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2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 First Drive Review | Making a scene at the ends of the Earth

Even in the face of fading four-door relevance, a new luxury sedan still turns heads, and that goes double when it’s sporting the Flying B. The 2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 marks the return of the “entry-level” variant of BentleyÂ’s storied touring sedan, and perhaps for the last time, as parent company Volkswagen appears poised to electrify its flagship luxury brand. As luxury nameplates go, Flying Spur really isnÂ’t all that long-running. It was used on a handful of cars in the late 1950s and early 1960s and then mothballed for four decades, returning in 2005 as part of the same Volkswagen prestige project that brought us the Phaeton. The two were even assembled side-by-side for a brief period at one of VWÂ’s German facilities while BentleyÂ’s factory in Crewe scaled up; that probably went over far better in 2005 than it would have in 1959.  My oldest remaining memory of the (then still a Continental) Flying SpurÂ’s modern incarnation stems from a write-up by a journalist who had embedded with some of VW GroupÂ’s engineers in South Africa. They were subjecting it to hot-weather validation, running the prototype (disguised as a Mercedes-Benz) deep into triple-digit territory on remote, dusty highways in a once-unforgiving and distant corner of the globe. The whole thing seemed very romantic to a 20-year-old college student and budding European car nut. The notion of a 190-mph super-sedan being tested in a locale that was once the southern terminus of the known world seemed almost mythical, and it left me with the lingering image of the Flying Spur as the sort of conveyance one might employ in a quest to reach the very ends of the Earth. Naturally, it wasnÂ’t long after Bentley asked if I wanted to sample the new Flying Spur V8 that this association bubbled up. LetÂ’s face it, though; taking a road trip in a grand British luxury sedan needs no justification. This isnÂ’t a car that requires an occasion; it supplies one all on its own. The 4.0-liter V8Â’s 542 horsepower may not hold a candle to the W12Â’s 626, but it also has to contend with 200 fewer pounds. Combined with cylinder deactivation, the V8 manages a 16% improvement in fuel economy, eking out 15 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway and 17 combined. The base V8 model also lacks the W12Â’s standard all-wheel steering and electronically controlled anti-roll bars, but those are still available if youÂ’re willing to cough up some extra cash, and relatively little of it, all things considered.

Top Gear caught filming Best of British near Buckingham Palace

YouTuber and car-fan extraordinaire Shmee probably had very little trouble tracking down the Top Gear film crew recently, as the group was putting together an episode that could accurately be described as "excessive." With its flag-waving (literally) Best of British theme, the TG guys gathered a jaw-dropping array of British cars, and parked them all right in front of Buckingham Palace to make extra sure that the point was driven home.
Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were outfitted with a trio of Jaguar F-Types festooned with gigantic Union Jacks, with which to survey the landscape of British motoring glory. In the video below, you'll see that this includes any number of Mini, Aston Martin, Lotus, McLaren, Land Rover, Bentley and Rolls-Royce models (just to name a few), as well as a healthy dose of weird stuff that most people would never guess at being built in the UK. The lawnmowers and military vehicles are especially cool.

You can buy the Queen's Bentley Mulsanne for $285,000

Want to feel like a king or queen driving around town? You'll want a Bentley. After all, the British automaker furnished the royal household of Queen Elizabeth II with the bespoke State Limousine, and delivered the very first new Bentayga to Her Majesty as well. But if you're keen to get a little closer to that sovereign feeling, might we suggest buying the Queen's own Bentley – namely, the Mulsanne you see here. Listed for sale on Auto Trader by a dealership in Surrey, this particular Bentley Mulsanne was reportedly used exclusively by the British monarch from 2012 to 2014. She's said to have used it during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations that marked her 60th year of reign four years ago, as well as for a visit to Prime Minister David Cameron's office at 10 Downing Street for his inaugural cabinet meeting. We wouldn't be surprised if she took over the wheel from her chauffeur from time to time, either. The Muslanne is said to have only 5,826 miles on the odometer – 5,000 of which was racked up in Her Majesty's service, secret or otherwise. On that note, there is no mention of 007-esque gadgetry or basic armoring you might expect from a head of state's car. Provenance aside, this being a Mulsanne, it's motivated by Bentley's ancient 6.75-liter V8, not the gauche 6.0-liter W12 or 4.0-liter V8 in the nouveau riche Continental. It's done up in classic dark green with a tan leather interior and walnut burr veneer trim, and can be yours for GBP199,850 – or $285k at today's exchange rates. Of course you could pick up a new one for not much more, but then you wouldn't be riding around in the Queen's own wheels, now would you? Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Bentley Mulsanne - ex-Queen Elizabeth II News Source: Auto Trader Bentley Car Buying Luxury Sedan bentley mulsanne queen elizabeth ii