We’ve all had that supercar poster on our wall. What was yours? Lamborghini Countach? Ferrari 360? Porsche 911 Turbo? No matter that wall artwork was, it single-handedly dictated your journey into automobile enthusiasm and – if you happen to’re lucky – ultimately discovered its solution to you and your driveway.
We guess you by no means had this in your wall although: A Bentley Flying Spur Pace Extremely Excessive Efficiency Hybrid… particularly in orange.
We first acquired our palms on the Bentley four-door final yr when it was pre-production up in Aspen, and we instantly fell in love with its long-body, ultra-menacing and aggressive “gangster” look. Our check automobile was painted in a seductive black metallic paint with black-on-black trimmings and wheels; nearly as excellent of an government ultra-luxury sedan might get.
However now we have been capable of get a road-test-capable version of the Flying Spur, in all of its twin-turbo V8 hybrid 771 hp glory. We knew we’d love the consolation and beautiful high quality, however we undoubtedly didn’t anticipate the orange paint and eventual embarrassment we felt driving it via the Carl’s Jr. drive-thru. Evidently, it wasn’t our best spec.
We had a stable week with the 2025 Bentley Flying Spur Pace and drove it throughout the higher Los Angeles and Orange County areas. It’s a boatload of robust positives paired with a couple of letdowns, however general an ideal contender for the automobile fanatic who’s prepared for that big-body Benz Bentley. Right here’s what we thought of it.
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
The Trip
For Bentley, consolation and luxurious are highest of priorities, whereas catering additionally to the driving force. How typically have you ever heard that rivals Maybach and Rolls-Royce are automobiles “to be pushed in” fairly than driver’s automobiles? Commendable at its core, however what we love about Bentley – notably the four-door sedan Flying Spur – is that the automobile caters to all occupants.
Let’s discuss engine first – the 4.0L V8 with two turbos interprets to monstrous energy. In sport mode, from a standstill, the Flying Spur’s engine soared off the road is a surprisingly linear method. Limitless torque from the turbos meant a constant shove within the again just like the sportiest of sports activities automobiles. Eight cylinders provides off a sonorous tone. Traits of a muscle automobile wrapped in a Tom Ford swimsuit? Certain, however keep in mind there’s a complete new ethos behind this automobile – electrical efficiency and effectivity.
Don’t take without any consideration how a lot you’ll love a hybrid (twin-turbo V8) system, particularly when you have got 771 horsepower below your foot.
Shockingly, the electric-assisted engine wasn’t as disruptive as we’d think about. Whereas in Sport mode the automobile’s full 771 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque felt pure, nearly like the electrical motor’s additional horsepower wasn’t really there. A easy twist of the drive mode selector to “B” (for ‘Bentley,’ the automobile’s default mode) or “Consolation” would kick the engine off, leading to a luxurious limousine that’s now silent and nonetheless. Inside electric-only speeds – as much as 87 mph – the Flying Spur accelerated easily however regrettably with much less fervor and pleasure as with the ICE, and that’s advantageous. Trotting round suburbia or down the aspect streets of Los Angeles is ideal within the inconspicuous (but orange) Bentley. We discovered ourselves utilizing the electric-only drive greater than we anticipated because it paired completely with the sleek experience, very like the Rolls-Royce Spectre which we additionally check drove.
So the hybrid Flying Spur is actually the perfect the each worlds on this luxurious limo stature – roaring boosted V8 on the freeway, environment friendly exclusivity whereas heading to Complete Meals. Don’t take without any consideration how a lot you’ll love a hybrid system, particularly when you have got 771 horsepower below your foot.
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
The Inside
The Flying Spur is every thing we’ve ever dreamed about for the “matured” fanatic who sees sexiness in lengthy wheelbase automobiles. The straightforward stuff is all there – comfortable shut doorways, silent cabins with a great deal of sound deadening, therapeutic massage seats, lashings of leather-based and so on. Nevertheless it’s the eye to element stuff that basically makes the Flying Spur our Bentley of alternative, even over the Continental GT and Bentayga.
The seats had a really particular design to them, using optimum padding and stitching in order that it felt prefer it “engulfed” the occupant. Think about you sitting in a bean bag chair, made up completely of reminiscence foam – it’s that dramatic. The headrests and separate shoulder changes suited three separate physique sorts we tried, whereas we by no means had bother discovering the right seating place for visibility. Once we have been a bit extra aggressive with the throttle and brake, the chairs did their finest to carry us in, because the automobile admittedly rolled a bit in corners and tipped throughout arduous braking – it’s over 5,800 kilos in weight in any case.
Just a few, however very minor let downs we found: let’s begin with the twin sunroofs. We conceded that the design was in all probability carried out in order that there’s clear separation from the entrance and rear passengers, however we’d have greater than possible appreciated a bit extra tech on this within the type of an electrochromic moonroof, or a perma-tinted panoramic skylight. The gear selector had a little bit of a bizarre form to it as effectively – whereas trying to shift into reverse, we caught our palm hitting the P (for Park) button on a couple of events. It by no means induced an actual problem, however undoubtedly affected us psychologically.
