Bentley Flying Spur

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

gr1nch

Active Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2016
Messages
729
Location
Louth, Lincolnshire
Car
2017 W222 S350d AMG Line Premium Plus : Iridium Silver and Black Nappa
A friend of mine has one and it's astonishingly refined, powerful and a lovely engine sound, when heard from outside. Its a different kind animal from the high-tech W222, but very enjoyable to move about in nonetheless. It looks like this, though his car's paint job is a classy looking blue/grey two-tone.
77b99f4777eaa5337d203b08b158f5af.jpg

Anyone here had a Flying Spur?

Sent from my G3112 using Tapatalk
 
Have only being driven in some, and got the impression it was "just" a limo version of the Bentley GT - or an ostentatious VW Phaeton.

A great statement piece, without the stigma of a remotely affordable price or day to day running cost.... but the gut feeling that an S600L is a far more capable car - both from the back and from the front.

One for the Chairman's named parking space on a Busy-ness Park somewhere near Bracknell, rather than anything you'd want to drive through Hampstead High Street, or to a meeting in Norwich

Jonny Ive from Apple runs one, but it's hard to see why.

Maybe best left to the Carriage Trade for Heathrow transfers, Goodwood or Smiths Lawn?
 
They are a fabulous car inside and the W12 which is turbo charged in the Bentley does have some oomph. I did consider one and went for a test drive about a year after buying my Phaeton which is basically the same car for those a bit further down the food chain. After reading a few owner experiences on Pistonheads I decided to stick with the Phaeton as some of the running costs scared me a bit. Although with any car in this price bracket buying it is the easy bit looking after it properly is the wallet thumping challenge.
 
I absolutely love Bentleys.

I think it goes back to the 80’s when the chairman of the firm I was apprenticed to had a chauffeur driven 8. It was silver on a E plate.
The chairman was an ex-brickie gone posh, very posh, with the mansion in Bucks to go with the car.
The chauffeur was called Arfur and he was one of the firms semi retired lorry drivers.

Old school firm!!
 
I love the interior of the new Continental, it's just a special place to sit.

If you ever talk to anyone who's owned one of these and used it regularly the V8 is actually a better car.

I'm interested to see what the new GTC and Spur will look like.
 
Friend of mine had one which I drove on several occasions, absolutely loved it.
Plenty of power, smooth, refined.
 
Hi Mr Grinch, how's your S350 shaping up in the Fens, run it in yet? Have you given it a bit of 'wellie' now you've had it a while, what do you think, love it?
Peter, I'm absolutely loving my S350, thanks for asking! It's a joy to drive, especially having never driven luxury cars before, so I'm not constantly comparing. To my taste it's a genuinely beautiful car and I get a buzz when it catches my eye or when I'm heading out to it for a drive of any distance. Having recently passed the 10,000 mile mark since March 1st, it feels truly run in now. It's perfect for grand touring.
5546c7d060698453a641151555805873.jpg
Spacious enough to bring stacks of wine and beer back, from the odd trip to the continent.
bae9578009a31da9e4d2f34c7493c83a.jpg

And on one of the German autobahns I took the car up to 240kph, super fast, much faster than I'd driven in any car. The only unnerving thing to be careful of was cars pulling out into the fast lane, not realising how fast i was going and also the risk of a puncture and firmly holding the steering wheel just in case. All my senses were on edge. Maybe 30 minutes in total. Exciting but a little scary. Was good to do it once though!

And it was good taking the car back to its birth place and see three inner workings of the factory and peruse the museum.
4ed710df28d00313b8b9b99ae26bdbc8.jpg


Elsewhere the car also feels solid and safe, particularly on the single carriageway Lincolnshire Wolds and marsh roads, which aren't lit at night time. The traffic is pleasingly sparse, but lots of accidents here, unfortunately. And there's quite a bit of agricultural muck on the roads so the power washer gets regular usage too ;-)
0ccb889d1fa62382e2ad9478903c663b.jpg

Nothing is 100% perfect though and I'm concerned enough to take it to the main dealer early next year, about a consistent 1-2 seconds judder as I reverse down our steep drive, in the highest nearside, front wheel, which I think may be anti-skid related as the load on it is the lightest of the four wheels at that point. I'm sure the W222 engineers would want to know about it and fix the root cause - I hope the local MB dealer will feed it up the chain.
8ec24eb536a58804ddee20958bc433d1.jpg
Overall though I'm very happy and I recommend the car unreservedly.

Sent from my G3112 using Tapatalk
 
Glad your pleased with it, we have I think, similar engines 350 cdi bluetec, mines an e coupe and its very good.
We drive to south Spain twice a year, not done 240 kph but seen 200 a couple of times about 120mph, but Mrs 103, indicates sensibly, (not really) that we should ease up a bit, though the car has settled on the tarmac drawn in its haunches and is willing me on effortlessly, SWMBO is listened to, and I ease up as directed(threatened). But yes excellent engine and gearbox and a joy to let loose, on sometimes empty European m/ ways.
 
Glad your pleased with it, we have I think, similar engines 350 cdi bluetec, mines an e coupe and its very good.
We drive to south Spain twice a year, not done 240 kph but seen 200 a couple of times about 120mph, but Mrs 103, indicates sensibly, (not really) that we should ease up a bit, though the car has settled on the tarmac drawn in its haunches and is willing me on effortlessly, SWMBO is listened to, and I ease up as directed(threatened). But yes excellent engine and gearbox and a joy to let loose, on sometimes empty European m/ ways.
Peter your post reminds me: Why does Mrs D always suggest that I slow down when I have already backed off the accelerator pedal?
 
Yes have had a couple. Very expensive to run and cheap to buy for that reason.
 
A friend of mine has one and it's astonishingly refined, powerful and a lovely engine sound, when heard from outside. Its a different kind animal from the high-tech W222, but very enjoyable to move about in nonetheless. It looks like this, though his car's paint job is a classy looking blue/grey two-tone.
77b99f4777eaa5337d203b08b158f5af.jpg

Anyone here had a Flying Spur?

Sent from my G3112 using Tapatalk

Drove it in Spain alongside facelift S63 and the S8. Honestly thought it was dog s**t

The ride was poor, handling even worse, plastics were very cheap and technology archaic. I hope Bentley are changing it soon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom