2006 Bentley Flying Spur

For roughly 40 nights a year, a small patch of blacktop in Downtown Los Angeles becomes the most sought after real estate in Southern California. It's a parking lot across the street from the Staples Center, home of the L.A. Lakers NBA team, and unless you're a season ticket holder or Kobe Bryant's mother you're not getting in. Or so we thought.


We drive by to get a look before the game. There's a half million dollars' worth of cars in the front row alone, and a stone-faced attendant at the gate. Under normal circumstances we would have kept right on going, but we're driving a 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur sedan so we try our luck and turn in.


The attendant takes one look at the car, smiles and waves us through the gate like he was expecting us. We try not to look surprised when he directs us into a space between a Ferrari F430 and an Aston Martin DB9. Another security guard standing watch assures us the Spur will be safe. Neither one asks to see our tickets.


Just a few years ago this glimpse into how the other half lives would have never happened. Back then, Bentleys looked old and were driven by people who looked even older. Other than the Bentley name, the cars didn't have much going for them.


The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is a different story. It looks modern and powerful and has the performance to match. Its $165,000 base price makes it less expensive than the older Arnage flagship, but it's the Flying Spur that gets people's attention.


New blood
Bentley owes all of its newfound popularity to Volkswagen. The General Motors of Germany took over Bentley in 1999, giving the British marque access to a new engines, chassis and suspensions not to mention plenty of cash.


And Bentley wasn't shy about using its new resources. According to its window sticker, 55 percent of the Flying Spur's parts come from Germany, many of them borrowed from Volkswagen's own Phaeton luxury sedan.


At over 208 inches, the Flying Spur is 5 inches longer than the Phaeton and 3 inches longer than the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S550. The Bentley shares the same height and width as the new S-Class, but the Mercedes rides on a 4-inch-longer wheelbase.


Compared to Bentley's Continental GT coupe, the Flying Spur has identical styling up front. Other than the obvious addition of its rear doors, the Flying Spur differs from the coupe mostly through its softer, straighter lines down the sides and in back. It's not as instantly recognizable as the GT, but it looks right for a sedan in this class.


Determining which class isn't easy. Top-of-the-line Audi and BMW sedans barely crack $125,000 and Maserati's Quattroporte doesn't even top $100,000. Ultraluxury models like the Maybach 57 and Rolls-Royce Phantom cost more than twice as much. The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG will be similar in price and performance when it goes on sale this summer, but until then the Flying Spur sits somewhere in the middle when it comes to high-dollar luxury sedans.


Don't call it a Volkswagen
The extra $65 grand the Flying Spur commands over the top-of-the-line Phaeton gets you more than a reskinned Volkswagen. Both cars use Volkswagen's 6.0-liter W12 engine, but the Bentley version has twin turbochargers, specially developed pistons and reworked cylinder heads.


The result is 552 horsepower at 6,100 rpm compared to the Phaeton's 444 horses. Bentley's engineers also tuned the Flying Spur's engine to deliver its 479 pound-feet of torque at just 1,600 rpm. Continuously variable valve timing helps smooth out the power delivery and earn the engine Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) certification.


All that low-end torque makes the Flying Spur perform like it weighs only 2 tons instead of nearly 3. Our test car took just 4.8 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop and 13.1 seconds to cover the quarter-mile. The Ferrari we parked next to is only two-tenths of a second quicker to 60.


Bentley's kind of power
The Flying Spur doesn't jump off the line, though. The throttle reacts softly, as if the engineers were worried that 552 hp might be too much to handle all at once. It could be if the Spur was as ferocious off the line as most other 500-plus-hp cars, but it's not.


Permanent all-wheel drive is one reason. You could mat the pedal in a downpour and still not slip a tire. Its six-speed automatic transmission has a short first-gear ratio and even that's not enough to make the Spur feel anything but perfectly civilized under full acceleration.

There are steering-wheel paddle shifters if you're up to changing gears yourself. They're not easy to reach, not quick to shift and they don't match engine speed when you downshift. In other words, they're useless for anything but showing off.


The Sport program for the automatic works better, quickening up the shifts and otherwise making the transmission feel more eager to give you a gear when you need it.


Fast in a line, fast in the corners
There's no shortage of big, heavy luxury sedans that can go fast in a straight line. Finding one that's equally capable in the turns isn't as easy. Bentley claims that with all-wheel drive, the Flying Spur's 56/44 front-to-rear weight distribution is ideal for quick turn-in and maximum grip.


We weren't fully convinced of the Flying Spur's handling abilities until it wound its way through our slalom course at 65.1 mph, faster than the new S-Class and the last BMW 7 Series we tested. In fact, the Flying Spur nearly matched the slalom speed of the Continental GT coupe (65.2 mph) we ran the same day.


Steering feel through the slalom wasn't as direct as the Mercedes or BMW sedans. On the street, however, it's hard to find fault with the Spur steering. It's dead stable at speed and light when you need it to be around town.


Its emergency stopping power was just as impressive. We measured three consecutive runs from 60 to zero in just over 116 feet, a short distance for any car. And with all three stops within a foot of each other fade was obviously not an issue.


Quiet like it should be
As well as the Flying Spur performed at the test track, it doesn't feel like a sport sedan on the road. Soften up the adjustable air suspension and you rarely feel a thing. It's not as isolating as a Lexus, but it's softer than we expected given our car's optional 20-inch wheels and low-profile performance tires.


Designed to withstand the Flying Spur's claimed top speed of 195 mph, the specially designed Yokohama tires generate surprisingly little road noise. Bentley's engineers also reconfigured the Flying Spur's exhaust to reduce engine noise compared to the GT coupe.


It all works perfectly on the highway. Park the Flying Spur at 75 mph and there's not a more relaxing sedan on the road. It feels big, but not necessarily heavy, and you can see well over the sloping hood. It irons any road smooth yet it will swap lanes with a flick of your fingers. In the GT coupe, you can feel the stiffness in the chassis, but the Flying Spur is always relaxed and smooth.


Worth six figures
Bentley says it takes 5 hours to finish trimming out the steering wheel in the Flying Spur. Sounds slow until you wrap your hands around the hand-lacquered wood and feel the double-stitched leather under your thumbs. It's perfect.

And the perfection doesn't stop there. The driver and front passenger get 16-way power seats that can massage your back in conjunction with three levels of heating or cooling. You wish the lounge chairs in front of your TV were as comfortable.


Rear-seat comfort isn't as flawless, though. There are fewer adjustments and less legroom than in the Flying Spur's competition.


Previous Bentleys added technology as an afterthought, if at all. The Flying Spur has the latest of everything, including a usable DVD navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity and one of the best audio systems we've ever heard.


And the best part is the designers managed to incorporate all these new gadgets without ruining the look of the interior. There's still the traditional chrome vent pulls along with classy gauges and a Breitling clock. It looks like a $165,000 sedan should.


The other half lives well
With the game over we're glad for the short walk back to the car. We're tired and the massaging seats in the Flying Spur are calling our names.


The Ferrari and the Aston are gone, but there's a woman standing next to the Bentley admiring the interior through the glass. "I've got to get this car, it's beautiful," she says.


She looks half serious, but we stop her before she gets too excited.


"Sorry, Mrs. Bryant, this one's ours."