MONTE CARLO I am not a potentate. Neither am I a captain of industry, oil tycoon, shipping magnate, oligarch or Hollywood megastar. Yet, on arrival to Nices Cte dAzur airport, where I was then chauffeured in Bentleys new Flying Spur to the Htel de Paris in Monte Carlo, I felt like the biggest of big shots. Ensconced in sumptuous luxury in the back seat of the bespoke British manufacturers grand touring sports sedan for the 40-minute drive where the super-wealthy come to frolic, gamble, and stash their millions, I feigned a look of utter indifference, the better to set myself apart from the commoners.This was probably the most stress-free introduction to the worlds most advanced luxury GT sports sedan Bentleys claim, not mine one can hope for, using the rear-seats removable touchscreen to set the massage function to pulse, close the sunroofs blind, pick a soothing shade of mood lighting and check our progress into Monaco on the navigation map. Drive? Not just now, thank you.Yet, Bentley has designed, engineered, and handcrafted the third-generation 2020 Flying Spur to be driven quickly and with no compromise to hedonistic levels of luxury. Our customers may have a fleet of motor cars in their garage, notes Peter Guest, Bentleys product line director for the car. But the default choice, when they can only drive one car, is a Bentley, because you have everything you require and more in the new Flying Spur. It is the ultimate expression of the internal combustion age.Whew! Talk about setting a high bar, one that could be knocked down if one were feeling jaded or allergic to huge doses of hyperbole. Yet, its hard not to admire the effort put into this full-size, four-door sedan, even one with a starting price tag of $236,100, for which perfection would be expected, at least by those of more modest means. The Bentley rides on the same MSB platform as the Continental GT and the Porsche Panamera, and at 5,405 millimetres in length, it boasts a wheelbase 130 millimetres longer than the previous Flying Spur.If not drop-dead stunning visually, the Flying Spur at least demands your attention even here in Monte Carlo, where Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis, McLarens, and Ferraris command prime parking spots at the casino and outside the chi-chi hotels. Theres a strong, broad-shouldered, masculine look to the cars aluminum body, offset with a myriad of details, such as its imposing grille, the LED matrix headlights with unique cut-crystal-effect detailing, and the pice de rsistance, the Flying B ornament that rises majestically from beneath the Bentley nose badge. The one downside of the redesign is the thick windshield pillars that can obstruct the view when cornering, which made picking ones way through the congested streets of Monte Carlo thick with scooters and tourists an exercise in extreme caution.Like the Bentayga and Continental GT, the Flying Spur is initially available with a 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12, mated to a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission. This enhanced engine delivers 635 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, more than enough to move the robust four-door to ridiculous speeds zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 333 km/h.If not the worlds fastest four-door sedan, the Flying Spur is in rarefied company. Maximum velocity is reached in sixth gear, with overdrive seventh and eighth used for economic grand touring. Bentley says its committed to offering electrified powertrains in all its model lines by 2023, so the 12-cylinder will not be the only engine powering the Flying Spur. Now, hooning about in something as dignified as a Bentley is rather dclass. Fortunately, even part throttle moves the car along at a clip that makes passing slow-moving 18-wheelers a breeze and smooth. The 12-cylinder is whisper quiet, the upshifts and downshifts all but imperceptible.The meandering tarmac of La Route Napolean allowed at least a portion of the Flying Spurs new all-wheel-drive system to be given a workout. Unlike the previous-generation version, which employed a permanent AWD system with a fixed 60/40 power split, the 2020 model has a clutched system that delivers two-wheel drive to the rear axle. Depending on the road conditions and wheel slip, it will then automatically send drive to the front axle as required, up to 354 lb.-ft. of torque in Comfort mode. In Sport, the system limits the available torque to the front axle to 207 lb.-ft., maintaining a higher torque level at the rear for a more traditional feel. Turn-in response is thus improved with the front end feeling much lighter, in turn making directional changes easier with greatly reduced understeer.Also assisting in the big sedans road-hugging prowess is a new electronic all-wheel steering system. Coupled with the active all-wheel drive and Bentley Dynamic Ride, delivering excellent handling and ride. New three-chamber air springs allow a greater range of suspension adjustment between limo-style comfort and
Origin: Bentley’s all-new Flying Spur is the lavish commuter car for the one-percent