Bentley has launched the 2015 Flying Spur V8 luxury saloon in India at a starting price of Rs. 3.10 crores (ex-showroom, Delhi) that is set to increase further with the list of optional extras. The V8 Flying Spur joins the flagship W12 model in the country that was launched last year and is regarded as the epitome of British luxury. As the iconic British marquee states, the Flying Spur is a blend of performance, craftsmanship and technology with an enhanced touring range and is built at the automaker’s headquarters in Crewe, UK along with the Continental GT and Mulsanne models.
Differentiating the 2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8 from the W12 model is of course the the 8-cylinder (instead of 12) engine under the hood. In terms of aesthetics, the Flying Spur V8 gets subtle changes which include the all-black lower grille instead of the chrome unit seen on the W12, 8 chrome exhaust pipes and the Bentley logo gets a red centre. The luxury saloon uses a steel monocoque, with super-formed aluminium front fenders and bonnet, while the boot-lid is made up composite materials. The saloon sports Bi-Xenon projector headlamps, Bentley’s trademark LED DRLs and LED tail lights.
On the inside, the V8 Flying Spur does miss out on certain features like the rear seats don’t get lumbar support, electric adjustments or the heater as standard and need to be availed at an additional cost. You still get multi-zone climate control, 8-inch touchscreen interface, 1100 watts 8-speaker audio system, Bluetooth telephony with privacy handset, navigation route guidance, Wi-Fi connectivity, 64 GB rear seat entertainment storage hard drive as well as wireless headphones.
Powering the 2015 Flying Spur is Bentley’s 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine that develops 500 HP of peak power at 6000 RPM and 660 Nm of torque at 1750 RPM and is paired to an 8-speed quick shift automatic transmission, while power is sent to all four-wheels via a permanent all-wheel drive setup. Weighing at 2972 kgs, the Flying Spur V8 is lighter than the W12 model and that adds up to a serious performance advantage. 0-100 km/hr comes up in just 5.2 seconds, while the top speed is a mind blowing 295 km/hr. The engine also features cylinder deactivation technology that helps improve fuel economy, albeit marginally. Bentley claims a range of 700 kms on a full tank.
Safety tech includes driver, passenger and individual seat airbags, driver side knee bag, ABS, two-mode ESP and EBD as standard. You also get cruise control, electronic park brake with Drive-Away assist as standard. Despite getting a smaller engine, the Flying Spur does not lose out on performance and is instead a slightly more practical and frugal option, while being equally fun to drive or be chauffeured in.
