That hood ornament actually is kind of a big deal. This is the first time that the Flying Spur is getting one-in fact, it will be first modern Bentley aside from the Mulsanne to get one-and it will be electronically retractable to deter thievery. And because it just looks cool when it goes up and down. Bentley calls it the Flying B, as it is a stylized version of the letter B (B for Bentley) with wings attached. Those wings are made of some sort of crystal or glass-like material, and they appear to be illuminated. When the B is retracted, a sliver of aluminum trim appears in its place, with the Bentley name stamped vertically on it. Sure, a retractable hood ornament is pretty gimmicky, and Rolls-Royce already does it, but it's still quite fabulous. And how else will people know you're driving a Bentley if not for the Flying B?
Bentley also released a second teaser, a line drawing of the car's silhouette. Compared to the current Flying Spur, the new generation looks longer both in length and in wheelbase. The C-pillar and more glass are more raked, while the front end is more upright. From the sketch, it looks like the new car will have prominent creases above each wheel arch, thick chrome window trim, and large taillights. The exterior styling overall will be pretty evolutionary as is typical for Bentley, but expect the interior to be revolutionary, largely carrying over from the Continental GT's tech-heavy, design-forward cabin.We know that the Flying Spur will be moving onto the same new platform as the Continental GT, which is also shared with the Porsche Panamera. Expect all-wheel drive to remain standard, with a 542-hp twin-turbo V-8 as the base engine. Volkswagen Group's 626-hp twin-turbo W-12 will be the upgrade engine, with more powerful V8 S and W12 Speed models coming later in the car's lifecycle. There's a chance that a longer Extended Wheelbase model will appear to better compete with the EWB version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost, the Flying Spur's main rival.
Bentley says that the new Flying Spur will be unveiled later this year; we could see the debut happening in the fall at the Frankfurt or Los Angeles auto shows, or maybe this summer at Pebble Beach. The company has launched a website for potential customers to register their interest for the Flying Spur. Beyond the typical "Mr." and "Mrs.," two of the options for title are "Lord" and "Sheikh," giving you a good idea as to Bentley's target customer base.
