New Bentley Flying Spur revealed with V8 hybrid power and S model

This matters more than people might think, because the Flying Spur has always been slightly underrated.

Everyone talks about the Continental GT because it is beautiful. Everyone understands the Bentayga because SUVs sell. But the Flying Spur has quietly been one of Bentley’s most complete cars for years: a handcrafted luxury sedan with real performance, proper presence and just enough understatement to avoid shouting. Now Bentley is sharpening that formula.

The new Flying Spur gets cleaner styling, single front headlamps for the first time on a Bentley sedan since 1962, revised surfaces front to rear, new V8 hybrid powertrains, the return of the Flying Spur S, and a serious dose of Mulliner craftsmanship.

A cleaner face with Continental GT influence

The biggest visual change is the front. Bentley has reintroduced single front headlamps on a sedan for the first time in more than six decades, bringing the Flying Spur visually closer to the latest Continental GT family. The result is cleaner, more modern and more confident.

The grille is now more integrated into the front bumper, the front wings are smoother, and the traditional vent detail has been removed in favour of a cleaner surface with badging behind the front wheel. At the rear, Bentley has redesigned the boot lid, rear lamps and number plate area, giving the Flying Spur a more flowing, less interrupted appearance.

The Flying Spur S returns

The headline model is the returning Flying Spur S. This is the more driver-focused version of Bentley’s flagship four-door, and for this generation it gets serious hardware. The S uses Bentley’s High Performance Hybrid powertrain, delivering 680 PS and 930 Nm of torque.

That makes it nearly 20 percent more powerful than the previous Flying Spur S. Performance is properly supercar-adjacent: 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 307 km/h. For a luxury sedan of this size and character, that is ridiculous in the best possible way.

But the more important part is the chassis. The Flying Spur S gets Bentley’s Performance Active Chassis, including Active All-Wheel Drive, twin-valve dampers, torque vectoring, the 48V Bentley Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system, updated ESC software and, for the first time on a Flying Spur S, an electronic limited-slip differential.

Luxury still comes first

Of course, this is still a Bentley. The new Flying Spur can be specified with five distinct seat styles, each requiring around 12 hours of handcraftsmanship. Bentley offers fluted and advanced quilted inserts, with the usual depth of trim, leather and colour choice that makes Crewe’s cars feel so different from more clinical luxury sedans.

There is also a new Dark Teal exterior paint colour, described as a mid-blue metallic with green undertones. It sounds subtle, expensive and very Bentley. Exactly the kind of colour that makes more sense in person than on a configurator.

Mulliner Virtuoso Collection: for people who hear details

The new Flying Spur also gains access to Mulliner’s Virtuoso Collection. This is Bentley leaning fully into craftsmanship, audio and material theatre. The collection includes the Naim for Mulliner audio system, originally developed from the coachbuilt Batur programme, and features 21 speakers with technology derived from Focal’s Grand Utopia speakers.

There are three curated themes: Soprano, Tenor and Bass. Yes, that is very Bentley. Champagne Gold detailing appears across the exterior and interior, including badges, exhaust finishers, collection badges and even the key. It could easily sound excessive, but this is exactly where Bentley usually knows how to make excess feel refined rather than vulgar.

Why the Flying Spur still deserves more attention

The Flying Spur has always lived in a strange space. It is not as dramatic as a Continental GT. It is not as commercially obvious as a Bentayga. It is not as limousine-like as a Mulsanne used to be. But that is also why it works.

It combines luxury, performance, usability and status in a way very few sedans can. You can be driven in it, but you can also drive it properly. And with the new S model, Bentley seems to be leaning harder into that dual character. That makes the Flying Spur far more interesting than its relatively quiet image suggests.

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We have always liked the Flying Spur. Maybe more than most people do. Because it is one of those cars that does not need to explain itself too loudly. It is fast, luxurious, beautifully built and slightly less obvious than the usual Bentley choices. That makes it interesting.

This new generation looks like a proper step forward. The cleaner exterior works. The single headlamps give it stronger identity. The return of the S model makes sense. And the combination of 680 PS, hybrid torque and proper chassis hardware gives the Flying Spur the kind of performance credibility a Bentley sedan should have.