Test Drive of 2014 Bentley Flying Spur

2014 BENTLEY FLYING SPUR TAKES DRIVING TO A DIFFERENT DIMENSION

The Automotive Equivalent of Bolting a Rocket Sled to Your Living Room…

There aren’t that many cars around that have genuine…. presence.  Immaculately manufactured machines that have been transformed by the hands of so many craftsmen, been the focus of so many hours of exacting craftsmanship that they feel powerful even when switched off and alive even when a rest.

The 2014 Bentley Flying Spur is just that car.  Opening any one of the four doors feels like swinging open a bank vault, the interior feels like you’ve stepped into an executive jet, and that jet feeling is reinforced when you crank up the 616 horsepower, twin turbocharged 12-cylinder engine and hit the throttle.  O to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and a top speed approaching 200 mph is lively performance for a car weighing in at close to three tons.

Once in motion, the air spring suspension – which noticeably softer than last year’s model – gives the Flying Spur a ride that is both soft yet controlled… and it corners like it’s on rails.  Not that you’d necessarily want to try flinging it around like a sports car, because its not, but its overall road manners are impeccable.

Inside, the Flying Spur is a symphony of leather, wool, wood and brushed metal from headliner to floor mat. Contrasting piping and stitching are found throughout the basic car, while est car with the Mulliner Driving Specification, featured quilted leather available in five additional colors (upping the total to 17 choices) along with five unique wood veneers. Other Mulliner upgrades include two-piece 21-inch wheels and a special knurled shift lever.

Even the back seat passengers are well tended-to, including massaging seats, full audio/video system with screens in the back of the front seats and removable multifunction controller that  communicates with the car via Bluetooth, and allows you to control climate control, stereo functions, sunshades… and even monitor how fast your chauffer is going.

Prices begin at around $200,500, with fuel economy of 12 mpg City and 20 mpg Highway.  For further information, or to schedule a test drive of the Bentley Flying Spur – or any of the other fine Bentley automobiles in stock, please visit Braman Bentley Palm Beach.

Summary

Any true James Bond fan knows that, in the books, he drove not an Aston Martin, but rather a Bentley.  A 1930 supercharged Bentley convertible painted flat grey that he called ‘the locomotive.’  It’s an apt metaphor for the new 2014 Bentley Flying Spur at least in the sense that this is a big, massive car that corners like its on rails and has the feeling of a massive reserve of power just waiting for your command.  The preferred locomotion for today’s well-heeled superspy has a base price of $200,500 (interesting to note that Bond’s original vehicle would be worth more than €1 million).  Under the hood is a 6.0-liter, 616-hp, 590 lb-ft twin-turbocharged W12 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and driving all four wheels through Bentley’s full-time all-wheel drive system.