By: IOL Motoring Staff
Crewe, Cheshire - Bentley has tweaked an extra 15kW out of its four-litre, twin-turbo V8 to create the Flying Spur V8 S.
Slotting in between the existing Flying Spur V8 and the flagship W12, the V8 S is rated at 388kW and 680Nm, the later available from just 1700rpm. That's enough to take this 2475kg battle-cruiser from 0-100m/h in less than five seconds (0.3 seconds quicker than the 'standard' V8) and on to 306km/h flat out.
Bentley Flying Spur: Power and glory
Yet, thanks to four-cylinder shutdown when cruising, high-pressure direct fuel-injection, energy recuperation via the charging system and close-to-the-head turbo housings, Bentley claims the same nominal fuel-consumption, under laboratory conditions, of 10.9 litres per 100km (and if you ever match that in real-world driving, please let us know how you did it).
Throttle and transmission responses have been remapped to make the power accessible lower in the rev range, and in 'S' mode, you get still sharper throttle response as well as more engine braking, while eighth (top) gear is locked out for better top-end response.
All of which is laid down via the Flying Spur's standard 40:60 rear-biased all-wheel drive, while revised suspension tuning reduces body roll with minimal loss of comfort.
The electronic stability control has also been remapped to allow the car to get more out of shape before it intervenes, and to restore full-tilt boogie torque more quickly after it does so.
SHE'S GOT THE LOOK
The V8 S looks the part, too, from its black grille with special body-colour insert to the black diffuser under the rear bumper.
Piano-black wood veneers and a special three-spoked sports steering wheel are standard, as are a knurled gear lever and paddle shifts, and understated straight fluting on the all-leather trim, while the optional Mulliner Driving Specification comes with fine diamond quilting, rather reminiscent of a tailored English jacket.
The Bentley Flying Spur V8 will premiere at the Geneva motor show on 1 March; customer deliveries will begin in mid-2016 and, if you need to ask, you can't afford one.
NO VIDEO OF V8 S AVAILABLE YET – FOOTAGE SHOWS STANDARD FLYING SPUR MODEL