2014 Bentley Flying Spur on 2040-cars

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Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition is the sedan's sendoff into retirement

Bentley is closing the latest Mulsanne chapter with 30 examples the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner, celebrating the 61-year-old V8 that first appeared in the 1959 Bentley S2. Once those 30 cars have been built, the name retires for the second time — after being used on a flagship sedan from 1980 to 1992 — and the Flying Spur takes over as the carmaker's top-tier offering. Starting with the 530-horsepower Mulsanne Speed, the 6.75 Edition adds gloss black and bright chrome jewelry, including a dark tint for the Flying B hood ornament, Mulliner radiator, and exhaust finishers. There are also chrome badges, bright machined faces with black pockets for the 21-inch, five-spoke wheels, and welcome lighting that flashes the special edition name. Under the hood, the normally silver intake cover gets dressed in black, and the engine number plaque bears the signature of brand CEO Adrian Hallmark instead of the engine builder. The interior can be specced in four single-color hides, either Beluga, Fireglow, Imperial Blue, or Newmarket Tan. All are automatically contrasted with silver — silver-painted veneer, silver seat piping and silver sheen that shows through the ventilated thrones, an instrument panel in high-gloss Grand Black, and door trim in Dark Engine Spin Aluminum. Other touches to mark the occasion are ventilation controls designed to look like the engine oil cap, cutaway drawings of the engine on the gauges and clock face, and more 6.75 Edition stitching and badging. The carmaker pointed to the end of the 6.75-liter V8 four years ago, but that was when there were plans for a successor to be powered by a new V12. Times having changed, the Flying Spur will lead the way with its 6.0-liter W12 and 4.0-liter V8 engines sourced from Volkswagen, and a hybrid model coming for 2023.  Bentley didn't mention a price for the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition, because of course. But the 2020 Mulsanne Speed starts at $342,300. Start there and add money.

Watch Bentley hood ornament emerge to tease next Flying Spur

Thanks to Bentley's premium customization branch, Mulliner, the current Flying Spur can be equipped with nearly any feature a customer wants. But there is one feature its bigger brother, the Mulsanne, has that it doesn't: a proper hood ornament. That's about to change, however, as a teaser video and image shows the next Flying Spur will have a retractable flying B at its nose. Bentley released two teasers for the upcoming model reveal, one a sketched silhouette of the car, the other a video of an ornament emerging from the hood. The ornament will be a departure from the outgoing model, which has the flat Bentley badge on its nose. Surely Rolls-Royce fanatics will have some fun with this, but we're here for it. The more hood ornaments the better. Teaser sketches never reveal much, but there are a couple small things we might be able to pull from the dark figure. It appears the front fascia could be more blunt and vertical than the outgoing model. The overall stance of the car could be going for a longer, lower and sleeker profile. The rear also appears to be more shapely, with slightly more pronounced lips and edges. But again, these are guesses at this point, as sketches can be misleading. We expect additional teasers will give us more information in the near future. Look for the all-new Flying Spur to debut later this year. News Source: Bentley Design/Style Bentley Luxury Sedan bentley flying spur

2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 returns with less weight, equipment than W12

Following up on the launch of the W12 version, the 2021 Bentley Flying Spur is once again getting an "entry-level" variant with a V8. It's not as powerful as the W12, and a couple fancy features aren't included. But it's lighter, more fuel efficient, and we expect it will be cheaper. Like past V8 Spurs, this new model has a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8. It's more powerful than its predecessors, though, making 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. The previous-generation V8 S made 521 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. The W12's 626 horsepower still towers over the V8, but the V8 boasts a weight savings of 220 pounds. Combined with cylinder deactivation, Bentley claims a 16% improvement in fuel economy, though doesn't give specific numbers. Applying that increase to the W12's combined fuel economy number, we'd expect around 17 mpg for the V8 versus 15 for the W12. There's one other key mechanical change to the Flying Spur V8, and that's the lack of standard electronic adjustable anti-roll bars and four-wheel steering. Both features are part of an option package now, whereas they're included on the W12. The adjustable anti-roll bars are automatically controlled to optimize ride quality while reducing body roll, and the steering allows the Flying Spur to more easily negotiate tight corners and spaces. Otherwise, the V8 Flying Spur is nearly identical to the W12 version, save for the standard 20-inch wheels and quad exhaust tips. It's available in either four- or five-seat configurations. First Edition and Blackline trims are available that include extra options and unique visual tweaks. And among some of the more opulent upgrades are the rear-seat refrigerator, illuminated Flying B hood ornament and rotating center stack display. Pricing for the Flying Spur V8 starts at $200,725 with destination, a healthy discount to the W12's nearly $215,000 price tag. It's also more affordable than the the Continental GT V8's price of around $204,000. The V8 Flying Spur will be available early next year. Related Video: