Whether you choose to call it ‘revealed’, ‘teased’ or ‘nearly revealed’ seems to be as much a factor of time spent on Photoshop as whether a car maker is actually concealing a new car, or not.
The latest from Bentley of its new Flying Spur can be nearly revealed in just a few keystrokes, and the most interesting discovery is just how much sleeker it is than its predecessor (see comparison below).
Gone is the current Flying Spur’s upright stance, particularly around the c-pillar and rear three-quarter view, while a shallower window line makes it look considerably lower. There’s a new gill just behind the front wheel arch and the door handles are now mounted lower on the swage line.
There’s a palpable relief about the new Flying Spur’s Bentley-ness, moving it further away from the formality of a Rolls Royce and embracing a more performance-oriented stance.
It certainly looks a lot sportier than before.
Back in 2005, before the Mulsanne was born, Bentley offered the Continental, Brooklands coupé, Azure convertible and variants of the Arnage saloon. But now there’s scope for the Flying Spur to take on a more driver-focused role, especially in the BRIC nations where entrepreneurs are growing faster than corporate execs.
The interior trim of the Flying Spur will reflect that which is now available in the Mk2 Continental GT, including its 616bhp W12 engine. It’s not yet clear if the GT’s 4.0 litre V8 engine will be available, although given the V8’s success in the coupé (and the need to drive down the car maker’s CO2 average), it would be surprising if they chose not to fit it.
Bentley remain coy about ‘when’ the Flying Spur will be revealed. With the Geneva Motor Show just over a month away, the timing would fit, however Bentley merely say that “..further details will be released on 20th February 2013.”
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