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Bentley Flying Spur V8 S solves the ultimate First World problem

Here's a First World problem if we've ever seen one: You want to get a Bentley Flying Spur, but you can't decide which engine. Well, Bentley has just made your decision even harder by introducing another new version. But we'll make it easier on you by telling you that this is the one you want. Slotting in between the existing V8 and W12 versions of the four-door Continental is the new Flying Spur V8 S. It packs the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as the base model, but augmented to 521 horsepower. That puts it on par, as you might have guessed, with the Continental GT V8 S coupe. It also puts it closer to the 500 hp of the standard V8 than the 616 hp of the 12-cylinder model, but with less weight in the nose, it promises to handle better. With 590 pound-feet of torque channeled to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, the middle child of the Flying Spur range will rocket to 60 in just 4.6 seconds – 0.3 quicker than the base model – and top out at 190 miles per hour. Despite weighing nearly 5,500 pounds, though, features like cylinder deactivation and high-pressure direct injection mean it will still travel for 520 miles before needing to top up and return as much as 20 miles per gallon on the highway by our own EPA standards. Of course it's a Bentley, and it encompasses all the pampering luxury and status-symbol clout associated with the badge. But if you're looking for the luxury sedan you can push through the corners and rocket down the highway – and have the means to acquire one – your new ride may have just arrived. Look for it to make its debut mere weeks from now at the Geneva Motor Show. BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 S: THE SPORTING SIDE OF LUXURY - World's most refined V8 performance sedan gets even more power and torque - Outputs increase to 528 PS and 680 Nm; 0-100 km/h time just 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 306 km/h - Revised suspension offers improved body control and handling without sacrificing comfort - Black radiator grille, rear diffuser and new grille insert give V8 S a dramatic and purposeful appearance - Unique exterior colours and interior trim options - New Flying Spur V8 S makes debut at Geneva International Motor Show, 1 to 13 March (Crewe, 17 February 2016) Bentley Motors is today announcing the introduction of a new model to its range – the Flying Spur V8 S.

Bentley plotting rear-drive Continental GT3-R?

Coupe, convertible or Flying Spur sedan: no matter what body-style you get, or what engine you specify, the Bentley Continental comes with all-wheel drive. It's been that way since the model line was first introduced a dozen years ago. But that looks poised to change... at least for one notable exception. According to Autocar, Bentley is all but certain to launch a rear-drive version of the Continental GT3-R sometime next year, ditching the front half of the drivetrain to cut a good 440 pounds off the curb weight to make it the lightest Conti yet. The Continental GT3-R launched last year with less weight and more power, along with a stiffer suspension, upgraded brakes and a titanium exhaust. It drew its inspiration from the Continental GT3 racer, but unlike the competition version, kept the AWD drivetrain in place. "A lot of people expected the GT3-R to be a proper rear-wheel-drive sports car," Bentley's chief engineer Rolf Frech said to Autocar, "but the problem was timing. We needed the car at the end of the first season of our GT3 racing car, and to do a proper change of the complete powertrain needed longer than we had. But we have the concept in our mind, so why not?" Denuded of its all-wheel drive, the Conti GT3-RS – assuming Porsche doesn't mind lending the name to its sister company – would be the most hardcore version of the go-to luxury coupe, and would promise to cut its already blitzkreig 3.6-second 0-60 time down even further. Especially if the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 were tuned to deliver even more than the 572 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque it already kicks out in the existing GT3-R. Chances are it'd be even less accessible, though: the 99 examples of the Conti GT3-R that are coming to the States out of the 300 total to be made already carry a $337k sticker price, and the rear-drive model would likely push the production:price see-saw even higher to the right.

Cheap shots in the 'cheap' Bentley: What can you get away with in a Flying Spur V8?

You know the feeling when you think you've finished something brilliant, then you sit down and take a look at it with fresh eyes and realize that, not only is it crap, but it was never really a good idea in the first place? That was me, a couple of weeks ago, as I was looking through the footage I shot while driving the 2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8. Yes, after seeing reactions to the car on social media, I actually thought it would be funny to do a tongue-in-cheek bit where I suggested that Bentley provide owners with a feature designed to help keep "poor" people away. It was a half-baked idea, conceived to be lighthearted and in a vague nod to British humor. The point was not to make fun of anybody's financial situation (except my own, in a round-about self-deprecating way), but the product turned out a bit, well, cringe-inducing. Out of selfish desire not to lose the work that went into it (or another opportunity to talk about this gorgeous car), I decided to repurpose it with some help from "Dr." Byron. As you can see, he's doing house calls now.  I've been reviewing cars for more than a decade now, and even with that much time under my belt, I can still count on my hands the number of truly remarkable cars I've had the chance to drive. This Flying Spur stands out as the most expensive, the most exclusive, and, well, pretty much just the most car I've ever experienced. As I alluded to in my initial write-up, this is the kind of car that causes somebody like me — a person of comfortably modest means — to rethink even the most fundamental aspects of an otherwise conventional road trip.  Over the years, I've had people compliment, degrade and otherwise question my life choices based on cars I barely put 100 miles on. It's part of the gig. I was once rather directly approached and asked for money while gassing up a 2012 Porsche Cayman; no "hello," no preamble, no sugar-coating. Just, "Can I have some money?" So no, that tweet didn't actually make me self-conscious about cruising around in such a valuable and exclusive automobile, but the mere act of driving it did, and the discomfort was even further juiced by my knowledge that what I was driving wasn't even the "expensive" Flying Spur. I found myself wanting to tell people, "Look, you really shouldn't be that impressed. This is the cheap one." The question follows thusly: What is a cheap Bentley, and why does it need to exist?