I’ve had a soft spot for the Bentley Flying Spur ever since it was launched nearly 20 years ago, in 2005. And I have my fellow Ti contributor Dr Ulrich Eichhorn to thank for it.
When the first of the VW-era Spurs was launched in that year I didn’t think too hard about its claimed 195mph top speed until Bentley’s then powertrain director Brian Gush told me they signed off such speeds with the maximum permissible load on board, the aircon on and a minimum of 40deg C ambient temperature. This led me to the good Doctor and the only question that now mattered to me: ‘If, hypothetically, I were able to drive a Flying Spur around the Nardo test track until it would go no faster, do you think it could do 200mph?’ He paused and then, eyes twinkling furiously, replied. ‘Do you know, Andrew, I think it just might.’ Turns out he knew damn well it would.
A few weeks later I was at Nardo to find out for myself, and just to ensure we weren’t making life too easy for ourselves we’d run four up, aircon and seat coolers on. I think I made one of the blokes in the back read a copy of the FT while we flew around Europe’s fastest constant radius speed bowl.
