Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

2 4 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I Driving the Flying Spur on those narrow roads was an eye opener as the car felt smaller from behind the wheel and negotiated the twists and turns easily, thanks largely to its four-wheel steering. Having the rear wheels turn a few degrees in the opposite direction to the front at parking speeds and then in parallel at touring speeds gives the effect of shortening the wheelbase making it much easier to manoeuvre. It’s paired to a new all-wheel-drive system which uses an electronically controlled clutch that diverts torque to the front axle. The split is varied according to different driving modes, sending up to 480Nm or 40 per cent to the front in Comfort mode but only 280Nm or 17 per cent when in Sport. All this is connected to a 48-volt, dynamic ride anti-roll bar and three chamber air springs which cushions the ride inside while tightening it up outside, meaning it can be flung around like a car half its size while giving the full luxury treatment inside. The driving experience is light years ahead of the previous model that’s been around since 2005, not only because it includes 10 new driver assist features such as night vision with infra-red camera, traffic assist, blind spot warning, heads up display and 360-degree visual surveillance, but also due to its lighter and stiffer chassis. The Flying Spur’s aluminium and composite chassis is 38kg lighter and features a moulding process called Super Forming that stretches the panels over the structure. Aside from giving the car its razor-like creases, it also allows the entire side to be assembled as one, making it the biggest single panel of any production car that increases its torsional rigidity. Under the hood lies Bentley’s familiar but enhanced 626bhp, six- litre, W12-cylinder engine that pumps out 900Nm and is mated to a dual–clutch 8-speed automatic transmission. While the new box lets the car achieve better fuel economy thanks to the two top gears being overdrives which contributes to its claimed 804km range from its 90-litre tank, the double-clutch mechanism, which is usually reserved for sports cars, seemed to miss the mark on smoothness for such a large, luxury cruiser. Bentley claims its top speed to be 333km/h and we can vouch for its 3.8 seconds from zero to 100km/h. The Bentley Flying Spur is an engineering tour de force that has successfully crossed the divide between being the ultimate chauffeur-driven limousine that just quietly, you really want to drive yourself. Deliveries will begin in the region from early next year, priced from AED940,160.