While Bentley is regarded with opulence, seldom are they paired along with high performance. Other than the British manufacturer’s Continental GT model, we haven’t spoken much of what the winged crest has to offer. Enter the new 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Speed, the only way to get the unique 6.0 L W12 in all of the Flying Spur models. The brand has gone through a lineup refresh as of late and the new Flying Spur Speed finishes it out.
As the sportier version of the luxurious grand touring Flying Spur, the Speed is now the exclusive beholder of the twin-turbocharged W12 engine in the Flying Spur family that so many flagship Bentley models used in the past. Now relegated to only one product, the W12 can only be optioned if you go through the Mulliner customization program, one which is sure to make your wallet cry for help. The engine itself has gone through no changes of its own, keeping the same 626 horsepower and 207 MPH top speed figures. The Speed sits above the S model which it holds 84 more horsepower over, implanting itself as the outspoken and top dog performance variant of the Flying Spur.
With that title comes an improvement of .4 seconds off the vanilla Spur’s 0-60 time notching it at 3.7 seconds. With a curb weight of over 5,000 lbs, we’d say that the W12 is putting in work within this hefty boy. Also improved with the Speed is a new electronic ride height system which makes the Spur look distinctly more plastered to the ground. Carbon fiber bits and pieces adorn the interior and exterior to make the vehicle look more sporty but, we can’t say it necessarily means much on a car that weighs more than an adult hippo.
The Spur is brought to a halt by massive 16.5 inch rotors that could probably stop the train from GTA if they had to. Added on to make the Spur’s presence even more menacing are the addition of a decklid spoiler, a front splitter, and side skirts. Pair that with standard AWD and rear wheel steering and you get one of Bentley’s premier automotive concoctions yet, a true grand tourer and sport sedan.
The interior is what makes a Bentley a Bentley, and in traditional grand tourer form, there seems to be no expense spared in the guts. The interior features Bentley’s Dinamica Pure material, one made from 73 recycled polyester and giving consumers more options in terms of colors, bumping the total configurable options to 15 distinct appearances.
Bentley estimates that 1 in 3 Flying Spurs will be a Speed. The Speed makes sure you know of its intense performance in more ways than not. If everything we mentioned up top wasn’t enough, sport pedals, chrome replaced with what Bentley calls Blackline (black trim for all us poor folk), and the aid of an electronic roll bar finishes the new Flying Spur Speed off and relays a stern message… Bentley hasn’t come to play.
