by Kennon Earl
Every gentleman, or distinguished lady should own one of these new luxury performance sedans, or at least get to ride in one!
Recently I had an opportunity to visit O’Gara Coach in Beverly Hills, they are the retailer for Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce. I was in heaven as one of my passions is cars and all my favorites were in one place. On that day I met with Jon Boardman, the General Sales Manager, to specifically discuss the new Bentley Flying Spur and its debut here in Los Angeles on April 12th.
With the launch of the Flying Spur, Bentley is setting the benchmark for craftsmanship, luxury, design and technology. It is designed for people that not only appreciate luxury but value performance and technology as well. Drivers and passengers will appreciate the beauty and comfort inside the cabin.
The interior is where the Bentley craftsmanship is immediately recognized. Every seam of the leather that adorns the cabin is hand sewn and the legendary woodshop has provided the finest wood veneers to accentuate the beauty of the design. The inside is sculpted to have a “wrap -around” feel and provides comfort and the feeling that you are being taken care of. Specifically there are hand-crafted and redesigned 14 way adjustable heated and ventilated seats trimmed in natural premium hides, electrically operated rear side blinds, picnic tables in the back, central infotainment operated via a touch screen or voice activation which includes a navigation system, Bluetooth, Premium Audio System which plays CD’s, DVD’s and SD card via iPod. For those who are lucky enough to ride in the rear of the car they can control the climate, their own seats, multimedia all through a Touch Screen Remote in the rear console. If you would like to work while riding there is a new Multi-Media Specification that can be ordered. This allows the passenger to work on their laptop or tablet and connect to the internet via the car’s own Wi-Fi hotspot. And for enjoyment there are two 10” LCD screens installed to the back of the front seats which allow each rear passenger to view separate content from DVD’s, iPods, iPads and more.
Bentley wants their client to have the ultimate experience with their car and they strive to provide service and quality that goes above and beyond what is available in other luxury automobiles. With this in mind they offer the opportunity to personalize the interior of your car and have made to order capabilities that are referred to as “Bespoke”. If all of the standard offerings are not enough for you, this is your opportunity to have your very own Flying Spur that reflects you. Offered are over 300 colors in hides and woods to select from and they will work with you on all the combinations to provide you with your special environment. Of course, Bentley prides themselves on quality and taste and they take their “Bespoke” business seriously. With this in mind they do have their standards. “We enjoy working with our customers on their bespoke requests and are limited by the boundaries of good taste and our ethical environment responsibilities”. They take this part of the business seriously and want to insure that any Bentley on the road is a positive reflection of the company and their values.
Bentley has made sure the comfort extends to the noise level in the car as well. They’ve used lightweight acoustic underfloor panels, acoustic glass, doors have added insulation, rear mufflers have been enlarged to reduce exhaust noise, and many other developments all insuring a comfortable quiet ride in the cabin.
Let’s talk power. This is Bentley’s most powerful engine to date for a four door. It has an all-wheel drive, twin turbo W12 engine, eight speed transmission that achieves 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 200 miles per hour. In addition it has a quick shift automatic transmission that shifts in under 200 milliseconds and delivers a combined fuel economy of 19.2 mpg.
