of the comfort-focused Rolls-Royces, but the Flying Spur never gets out of sorts. Combined with the quick passing power and the Audi-esque driver aids, it's one of the lowest-effort cars to drive.
The only better option is to be driven. From the cavernous back seat, the Spur feels even more serene. Bumps that were hardly noticeable up front disappear completely, the ride clearly optimized for ultimate back-seat tranquility. You get acres of legroom, privacy shades, and headrest-mounted pillows soft enough to be cut by talc. Head back on one of those, "Universal Sound" by Tyler Childers on the industry-beating Naim stereo, massage on my back. The chaos of the city muted and sealed away, Prospect Park a blur as we glide by. Not quite nirvana, but as close as one can get in 2020.
That feeling kept cropping up. Whether it was turning off all of the screens, muting the music, and floating through the late-night city or just blasting Jason Isbell's Southeastern on a wide-open highway, the Flying Spur transcends comfortable and becomes truly peaceful. A car that just feels right, no matter the moment.
There were times when the illusion stuttered, the exorbitant Bentley showing its mortal nature. Times when the semi-autonomous tech cut in to loudly remind you to keep your hands on the wheel, unaware that they were already there. Moments when you notice the Audi inspiration in the tech, the buttons. Tidy lots where the big Bentley can't quite hide its girth.
Yet none of that can counteract how clever the Flying Spur feels. Advanced enough to employ every space-age technology available, confident enough to not constantly shove them in your face. Soft and coddling enough to be your chauffeur-driven chariot, but taut and buttoned-up enough to be a world-class grand tourer. The Flying Spur breaks the cycle of what you expect, refusing to compromise on space, speed, or comfort. All it asks for in sacrifice is a check, starting at $214,600, then off into the stratosphere if you get greedy with options. The only one you need to have is the Bentley Dynamic Ride active-anti-roll bar. It's the secret sauce, the reason that the Flying Spur is one of the best sedans on Earth.
Arguably the most fickle member of the Road & Track staff, Reviews Editor Mack Hogan is likely the only person to ever cross shop an ND Miata with an Isuzu Vehicross. He founded the automotive reviews section of CNBC during his sophomore year of college and has been writing about cars ever since.
