Photo: Carpix
Introduced one year after the Continental GT, the Continental Flying Spur is, for all intents and purposes, an ultra-luxury four-door grand tourer. Though not as well-to-do as the Mulsanne, the Flying Spur is addressed to a rather different demographic.
What you can see in this set of spy photographs isn’t a Porsche Panamera Turbo. It is, in fact, a test mule for the next generation of the Bentley Flying Spur, due to be launched for the 2019 model year. Why is it hiding as a Porsche? Well, that’s because the engineers will bestow the Panamera’s MSB platform upon the Flying Spur, save for a wider track up front and at the rear.
A quick check on the GB plates with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency also shows that this test mule is registered as a Bentley. What’s more, the DVLA checkup reveals that a 3,996 cc engine lurks under the car’s hood. And no, it’s not a diesel. It is the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 unit from the second-gen Panamera Turbo, an engine that’s good for 549 PS (541 horsepower) and 770 Nm (567 lb-ft) of torque from 1,960 to 4,500 rpm. That’s marginally more than the 3,993 cc twin-turbo mill offered in the current Bentley Flying Spur.
Spy pics further reveal that the interior is that of a Porsche Panamera. It’s a matter of time until a full-body prototype will be snapped by the shutterbugs, interior and all. Based on what the Bentayga brought to the table, the interior will be as sumptuous as a Bentley can get. Design-wise, previous sightings of the 2018 Bentley Continental GT in fixed-head coupe and convertible form represent our best leads on how the next-gen Flying Spur will look like.
Of course, a W12-powered model is also in the cards. Even though the rumor mill suggests that the 6.0-liter powerplant will kick the bucket in the near future, I have a gut feeling that won’t be the case. My hunch is based on the fact the 6.0 W12 has been recently renewed from the ground up. The Bentley Bentayga is also available with the said 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine.
A quick check on the GB plates with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency also shows that this test mule is registered as a Bentley. What’s more, the DVLA checkup reveals that a 3,996 cc engine lurks under the car’s hood. And no, it’s not a diesel. It is the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 unit from the second-gen Panamera Turbo, an engine that’s good for 549 PS (541 horsepower) and 770 Nm (567 lb-ft) of torque from 1,960 to 4,500 rpm. That’s marginally more than the 3,993 cc twin-turbo mill offered in the current Bentley Flying Spur.
Spy pics further reveal that the interior is that of a Porsche Panamera. It’s a matter of time until a full-body prototype will be snapped by the shutterbugs, interior and all. Based on what the Bentayga brought to the table, the interior will be as sumptuous as a Bentley can get. Design-wise, previous sightings of the 2018 Bentley Continental GT in fixed-head coupe and convertible form represent our best leads on how the next-gen Flying Spur will look like.
Of course, a W12-powered model is also in the cards. Even though the rumor mill suggests that the 6.0-liter powerplant will kick the bucket in the near future, I have a gut feeling that won’t be the case. My hunch is based on the fact the 6.0 W12 has been recently renewed from the ground up. The Bentley Bentayga is also available with the said 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine.
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