2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 review: bigger is not always better
Yes, there’s a Bentley Flying Spur W12 on the table, but eight cylinders still trumps it
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Eight cylinders or 12? Doesn’t seem like much of an argument to be had. Eights are great but 12s are, well, something else. Certainly that’s true of Aston Martins and Ferraris, but with a Bentley whose 12 comes in a compact but hardly tuneful ‘W’ layout rather than ‘V’ configuration? In the Continental GT the eight wins every time: it’s lighter, handles better but crucially it sounds wonderful.
Can the same argument be made for this new Flying Spur V8, especially that for the first time in three generations, it’s Bentley’s de facto flagship now the wonderful Mulsanne is gone?
Well yes. Absolutely in fact. I guess there must be a certain plutocratic satisfaction in having W12 badges on your flanks and I expect that Bentley has cutting-edge scientific instrumentation that proves the 12 is quieter at cruising speed and, yes, it has even more torque. But will some owners notice it, even some of the time? I doubt it.
