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Bentley has been teasing us with test photos of its new Flying Spur sedan for months, and now, we finally get to see the car fully unveiled. New looks, a W-12 powerplant, all-wheel steering, a dual-clutch gearbox, and a 207 mph top speed are just a few of the highlights. Meet the new fastest production sedan ever built.
The 2020 Bentley Flying Spur uses the same engine as its two-door Continental GT counterpart, meaning 626 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque from the company's familiar 6.0-liter twin-turbo W-12 engine. Power goes through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to a new clutch-based all-wheel drive system that sends power to the front wheels only when slip is detected at the rear. Despite a curb weight of 5372 pounds, the Flying Spur is able to scoot to 60 mph in a scant 3.7 seconds. Its 207-mph top speed makes it the fastest production sedan ever, surpassing the 205-mph Alpina B7.
The 2020 Flying Spur is over five inches longer than the previous car, and sports a new squared-off grille with vertical slats. The Flying B emblem at the edge of the hood is now illuminated and retractable, similar to Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Ecstasy mascot. The three-mode air suspension is backed up by VW Group's 48-volt electronically-controlled active swaybars to stiffen up cornering without negatively impacting ride comfort. The brakes are shared with the Continental GT, and measure 16.5 inches in diameter up front, making them the largest iron brakes in the world, according to Bentley. They're shrouded by 21-inch wheels as standard, with 22-inch wheels available as an option.
The cabin is an exercise in opulence, as you'd expect from Bentley. It's clear the design team went the extra mile. From the release:
Three-dimensional diamond quilted leather door inserts are used for the first time in a car, inspired by the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 design concept. New diamond knurling adorns the rotary switches and is also available on the air vents and clock. In order to produce the decorative detail, a new software algorithm had to be invented to work with the complex curves of the ducts.
Bentley's rotating center display, first introduced in the Continental GT, returns for the Flying Spur, sporting three aesthetically unique faces: a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, three analog dials (outside temperature, compass, chronometer), or a blank wooden veneer. The rear seats are heated, ventilated, and massaging.
Order books for the 2020 Bentley Flying Spur will open later this year, with deliveries starting in early 2020. Pricing has yet to be announced, but expect the starting MSRP to fall somewhere slightly north of the previous-gen car's price of $224,500.
Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
