It should come as no surprise that the Bentley Flying Spur will soon get an updated. Following the successful release of the new Bentley Continental GT at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2017, the Flying Spur will be next in line for a refresh. It has always been marketed alongside the Continental GT as it’s bigger, four door brother.
The Flying Spur was first launched in 2005 and received a comprehensive update in terms of aesthetics in 2013. The new model is expected to move below the skin, switching the platform for the MSB-F platform which debuted recently in the new Porsche Panamera. We’re told that an unveil is quite some way off, however, these photos reveal that prototype testing is in its very early stages.
The upcoming Flying Spur will continue as a four-door version of the Continental GT. Styling of the test mule is difficult to work out as this example seems built on the structure of the outgoing model. The quad headlamp layout includes smaller lamps toward the sides, a lowered nose, and a wider grille. The engine hood also appears to have been reworked to the resemble the new Continental GT.
We are expecting the side, the front fenders and doors to be identical to the Continental GT with additional doors, a longer wheelbase and redesigned rear fenders. There will likely be tie-ins with over Volkswagen Group brands so far as the interior is concerned. We expect that the Continental GT will take inspiration from the EXP10 Speed 6 concept.
Under the hood, we expect that the model range will mimic that of the Continental GT. Expect a redesigned W12 engine carried across from the Bentayga packing close to 635 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Also expect the Flying Spur to use a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission for the first time. The W12 will be followed by a 4.0 litre V8 and the possibility of Diesel and Hybrid options.
The production model is set to arrive in late 2018 or early 2019.