Auto Spies World Exclusive: Bentley to challenge the S-class?
Hot news from Mr. Kidd
email: avoglezon@mbzlongbeach.com
Dear 001,
Do you love the look of the magnificent Bentley GT coupe? But want more doors, space and a classy alternative to the Maybach? Well prepare yourselves for the "affordable" Flying Spur.
Being built on s stretched version of the GT's platform, the standard Flying Spur will come in somewhere around the Maybach's 57" floor pan (with an optional, highly customisable LWB version to come).
The Spur will share the fantastic, retro front of the GT, with a similar side profile, save for the more obvious boot and extra doors on the rear. Although a vast number of parts are being carried over from GT to Spur (to make it affordable), Bentley have felt it very important that a distinctive link between GT and Spur remain visible in the styling, using similar tail lights, glass shapes, sculptured panels etc.
Inside will see a much more roomy and more comfortable version of the GT's interior, yet stylistically will remain similar, apart from slightly more scope for designers with the advent of additional rear space.
All the latest technical goodies will be on show as standard, except for entertainment systems, which will probably be extra. Bentleys craft of creating bespoke interiors will be employed in the Spur allowing wealthy customers to specify leather, suede, carpets, wood and metal finishings direct from the factory.
This is what VW is certain makes Walter Owen Bentley's marque so special and it will continue to be so under their reign.
On the engine front, expect no less than 10 cylinders. The awesome Phaeton sourced W12 (reworked by the F1
people Cosworth) will be fitted in two forms, dual turbocharged and normally aspirated. Speculation suggests the former will be worth 600 horses, with the normally aspirated motor will offer 475. The over supply of V10 diesels, after the demise of the Phaeton, may make an appearance but people at Bentley shrugged their shoulders when I asked them. Rumors
that versions of Audi's V8 may be used have initially been squashed as Bentley do not want to go down the
Mercedes-Benz route of fitting small engines in obviously big cars. That V8 engine is being kept for an S-Class priced Bentley, which is still on the drawing board (more about that some other time).
Sadly we may be waving goodbye to the blissfully powerfully old 6.75-litre push rod V8, which was first introduced in the 1959 Silver Cloud II. Ironically, the state where a lot of these cars will go, California, has such strict emissions laws that even with dual turbochargers, gasoline injection and a small Cray supercomputer under the bonnet, the venerable old V8 cannot make the grade. What is certain is that all selected power units will be attached to a bullet-proof 6-speed gearbox with a differential which is supposed to be manufactured to the same specification as the ones found on Mercedes-Benz 7.5 tonne trucks! Everything on the Spur will be over engineered (like MB used to be). Indeed, 20" wheels will be the "smallest" available!
Even though creating a new body shell and moving over existing GT components creates a fast design turnaround for Bentley, it will still be late 2004 before the car goes on serious public show with a view to taking orders, but at $190K it will not be cheap.
However, thats half the price of a Maybach and VW are pinning their hopes on the fact that the Bentley brand has more kudos than Mercedes Benz.
VW and Bentley are keeping a lot of information very quiet, so sorry this is a bit vague, I will do some more digging for all your AutoSpies readers. Watch this space!
Mr. Kidd
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