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2020 Bentley Flying Spur First Edition Road Test | $280,000 worth of drama-free splash

After reading Brett Berk’s First Drive review of the Bentley Flying Spur, I was intrigued. Not by the authorÂ’s propensity for shedding clothing (though that sure is Â… something), but by some of the carÂ’s numbers and its drivetrain features. Figures such as 626 horsepower and 3.7 seconds to 60 piqued my interest, as did torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. Bentley says the Flying Spur offers “breathtaking performance.” BerkÂ’s first drive was in Monaco, where a car like this pairs well with the luxury yachts. My time with the Flying Spur would be much less of a pantsless extravaganza. Instead, IÂ’d be fleeing quarantine cabin fever with my family, schlepping through the rain to run errands, waving to confused-looking neighbors and hopefully experiencing performance that would, as advertised, take my breath away. The Flying Spur feels a bit like a boat. ItÂ’s big, with a long hood stretching out into oneÂ’s forward view like the bow of a cabin cruiser. Add the isolated feeling provided by the suspension, and I could easily imagine myself skimming across a calm bay. The materials lend themselves to the nautical whimsy as well, with plenty of quilted leather and horizontal swaths of metal-accented wood that reminded me of my uncleÂ’s Lake Erie runabout. My first outing was with the family, and it was mostly spent on the highway. My wife, Cat, who is prone to motion sickness, had no troubles in the Flying Spur. Apart from sneaking in a few hard launches — eliciting chuckles from Cat and admonishment from my son, Wollie — I kept my driving sane and smooth. I mostly kept the car in Comfort mode. Driven as such, even with the brief moments of right-foot indulgence, the Flying Spur felt a bit underwhelming. The carÂ’s size suggests the existence of the 6.0-liter W12 under the hood, but its 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque are experienced differently in this Bentley. Hardly any sound makes its way into the cabin. Its highway calmness belies its actual swiftness. This was all well and good for the comfort of my passengers, but it didnÂ’t do much to evoke any feeling beyond that of leisure. In fact, IÂ’d have almost rather have been a passenger for this sort of trip. That way I could better soak in the craftsmanship that surrounds you inside a Bentley.

Bentley will race Pikes Peak for the first time — in a Bentayga SUV

Bentley is throwing its hat in the ring for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb first time, saying it's targeting a new SUV race record with its Bentayga. The British luxury marque will enter the W12 version, not the slightly less-powerful V8 version that it recently unveiled, when the Race to the Clouds takes place June 24. The brand's motorsports department in Crewe, England, is working to develop the vehicle for the 12.42-mile assault under the direction of motorsports director Brian Gush. They'll be working with a 2017 model and its 6.0-liter W12 engine, which makes 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque and goes 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, its all-wheel-drive transmission, four-mode adjustable air suspension and its 48-volt active anti-roll system. A driver will be announced later. Bentley's motorsports efforts have mostly focused on GT3 versions of its Continental GT coupe, which have a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 powering the rear wheels and goes on sale in June, and on special-edition models like the Continental 24. So it'll be interesting to see how the motorsports crew tunes the Bentayga, which debuted back in 2015 as the brand's first production SUV and the fastest, most powerful entrant in its segment. The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a grueling race up the famed mountain near Colorado Springs, featuring 156 corners and a finish line at 14,115 feet above sea level. This year will be the event's 96th running.Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Bentley Bentayga: First Drive View 36 Photos Image Credit: Bentley Motorsports Bentley SUV Luxury Performance pikes peak bentley bentayga Sport Utility

2017 Bentley Flying Spur W12 S laughs at the 200-mph barrier

A 200-plus-mile-per-hour sedan will always be more audacious than a similarly speedy coupe. These days, cracking 200 in a lightweight two-door is basically just expected. But reaching that speed in a sedan – a big, heavy, leather-and-wood-lined palace of a four-door – is more challenging. Bentley has finally done it. The new Flying Spur W12 S takes the smaller of Bentley's two sedans up to a lofty 202 mph – up from 199 in the standard model – thanks to the efforts of a more potent W12. The company's engineers boosted output from 616 to 626 horsepower and torque from 590 pound-feet to 605. On top of the increased top speed, the W12 S can hit 60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds. A retuned suspension with unique damper and stability control settings promises a more agile Flying Spur flagship, too. There are also aesthetic tweaks to set the Flying Spur's headlining act. We're digging the black elements in the LED headlights and taillights. The new lights play nice with the blacked-out grille – which Bentley insists on calling Beluga – 21-inch wheels, and other accents scattered around the body. We think the pale blue sedan in the gallery works better than on the Jack-O-Lantern orange Flying Spur. Changes in the cabin are more modest – there's a nice "W12 S" script in the headrests and a new two-tone color split interior that's limited to this range-topping S model. Bentley will deliver the first Flying Spur W12 S sedans near the end of 2016. And if you want an even more potent Flying Spur, somehow, we're guessing a Speed model will supplant the W12 S sooner rather than later. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Bentley Flying Spur W12 S News Source: BentleyImage Credit: Bentley Bentley Luxury Performance Sedan bentley flying spur