The Bentley Flying Spur V8 S Is A Thuggishly Posh Super Saloon

Ask us which Bentley Continental GT we’d have, and it’d be a fairly easy answer. Not the slightly silly GT3 R, nor the W12 or base V8. Instead, we’d get the just right V8 S: it’s surprisingly light on its feet for something that weighs almost the same as a house, and makes a cracking noise. But what if you want an extra pair of doors? The Conti’s four-door brother - the Flying Spur - hasn’t been available as a V8 S up until now, but that’s something Bentley has now rectified with this new addition to the range.

Up front is the same 4.0-litre, Audi-sourced twin-turbo V8 as the Continental V8 S, producing 521bhp and 502lb ft of torque. That figure is enough to propel this two-and-a-half tonne chunk of wood, leather and metal from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 190mph.

The V8’s grunt is sent to all four-wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox, with the rear wheels favoured thanks to a 40:60 torque split. The suspension has been revised too, which according to Bentley gives the V8 S ‘improved body control and handling without sacrificing comfort.’

Prices have not yet been revealed, but based on the price of the standard Flying Spur V8, we can expect the S to cost around £150,000. It’ll make its public debut at the Geneva motor show, with first deliveries taking place this summer.