Bentley Flying Spur 2019: images, design, specs, price and release date

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Bentley is marking its 100-year anniversary with the launch of an all-new version of its Flying Spur luxury saloon.

The third-generation model takes its design from the Continental GT coupe, with a stretched wheelbase to accommodate two extra doors and allow greater head and legroom for passengers in the back seats.

The British marque has moved away from the old model’s Volkswagen-designed MLB production platform, which also underpins the Audi A8 and VW Phaeton, and instead builds the new Flying Spur around the same architecture as the Porsche Panamera.

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The changes are part of a strategy aimed at transforming the Flying Spur into a car that offers “sports saloon agility paired with limousine refinement, so that it caters to both drivers and those being chauffeured”, says Autocar.

Here’s everything Bentley has revealed about its new luxury saloon:

Price and release

Prices start at £185,000 for the W12 model , which is due to reach customers in early 2020, says Autocar. An entry-level V8 model will join the range at a later date and will cost from £165,000.

Design

The Flying Spur is a four-door variant of the Continental GT, and as such adopts much of its design from the popular coupe.

The grille and circular headlights have been plucked from the two-door grand tourer, as have the muscular wheel archers over the rear axle and the chrome side air vents positioned behind the front wheels.

Although the Flying Spur is only 17mm longer than its predecessor, and is shorter in height at 1,484mm, the wheelbase has been stretched by 130mm to give passengers extra legroom, reports Auto Express.

Buyers get 21in wheels as standard, with 22in versions available as optional extras. The Flying Spur also features bespoke Bentley badges that display the years 1919 and 2019, to celebrate the carmaker’s centenary.

Interior and tech

Like its exterior design, the saloon’s cabin is almost identical to that of the Continental GT. The main differences are a reworked centre console with a pair of air vents and optional diamond-cut edges in the new model.

Arguably one of the most impressive features in the Flying Spur’s cabin is Bentley’s “rotating display”, says Autocar.

With the press of a button, drivers can switch between a 12.3in touchscreen infotainment system, a trio of customisable digital dials or a panel that “continues the wood veneer around the cabin”, the magazine reports.

Passengers in the back also get a touchscreen panel, nestled between the two front seats, to control the vehicle’s vents.

Engines and performance

Under the Flying Spur’s long bonnet sits the same 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine that powers the Continental GT, says Evo. This motor produces 626bhp and 664lb-ft of torque, helping the saloon achieve 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 207mph.

The engine also features cylinder deactivation technology to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. And the 48V electric system has allowed Bentley’s engineers to install dynamic ride suspension and active all-wheel drive - sending power to the rear wheels “unless a loss of grip is detected”, the magazine adds.