BENTLEY’S FLYING SPUR – THE RETURN OF THE SINGLE EYE

VEHICULE :

bentley flying spur

POWERPLAN :

Hybrid Petrol Engine AWD

THE NUMBERS:

Up to 680HP / 930 Nm / topspeed 191 mph

IN SHORT :

There are certain visual cues in the automotive world that act as a tether to history. For Bentley, the "four-eyed" headlamp configuration has been the face of the brand for over six decades. It’s been the gaze of the Flying Spur since 1962—until today, that is. Bentley has just pulled the covers off the new Flying Spur, and for the first time in 64 years, they’ve reverted to a single headlight design.

It’s a bold gamble. Aligning the Flying Spur’s DNA with the fourth-generation Continental GT family is clearly a move to streamline the Crewe showroom, but for someone like me, who grew up tracing the lines of those iconic twin circles, it’s a jarring shift. However, once you move past the "face-lift," the substance underneath reveals why Bentley is still the benchmark for what I call "proper" luxury.

Let’s talk performance, because beneath that elegant exterior beats a heart that’s firmly in the supercar realm. The "S" model is back, and it’s carrying the Performance Active Chassis—a setup that I’ve always found to be the best way to make a two-and-a-half-ton limousine behave like something half its size. It’s got an electronic limited-slip differential now, and the V8 hybrid powertrain has been poked and prodded to deliver 680 PS and 930 Nm of torque. That’s a 20% jump over the previous generation. In a four-door sedan. It’ll do 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, which is frankly indecent for a car that offers five distinct seat styles, each requiring 12 hours of human hands to stitch together.

That’s the thing about Bentley—they operate in a different reality. While everyone else is busy chasing synthetic "experience" through software updates, these folks are still using actual needles and thread. You’ve got a choice of fluted or quilted inserts, and for those who think the standard wood and leather aren't quite enough, the new "Virtuoso Collection" brings in Naim for Mulliner audio systems with speaker cones derived from Focal’s Grand Utopia range. It’s overkill, obviously. But Bentley isn't a brand that traffics in "just enough."

The driving dynamics are what I’m most curious about. With the Performance Active Chassis, the 48V Dynamic Ride anti-roll system, and active torque vectoring, they are fighting the laws of physics with every tool in the shed. I’ve always argued that a car of this stature shouldn't be "sporty," but rather "composed." If they’ve managed to retain that effortless, mile-munching gait while injecting this level of turn-in precision, they’ve pulled off a difficult balancing act.

There’s a new paint color, too—"Dark Teal." It’s a nature-inspired mid-blue with hints of green and fine metallic flakes. It’s sophisticated, understated, and, quite frankly, a hell of a lot better than the sea of monochromatic greys that currently plagues every high-street parking lot.

It’s easy to be cynical about "refinements." We’ve seen enough "new" models that are just software tweaks with a new grille. But this Flying Spur feels like a genuine effort to marry the old-world craftsmanship of Crewe with the demands of an era that won't tolerate anything less than supercar performance.

Does the single headlamp look right? I’m still on the fence. It makes the car look leaner, perhaps a bit more "Continental," but the traditionalist in me misses the old stare. Still, if this is what the future of the luxury sedan looks like—680 horses, titanium exhaust notes, and enough Mulliner-grade luxury to make a king feel under-dressed—I suppose I can live with the change in gaze.

Keep the shiny side up.

JIM KHANA

The auto

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