In the world of automobile manufacturing, not everyone can claim to have perfected the art of luxury and performance. Fortunately, Bentley is among the companies that have a proven record of delivering luxurious comfort with stellar performance. The Flying Spur is a living example of how Bentley amalgamated the interests of consumers with the performance of their engine to constitute a model worthy of maintaining the company's legacy while also building a loyal fanbase. This specific model was established as a four-door variant of the Continental. In fact, the car was known as the Continental Flying Spur during its early years of production. Built on the same engine with the same drivetrain, the Flying Spur resembled the Continental but in the sedan industry, and since it was the more up-and-coming one, Bentley intended to leave its footprints in that industry.
Ever since the company made its debut in the 1920s, the intention for car production remained the same: providing luxury. This was a niche market, and the British motor company had all the necessary resources to build heavyweight machinery that could provide comfort and stand out in the industry. The company did realize after winning Le Mans that it could pursue performance as well; however, that market got saturated very quickly. Therefore, since the Volkswagen buyout in the late 1990s, the company has dedicated its resources towards luxury provision more than power performance, giving rise to heavy-duty cars like the Flying Spur and Mulsanne. These cars are built on the engines produced in-house, ending the BMW dependency and creating a new path for loaded engines that can easily maneuver these heavy machines.
This 2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8 houses the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with the ability to produce horsepower north of 500 hp. The primary purpose of having an engine produce this much horsepower is to ensure the torque produced could help maneuver this large vehicle comfortably. With the weight of 5,400 lbs., the 487 ft-lb torque produced is necessary as it allows smoother movement for the car. This is further aided by the 8-speed automatic transmission with Quick shift, distributing equal power in this All-Wheel-Drive variant. The gearing is also supported by column-mounted gear shift paddle to provide more control to the driver in rugged conditions. Bentley’s addition of AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) in its Flying Spur has been a notable addition and is among the reasons for the company’s recent success. This AWD is reliant on the individual front and rear suspension channels with air springs, Continuous Damping Control (CDC), and anti-roll bar to ensure that even the slightest bumps on the roads are not felt by the passenger sitting at either side. Understandably, when a car is packing a 4.0-liter V8 engine, the fuel efficiency can’t be expected to be the best in the industry. The heavy weight of the car means that it can provide 14 miles per gallon in the city with a slight increase to 24 mpg on the highways. This has been the major concern for the company as they are unwilling to let the luxury amenities slide for them to compensate for better efficiency. However, where it lacks in efficiency, it can certainly make up in acceleration and top-speed. You would not expect a beast as big as this to accelerate rapidly; however, with the support from all-wheel, the car can accelerate from 0-60 mph in approximately 4.9 seconds. The large amount of horsepower generated from the car’s engine also allows the vehicle to create a worthy top-speed of over 183 mph.
Bentley has relied on Alloy wheels in these new generations of Flying Spur, considering the weight reduction helps with the drag while the aesthetic appeal is multiplied when there are options for customization. These 19-inch wheels come equipped with ventilated disc brakes for either side of the tires, complimenting the driving balance of the car. The company has opted to keep its unique design apparent with almost every Bentley model, with special emphasis placed on the large front grill that not only signifies the Bentley position but also is an integral part of the cooling system. The handcrafted upholstery and the wooden veneer is almost a guarantee when considering Bentley Vehicles. The spreading of the wood from the door panels to the dashboard has its own aesthetic appeal strong enough for the competitors to consider as well. The seats are heated and ventilated, and while the touch-panel is generally limited to the front, the car has upgrade options where the rear-seats can have their entertainment system as well. The temperature of the car is controlled using a dual-zone automatic climate control, allowing better temperature spread within this large vehicle.
The second generation of the Flying Spur was way ahead of their time, installing AWD on their machines and ensuring advanced traction mechanisms. The AWD was installed in the 2014 model but perfected in the 2015 Bentley Flying Spur V8, with the necessary upgrade of ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) providing further support to the vehicle's security. The 2015 Flying Spur V8 is currently available in the market in the bracket of $60,000 - $64,000. This is perhaps the best utility luxury vehicle available in the market in this price range. However, cars which have been on the road for several years seem to collect dust in all the important places which may hamper their performance drastically. Therefore, always make sure the experts from Exotic Car Trader are involved with the buying and selling of luxury vehicles to ensure the correct amount is paid for every car.
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