Flying Spur Speed Archives

Winter testing usually means cold starts, numb fingers, and a polite nod toward traction control. Bentley, however, decided to rewrite the rulebook—again. At the world’s northernmost active race circuit, just 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle, the Flying Spur Speed has claimed a new winter lap record, proving that four doors and a luxury badge don’t preclude serious performance when the surface turns hostile.

The venue was Drivecenter Arena in Fällfors, northern Sweden, a former military airbase repurposed into a 2.05-mile circuit. In summer, it’s demanding. In winter—when the entire track is buried under roughly 12 inches of ice and snow—it’s borderline absurd. Yet Bentley’s flagship performance sedan circulated the circuit in under three minutes, posting a best lap of 2:58. No car has ever gone quicker here in winter conditions.

That headline time becomes even more impressive when you consider the details. Peak speed during the run touched 120 mph, despite the longest straight measuring just 450 meters and being covered in polished sheet ice. This wasn’t a gentle demonstration run; it was a full-commit lap, with the Flying Spur’s variable all-wheel-drive system and rear-wheel steering working overtime to deliver agility that simply shouldn’t exist on a frozen runway masquerading as a racetrack.

A Record Rooted in Bentley History

Bentley didn’t arrive at this challenge on a whim. The winter lap record was inspired by the brand’s own back catalog of improbable achievements: the Ice Speed Records of 2007 and 2011, and the lesser-known but no less astonishing 1986 endurance feat, when a Turbo R averaged 140 mph for an hour around the banked bowl at Millbrook Proving Ground.

In a thoughtful nod to that legacy, the record-setting Flying Spur—registration Y15 BML—was specified to mirror the Turbo R from Bentley’s Heritage Collection. Finished in Brooklands Green with yellow fine lines, and trimmed inside in Linen, Cumbrian Green, and Open Pore Walnut, the car also marked the Turbo R’s 40th anniversary. It’s a reminder that Bentley’s obsession with speed hasn’t replaced its reverence for tradition; it has simply evolved.

Ultra Performance, Electrified

Underneath the heritage paintwork lies Bentley’s most advanced Flying Spur yet. The Speed is powered by an Ultra Performance Hybrid system pairing a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor integrated into an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. In Sport mode, the numbers read like something from a super-sedan fantasy league: 782 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque.

The electric motor contributes instant response, smoothing throttle inputs and amplifying traction—especially valuable on ice—while the V8 delivers its trademark cross-plane soundtrack. In pure EV mode, the Flying Spur still produces 190 horsepower and 450 Nm of torque, enough to blend seamlessly into everyday traffic. A 25.9-kWh battery provides up to 47 miles of electric-only range on the EU cycle, while total driving range stretches to 515 miles. Full electric running is possible at speeds up to 87 mph, with up to 75 percent throttle application—numbers that quietly redefine what “EV mode” means in a Bentley.

Chassis Tech That Earns Its Keep

The real hero of this Arctic achievement, however, lives beneath the bodywork. The Bentley Performance Active Chassis comes standard on the Flying Spur Speed and includes Dynamic Ride, all-wheel steering, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and a new generation of ESC software. That software allows a broad spectrum of driving styles—from ironclad stability to something far more playful. For the record run, ESC was switched off entirely.

With a rear-biased weight distribution of 48.3:51.7, the Flying Spur gives its chassis systems an inherently balanced foundation. Active torque vectoring shuffles power front to rear via the center differential, while brake-based vectoring fine-tunes distribution across each axle. On dry pavement, that means sharper turn-in and cleaner exits. On snow-covered sheet ice, it’s the difference between motion and inertia.

Luxury, Redefined by Capability

What makes this winter lap record remarkable isn’t just the stopwatch—it’s the context. This is a full-size luxury sedan, trimmed in walnut and leather, capable of whisper-quiet electric cruising one moment and near-racing commitment the next, all while operating on a surface better suited to studded tires and snowmobiles.

Bentley has long argued that true performance should be usable, not conditional. With the Flying Spur Speed, that philosophy has now been tested—and validated—within sight of the Arctic Circle. In doing so, Bentley hasn’t just set a record. It has delivered a reminder that modern luxury, when engineered properly, doesn’t retreat when conditions worsen. It thrives.

Source: Bentley

In 2005, Bentley began production of its full-size car, the Flying Spur. Almost two decades later, the fourth generation of this model arrived on the market as the ultra-luxury sedan Bentley Flying Spur Speed.

At first glance, many will say that this generation is identical to the previous one. However, the Speed is still different from the previous model. It is equipped with Bentley Performance Active chassis, four-wheel steering system, Bentley Dynamic Ride suspension, active torque distribution system and electronically controlled limited slip differential. All this allows for better handling in aggressive driving, but also significantly improved comfort when cruising, and the driver can choose between Comfort, Bentley or Sport mode.

Bentley offers many different configurations, colors and shade combinations, 700 leather combinations, wood choices and much more. Passengers can now enjoy front seats with an integrated Active Bat Transducers system, Wellness Seating Specification for all four seats, which ensures passengers stay relaxed and refreshed. This function together with body position adjustment and automatic seat climate ensures maximum comfort by optimizing body temperature and also adjusts the pressure on the muscles to eliminate fatigue during long drives. There is also a Naim system with 19 speakers and a power of 2,200W, an air conditioning system with air ionizers, a particle filter and smart integration with the navigation system. Over-the-air upgrades will bring new features including a “green light prediction” system to help the driver navigate urban environments more easily.

When it comes to the powertrain, Bentley ditched the 600 hp 6.0-liter W12 engine and replaced it with a new plug-in hybrid 4.0-L V8 twin-turbo engine with 600 hp (441 kW) and a single electric motor (190 hp/140 kW) with a total output of 782 hp (575 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. That’s enough to accelerate the Speed from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds slower than the old model. It is equipped with a 25.9 kWh battery that enables a range of 76 kilometers. The battery can be fully charged in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Source: Bentley

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