The ballroom in JW Marriott Marquis was a large one. Until the 12th of September. If you would blink twice when you hear the number of millionaires in the UAE, you would have forgotten to blink if you saw the crowd at the launch of the new Bentley Flying Spur. The fact that is significant here is that, the launch of the new Bentley was good enough reason for a good part of them to congregate at the JW Marriott. Media occupied some space as well, of which I besieged a corner.
Bentley ushers in a new luxury performance sedan benchmark with the new Flying Spur. Commenting on the new luxury sedan, Bentley Regional Director of the Middle East, Asia Pacific and UK, Mr Geoff Dowding said, “The Flying Spur has long been a favourite for our customers here in the Middle East, a true icon, which has attracted a loyal following. The New Flying Spur is the pinnacle of luxury and refinement with exceptional performance that is synonymous with all Bentley models.”
The new Flying Spur appeared to flaunt the best of Bentley’s traditional styling along with some contemporary cues from Audi and who else, Rolls Royce. Sharp feature lines complement a muscular rear haunch, while LED day-time running lights, dipped headlights and taillights characterise the front and rear profiles.
Driver and passengers alike interface with the car and the outside world through touch-screen infotainment, mobile connectivity including Wi-Fi, a Rear Seat Entertainment suite and a new hand-held Touch Screen Remote which allows rear-cabin occupants to control an extensive range of features from the comfort of their seat. An eight-channel, eight-speaker audio system with Balanced Mode Radiators provides high quality sound clarity.
The now familiar 6.0-litre, twin turbo W12 engine, coupled to a ZF eight-speed transmission, powers the Flying Spur. Developing 616 bhp and 800 Nm of torque, the all-wheel drive car employs a 40:60 rear-biased torque split for a sure-footed drive in all road and weather conditions.
The interiors are luxurious (what else did you expect!) and spacious with gift-wrapping assistance from exquisite handcrafted leather hides and wood veneers. While almost ten square metres of sustainably sourced natural wood is deployed per car, the durable hide unique to Bentley is available in twelve different colours. Crafted entirely by hand, cured for 72 hours and clear-lacquered to enhance the natural beauty of the wood, a range of seven sophisticated veneers are available for the wrap-around. As for millionaires who have over-booked the new edition, customisation possibilities are infinite.