For Sale: 2015 Bentley Continental Flying Spur in Anaheim, California for sale in Anaheim, CA
Vehicle Description As the V-8 still carries a base price of $197,825, its fair to assume that anyone who could afford it might easily stretch to the W-12.
Specify a V-8 with the premium audio system, rear screens, and those all-important walnut picnic tables, and youve already offset the price difference between the two cars.
The eight-cylinder does give better gas mileage, in the unlikely event this matters any.
It uses selective cylinder shutdown to turn itself into a V-4 under gentle use.
But with the possible exception of Scrooge McDuck, its doubtful this will be a concern to many modern millionaires.
Its true that in some parts of the world the V-8 engines smaller displacement and more modest carbon-dioxide emissions will save buyers tens of thousands a year in taxes.
But since the U.
S.
hasnt succumbed to the forces of eco-Marxism quite yet, this difference can also be discounted.
No, the reason to choose the less powerful eight-cylinder is simple:
It makes the Flying Spur a better car.
Weve already driven this engine in the Bentley Continental and Audi RS7 , among others, and a refresher course behind the wheel of the Bentley gives a welcome reminder of just how good it is.
The Spur V-8 cant match the headline-grabbing performance figures of its bigger sister (it still manages 183 mph and an estimated 4.
2-second 0-to-60 time), but the smaller engines keener throttle response and lag-free delivery more than offset its relative lack of power and torque.
It sounds better, too.
The W-12 has an interesting noisean overly busy exhaust note and induction roar often making it sound as if at least two engines were puffing beneath its bonnet.
Yet the V-8 sounds like a V-8 should, a subdued purr under gentle use that turns into a pleasingly baritone snarl as the revs ascend.
Dynamic differences are relatively modest.
The V-8 car is about 330 pounds lighter than the one with the W-12, with most of that mass coming off the front end.
As a result, it turns slightly more willingly and steers with more precision.
This hasnt transformed the car, which still feels substantial in a premium luxury way.
The ride quality is Bentley plush, deeply appreciated over some of the broken British back roads on which we drove the car.
The air suspension offers four levels of damping, with even the softest keeping the body under tight control when asked to deal with asphalt that seemed to have been relaid for the last time under (or possibly over) Queen Victoria.
.
Specify a V-8 with the premium audio system, rear screens, and those all-important walnut picnic tables, and youve already offset the price difference between the two cars.
The eight-cylinder does give better gas mileage, in the unlikely event this matters any.
It uses selective cylinder shutdown to turn itself into a V-4 under gentle use.
But with the possible exception of Scrooge McDuck, its doubtful this will be a concern to many modern millionaires.
Its true that in some parts of the world the V-8 engines smaller displacement and more modest carbon-dioxide emissions will save buyers tens of thousands a year in taxes.
But since the U.
S.
hasnt succumbed to the forces of eco-Marxism quite yet, this difference can also be discounted.
No, the reason to choose the less powerful eight-cylinder is simple:
It makes the Flying Spur a better car.
Weve already driven this engine in the Bentley Continental and Audi RS7 , among others, and a refresher course behind the wheel of the Bentley gives a welcome reminder of just how good it is.
The Spur V-8 cant match the headline-grabbing performance figures of its bigger sister (it still manages 183 mph and an estimated 4.
2-second 0-to-60 time), but the smaller engines keener throttle response and lag-free delivery more than offset its relative lack of power and torque.
It sounds better, too.
The W-12 has an interesting noisean overly busy exhaust note and induction roar often making it sound as if at least two engines were puffing beneath its bonnet.
Yet the V-8 sounds like a V-8 should, a subdued purr under gentle use that turns into a pleasingly baritone snarl as the revs ascend.
Dynamic differences are relatively modest.
The V-8 car is about 330 pounds lighter than the one with the W-12, with most of that mass coming off the front end.
As a result, it turns slightly more willingly and steers with more precision.
This hasnt transformed the car, which still feels substantial in a premium luxury way.
The ride quality is Bentley plush, deeply appreciated over some of the broken British back roads on which we drove the car.
The air suspension offers four levels of damping, with even the softest keeping the body under tight control when asked to deal with asphalt that seemed to have been relaid for the last time under (or possibly over) Queen Victoria.
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