What We Like
Ridiculous straight-line pace
Faultless ride comfort
Premium and luxurious interior
Makes you feel like a king
What We Dislike
Dated infotainment system
Not enough roads in Singapore to exploit the car's immense power
Imagine a hammer. A big, heavy hammer, capable of smashing a human skull into pieces. Now imagine that hammer is wrapped in smooth, glistening and luxurious velvet. That, in a nutshell, is the Bentley Flying Spur V8 S.
What the hell?
Velvet - 'a closely woven fabric of silk, cotton, or nylon that has a thick short pile on one side' (per Google).
Yes, I know what velvet is. What's that got to do with this car?
The first thing that comes to mind with a Bentley is luxury, and velvet is perhaps the definitive luxury fabric. It's soft to the touch, beautiful, and obviously premium.
The Flying Spur is much the same. The sleek white exterior of our car features a beautiful handpainted red line that runs across the shoulder, amplifying its muscular stature. And with the blacked-out radiator grille, rear diffuser and a unique grille insert, the V8 S' more sporty intentions are clear.
Luxury is also all about the little details, and this Flying Spur has those in abundance. There are piano-black wood veneers, a knurled gear lever and gear shift paddles, as well as a Breitling timepiece in the centre console.
What the hell?
Velvet - 'a closely woven fabric of silk, cotton, or nylon that has a thick short pile on one side' (per Google).
Yes, I know what velvet is. What's that got to do with this car?
The first thing that comes to mind with a Bentley is luxury, and velvet is perhaps the definitive luxury fabric. It's soft to the touch, beautiful, and obviously premium.
The Flying Spur is much the same. The sleek white exterior of our car features a beautiful handpainted red line that runs across the shoulder, amplifying its muscular stature. And with the blacked-out radiator grille, rear diffuser and a unique grille insert, the V8 S' more sporty intentions are clear.
Luxury is also all about the little details, and this Flying Spur has those in abundance. There are piano-black wood veneers, a knurled gear lever and gear shift paddles, as well as a Breitling timepiece in the centre console.
Admittedly, the driving position isn't immediately ergonomically familiar, especially if you are keen of using the paddle shifters. They sit fairly high up the steering column, and takes some getting used to.
And the hammer?
Underneath all that shiny luxurious sheen lays a monstrously capable tool - headlined by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that has been tuned for more power, now delivering 521bhp and 680Nm of torque.
The Flying Spur is capable of impressive straight-line speed once you overcome the initial turbo lag. 0-100km/h takes just 4.9 seconds, which is frankly ridiculous for a car weighing in at close to two and a half tonnes.
And the hammer?
Underneath all that shiny luxurious sheen lays a monstrously capable tool - headlined by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that has been tuned for more power, now delivering 521bhp and 680Nm of torque.
The Flying Spur is capable of impressive straight-line speed once you overcome the initial turbo lag. 0-100km/h takes just 4.9 seconds, which is frankly ridiculous for a car weighing in at close to two and a half tonnes.
The hammer isn't the most precise tool in the toolbox, and the same could be said about the Flying Spur. The steering is slightly vague in a straight line, but gets better once you hit a few corners and get to load up the tyres.
The suspension has also been tuned for sharper handling, but this is still no sports car (and it doesn't for a moment pretend to be one). It's a long wheelbase limousine that's made primarily for sublime comfort.
And sublime comfort is what you get in spades. The ride quality is absolutely impeccable. Of the four damper settings, select the most comfortable one and its like being on a very stable cloud. It's soft like a marshmallow without being bouncy.
Gander down some terribly maintained roads (or the bevy of road works everywhere), and your bum barely feels a thing. And even in the stiffest setting, it's firm but never uncomfortable.
No matter how you decide to drive this car, there's really no doubting its mechanical capabilities - it will get the job done.
The suspension has also been tuned for sharper handling, but this is still no sports car (and it doesn't for a moment pretend to be one). It's a long wheelbase limousine that's made primarily for sublime comfort.
And sublime comfort is what you get in spades. The ride quality is absolutely impeccable. Of the four damper settings, select the most comfortable one and its like being on a very stable cloud. It's soft like a marshmallow without being bouncy.
Gander down some terribly maintained roads (or the bevy of road works everywhere), and your bum barely feels a thing. And even in the stiffest setting, it's firm but never uncomfortable.
No matter how you decide to drive this car, there's really no doubting its mechanical capabilities - it will get the job done.
Who's going to use a velvet hammer?
Like we said, the Flying Spur V8 S is like a velvet hammer. It's a fantastically accomplished tool that wears a coat of absolute luxury.
However, if you actually had a velvet hammer, our guess is that as accomplished a tool as it may be, you're not going to be using it to do woodworking or hammering in some nails into the wall.
It's something unique, special and premium, and deserves to be treated as such. You'll display it nicely in a display cabinet, perhaps occasionally taking it out and having a few swings to feel the weight of the thing. And you know what? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
The Flying Spur is basically the same. It's an incredibly accomplished mechanical tool with tons of mighty power that's capable of demolishing kilometres on the road with ease. And yet, we suspect people who buy this car are unlikely to ever unleash the entirety of its inner hammer. It'll be driven gently and sensibly, allowing the beautiful exterior to glisten in the sun and the plush interior to coddle the soul. And guess what? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that either.
Like we said, the Flying Spur V8 S is like a velvet hammer. It's a fantastically accomplished tool that wears a coat of absolute luxury.
However, if you actually had a velvet hammer, our guess is that as accomplished a tool as it may be, you're not going to be using it to do woodworking or hammering in some nails into the wall.
It's something unique, special and premium, and deserves to be treated as such. You'll display it nicely in a display cabinet, perhaps occasionally taking it out and having a few swings to feel the weight of the thing. And you know what? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
The Flying Spur is basically the same. It's an incredibly accomplished mechanical tool with tons of mighty power that's capable of demolishing kilometres on the road with ease. And yet, we suspect people who buy this car are unlikely to ever unleash the entirety of its inner hammer. It'll be driven gently and sensibly, allowing the beautiful exterior to glisten in the sun and the plush interior to coddle the soul. And guess what? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that either.
