WHEN you have arrived and you are the talk of the town or you’ve just won the lottery or the maiden aunt has just left you her millions, what car do you buy?
Don’t like the looks of the BMW owned Rolls – good though it certainly is – so the answer has to be the VW group’s Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
This is still a true, British, bespoke gentleman’s motor carriage, with enough room for rear seat passengers to cross their legs while they drink their Pimms, even if it does have a VW 12 cylinder engine.
This two and a half ton behemoth has more presence than a double decker bus and a hell of a lot more comfort.
The 6.0-litre engine is whisper quiet yet has awesome power, giving huge acceleration from any speed up to a maximum of 195 miles an hour.
And the road-holding and handling defy the size and weight, with tremendous grip and huge levels of safety.
Interior
Everything is electric, including the seats and the steering column and the upholstery is – as it should be - the most sumptuous Connolly leather.
The sat nav is one of the best, the binnacle is finished in machine turned aluminium, the sound system is stupendous – in fact, this is the home away from home you have always wanted.
FAST FACTS
Bentley Flying Spur
Price: £133,200
Mechanical: 552bhp, 5,998cc, 12cyl petrol engine driving rear wheels via 8-speed automatic gearbox
Max speed: 195mph
0-62mph: 4.9 seconds
Combined mpg: 16.6
Insurance group: 50
CO2 emissions: 396g/km
BIK rating: 35%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited miles
Marks: 10/10
Main rival: Mercedes S63 AMG