Bentley Flying Spur V8 production kicks off – Roadshow

We like the Bentley Continental. We also quite enjoy the swanky two-door’s cousin, the Bentley Flying Spur. Now, just like the coupe, the sublime sedan (Editor-in-Chief Tim Steven’s words) is available with a twin-turbo V8. Bentley on Monday said production of the V8-powered car is now underway, and in our experience, we actually dig the smaller engine more than the massive W12.

So there’s reason to think that once we get our hands on the V8-powered sedan, it’ll be a winner. While the big 6.0-liter W12 makes 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 still makes a very healthy 542 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque. There’s also cylinder deactivation technology onboard to make the the sedan more frugal. Though, if you’re buying a Bentley Flying Spur, I’m not sure fuel economy is your top priority. Bentley would love to show you a Bentayga Hybrid if that is needed, though.

The smaller engine also shaves about 220 pounds from the car to provide better weight distribution, so on paper the Flying Spur V8 should be the driver’s choice, even though the W12 provides gobs of power for days.

Aside from the engine swap, the V8 model basically looks identical to the W12-powered model. V8 badges spell out the powertrain change and the car comes with standard 20-inch wheels. It also costs significantly less than the the Flying Spur W12 with a starting price of $198,725 after a $2,725 destination charge. While that’s not exactly affordable, it is $20,700 cheaper than the W12 model. The luxury sport sedan for the frugal-minded executive, if you will. The first cars should reach the US early in 2021 with production underway now.

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