The first `Continental Flying Spur` turns everything the `Continental GT` brought to Bentley into a large four-door saloon: `W12 biturbo` power, all-wheel drive, a far more modern platform and day-to-day usability well beyond what the old Crewe cars could offer. It is a key car in Bentley's recent history because it opened the brand to a different audience without giving up the very demonstrative luxury expected from a big British saloon.
On the road, it feels closer to a very opulent Porsche Panamera than to a pure limousine. The `W12 biturbo` delivers hugely impressive continuous thrust, but the car really depends on the balance between all-wheel drive, air suspension and the `ZF` automatic gearbox. If one of those pillars weakens, the Flying Spur quickly loses the effortless feel that justifies it and turns back into a very large saloon that is expensive to sort properly.