W12 4dr Sedan
2020 Bentley Flying Spur

After reading Brett Berk’s First Drive review of the Bentley Flying Spur, I was intrigued. Not by the author’s propensity for shedding clothing (though that sure is … something), but by some of the car’s numbers and its drivetrain features. Figures such as 626 horsepower and 3.7 seconds to 60 piqued my interest, as did torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. Bentley says the Flying Spur offers “breathtaking performance.” Berk’s first drive was in Monaco, where a car like this pairs well with the luxury yachts. My time with the Flying Spur would be much less of a pantsless extravaganza. Instead, I’d be fleeing quarantine cabin fever with my family, schlepping through the rain to run errands, waving to confused-looking neighbors and hopefully experiencing performance that would, as advertised, take my breath away. The Flying Spur feels a bit like a boat. It’s big, with a long hood stretching out into one’s forward view like the bow of a cabin cruiser. Add the isolated feeling provided by the suspension, and I could easily imagine myself skimming across a calm bay. The materials lend themselves to the nautical whimsy as well, with plenty of quilted leather and horizontal swaths of metal-accented wood that reminded me of my uncle’s Lake Erie runabout. My first outing was with the family, and it was mostly spent on the highway. My wife, Cat, who is prone to motion sickness, had no troubles in the Flying Spur. Apart from sneaking in a few hard launches — eliciting chuckles from Cat and admonishment from my son, Wollie — I kept my driving sane and smooth. I mostly kept the car in Comfort mode. Driven as such, even with the brief moments of right-foot indulgence, the Flying Spur felt a bit underwhelming. The car’s size suggests the existence of the 6.0-liter W12 under the hood, but its 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque are experienced differently in this Bentley. Hardly any sound makes its way into the cabin. Its highway calmness belies its actual swiftness. This was all well and good for the comfort of my passengers, but it didn’t do much to evoke any feeling beyond that of leisure. In fact, I’d have almost rather have been a passenger for this sort of trip. That way I could better soak in the craftsmanship that surrounds you inside a Bentley. This is where this car’s price, which starts at $217,375 (including a Bentley-sized $2,725 destination charge) and climbed to near $280,000 in our test car, begins to feel justified. The leather throughout is flawless, smooth and taut, molded perfectly to the precisely sculpted forms it covers. The way the beautifully grained wood veneers butt up seamlessly against metal or leather is all the more impressive with increased scrutiny. The quilted stitch pattern is repeated in the forms on the door panels and the textured switchgear (as well as in the exterior lighting elements, the grille mesh, and on and on). The dye of the leather has a …
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