The all-touch sprint is some extent of competition we’ve not solely with Bentley however different producers, and there have been various cases of us getting completely misplaced within the menus looking for a selected toggle. The massaging seats have been essentially the most irritating; had we not unintentionally discovered the button on the seat’s edge (it’s the smallest spherical button out of the bunch as effectively), we’re unsure we’d have ever discovered it. Apple CarPlay was dodgy – if you happen to ever get out of the automobile to choose up your take-out, getting again in and reconnecting efficiently is an actual hit and miss. Lastly, we simply might inform who had the automobile earlier than us (hey fellow automobile journalists), nonetheless we failed at discovering a solution to take away the Bluetooth connections from reminiscence.
However, the degrees of luxurious, consolation, tech and integration throughout the cabin have been pretty pleasing and spoke volumes to the associated fee/worth of the Bentley Flying Spur.
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
The Value
There’s no comfortable method of claiming this: only a few individuals will be capable of afford the Bentley Flying Spur Extremely Efficiency Hybrid. To start out, it’s simply over $275,000 USD.
For the informal automobile fanatic, that’s already an astronomical quantity, however the choices are much more eye-watering. Premium Naim sound system? $9,800 USD. Ground mats? $600 USD. The ‘Flying B’ radiator mascot in black gloss and illumination? $4,000 USD. However maybe essentially the most ostentatious characteristic and value hooked up to it was the Mandarin Orange exterior paint choice – $22,000 USD. For the value of a used E46 M3 in its stunning Estoril Blue paint job, you simply purchased a small-home and painted it to appear to be a velocity cone. For a Lamborghini it is smart, however for such a prestigious automobile just like the Flying Spur, it made essentially the most inconspicuous and subsequently menacing automobile a “what the hell is that” second for anybody driving subsequent to you on the 405.
All of that is to make some extent – the Bentley Flying Spur Pace is aimed toward a really particular buyer, one who’s in search of the royalty-levels of commuting and has very particular tastes that should be fulfilled. In the event you can’t envision your life and not using a Bentley choosing up your companion or youngsters from personal college, the Flying Spur just isn’t for you and was by no means meant for you.
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
Bentley
The Picture
So that you’re driving round in a automobile that’s simply the value of a home. It has sufficient legroom for any human on the face of the Earth. There’s sufficient energy and torque to problem something with 4 wheels. Is that this the right automobile? Sure, however with some advantageous print.
First – get the proper colour. Our instance arrived at our location in an extremely vibrant Mandarin metallic paint and immediately, we had one thing to say about it. The Bentley Flying Spur – in our minds – is supposed for the elite, the manager, the discerning skilled. It’s NOT meant for the flashy, the motorsport fanatic, the “automobiles & espresso” crew. There may be little or no justification for it to be painted in any colour moreover black, white, gray, silver, maybe a darkish blue or maroon, and possibly on the rarest events, purple. The outside ought to subtly convey royalty and beautiful style, not scream “take a look at me” or seize consideration from the lots.
The Bentley Flying Spur – in our minds – is supposed for the elite, the manager, the discerning skilled. It’s NOT meant for the flashy, the motorsport fanatic, the “automobiles & espresso” crew.
With that being stated, how does the Flying Spur evaluate to its rivals just like the Mercedes-Maybach S580 or the Rolls-Royce Ghost? That relies upon.
The Mercedes-Maybach is arguably much more discreet and understated, however might be nearly an excessive amount of so. Its value is significantly much less – begins at simply over $200,000 USD – however all issues thought of anybody looking for one gained’t care a lot in regards to the $75k USD delta. We predict the styling of the Maybach can also be much less dramatic than the Flying Spur, even with the model’s signature two-toned paint job. We don’t deny it’s an unbelievable package deal and is a shocking alternative for an ultra-premium limousine, however maybe it’s not our favourite of the trio.
The Rolls-Royce Ghost nonetheless places up extra of a struggle. A “double-R” has stood the check of time – fairly actually, since 1906 – as essentially the most luxurious automobile on the highway, and the newest iterations are not any exception. Even below the supervision of BMW, modern-day Rolls-Royce autos demand consideration and envy with its daring seems to be and distinguished stature. The interiors match the exteriors with lavish trimmings, and the devices are leading edge. Consolation is past description and also you’d be arduous pressed to seek out fault within the cabin’s construct high quality. Fact be advised, if we have been evaluating apples to apples, at related prices we’d have a hell of a job selecting between the Ghost and the Flying Spur.
However maybe that’s the purpose. The buyer who has the chance – and extra importantly the cash – to decide on a Flying Spur is making an announcement with its picture, one that’s really not the plain alternative just like the Rolls-Royce. In a society – and on an internet site like Hypebeast – the place picture is every thing, the Bentley Flying Spur Pace is our decide of alternative if you happen to’re in search of the extremely sedan. And you may spec yours nonetheless you need, …so so long as you paint it black.
