2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Expert Review

The fact that the 195-mph Bentley Continental Flying Spur is the world's fastest sedan says a lot. No car that can go that fast can do without exceptional handling and braking.

The Flying Spur is the 21st Century version of the 1952-55 Bentley R-type Continental, which was the world fastest 4-seater and is valued at up to $300,000. The current Flying Spur also follows the tradition—and takes the name—of the classic 1957-59 Bentley S Flying Spur sedan.

The 2006 Flying Spur is worth every dime of its $164,990 list price, although the fact that it only gets an estimated 11 mpg in the city and 18 on highways saddles it with a $3,700 gas guzzler tax.

Shares Components
However, the Flying Spur would cost considerably more than $200,000 if it didn't share its engine design, all-wheel-drive system and basic suspension architecture with the $66,950-$96,100 Volkswagen Phaeton, which has flopped in America and been withdrawn from this market because the Volkswagen name is associated with much less costly cars here.

(Volkswagen bought Bentley and BMW got the Rolls-Royce emblem in a confusing 1998 deal that saved both financially troubled, low-volume British nameplates from vanishing.)

In fact, the Flying Spur is basically a stretched 4-door version of the fabulous looking Bentley Continental GT coupe, with which it shares components. The sedan has a 12.6-inch longer wheelbase than the coupe and an overall length stretched by nearly 20 inches. However, it doesn't weigh all that much more than the coupe, all things considered.

Bentley designed and developed the sedan and coupe at the same time at Bentley's modern facilities in Crewe, England, to ensure what that automaker calls "a consistency of Bentley image."

Lacks Styling Pizzazz
But it's too bad that Bentley hasn't given its new sedan more styling pizzazz. Few gave my test Flying Spur a second glance. Maybe the dark-colored car would have looked better in a lighter color, but I'd guess most folks thought it was just another big luxury sedan such as a Cadillac DTS or Lincoln Town Car.

If they'd looked closer, they would have seen such features as the Flying Spur's classic Bentley wire mesh grille, four bi-xenon headlights and a generally muscular look concluded with two large polished metal tailpipes in keeping with the muscular Bentley image.

Colorful Tradition
Bentley has lots of colorful, muscular tradition. It was a top road race car before Rolls-Royce bought it in 1931, winning the famous 24-hour race at Le Mans, France, many times in the 1920s (and again in 2003). Rolls turned the Bentley into just a Rolls with a different grille by the 1960s. The reasoning was that if people didn't want to be too conspicuous in a Rolls, they could buy a Bentley.

The Flying Spur interior is exquisite—clearly the result of highly skilled hand labor. There's considerable use of sumptuous leather upholstery and Burr Walnut trim, There's also a unique chrome-knurled switchgear. And even the retro-style, mushroom-shaped pull knobs for the dashboard air vents close with a nicely damped thud. Lesser luxury cars lack such attention to detail.

Limousine Style Room
My test car's heating system came on fast and strong in frigid Chicago temperatures, and seats are heated and air-cooled. The rear compartment has ventilation controls and can be had with two individual rear seats with a console between them or with a bench seat. There's limousine-style room back there in either case.

Encourages Driving Fun
Still, the Flying Spur encourages one to get behind the wheel for driving fun—not slump lazily in the rear. It has precise, nicely weighted steering, extraordinary handling for such a big, heavy car and powerful brakes, which are among the largest on any production auto.

The responsive 6-speed automatic transmission has an easily used manual-shift feature, controlled by steering column paddles, although I wonder why anyone would want to bother with them. After all, this is no sports car.

Confident Handling
Computer-controlled air springs are adjustable for comfort or sporty driving, although the car handled deftly during spirited driving in comfort mode. Weight distribution is nearly ideal, and the all-wheel-drive system makes this an all-weather car for snow-belt areas. Traction control and anti-skid systems enhance stability, and the aerodynamic body lowers for better stability above 155 mph.

This is one of those rare large cars that's so responsive it seems to shrink around a driver, leaving him feeling as if he's driving a smaller, responsive car.

Masterful Engine
The masterful, rumbling engine is turbocharged and intercooled. It has dual overhead camshafts, 48-valves and so much power and pavement-shaking torque that it feels like you're at the controls of a jet plane and everyone else is flying propeller-driven aircraft.

While being tailgated at 75 mph, I floored the Flying Spur's throttle and within seconds the astonished tailgater was left far behind.

Drawbacks
But no car is perfect. For instance, the Flying Spur's engine temperature and fuel gauges are small, as are outside mirrors. And the navigation system isn't one of the best.

There's more—the big high-speed tires are noisy, and plastic cupholders that jut from the rear armrest look and feel cheap. At least rear windows lower all the way.

The trunk is roomy enough for, say, a Chicago-to-Las Vegas dash. In fact, the Flying Spur seems perfect for a swift anywhere-to-anywhere run.

Just bring along plenty of gasoline credit cards.