- Updated Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed will ditch W-12 in favor of V-8 plug-in hybrid powertrain
- Peak power in updated Continental Flying Spur will grow 145 hp to 771 hp
- New output makes updated Continental Flying Spur the most powerful four-door in Bentley history
Bentley is in the process of replacing its venerable W-12 engine with a V-8 plug-in hybrid setup, and the next recipient will be an updated Flying Spur Speed.
The performance sedan will debut on Sept. 10, Bentley said on Tuesday, and teaser photos released by the company point to very little change, at least on the outside. There doesn't appear to be any visual tweaks apart from a new front-end design.
The focus of the update will be the new powertrain, referred to by Bentley as the Ultra Performance Hybrid powertrain. It debuted in June in an updated Continental GT Speed, and replaces Bentley's twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 which ceased production this summer after two decades. Bentley launched the coachbuilt Batur and Batur Convertible models to celebrate the W-12's run.
The new powertrain combines a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with a single electric motor. The electric motor is integrated with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that directs the drive torque to all four wheels via an all-wheel-drive system.
Teaser for updated Bentley Flying Spur Speed
Peak output for the Flying Spur Speed will be 771 hp, which matches the output the powertrain delivers in the Continental GT Speed. The new output represents an increase of 145 hp over the current rating, and thanks to a 25.9-kwh battery an electric range of more than 45 miles will also be possible. That range estimate is calculated using the WLTP test cycle used overseas and will likely be lower when measured using the stricter EPA cycle.
The current Flying Spur was introduced in the U.S. for the 2020 model year and received its first hybrid powertrain for 2022. The current hybrid system prioritizes fuel efficiency over performance, and pairs a turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 with a single electric motor, delivering a combined 536 hp.
Additionally, the Flying Spur is available with a standalone twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine, but this option won't be around much longer. In May, Bentley revealed special Edition 8 versions of the Continental GT, Continental GTC, and Flying Spur to commemorate the end of the line for models powered solely by a V-8 engine.
