Uneven fit and finish |
| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
The leathers and the walnut dashboard are all about quality and refinement. The thick floor mats and the generous shoulder room will gratify the occupants. On the other hand, I noticed some defects that a Bentley owner should not normally encounter. For example, the surface of the front door panels was not perfectly adjustable. Also, the insulating rubber around the right front door was dangling when I opened it. The pass-through that connects with the huge trunk could not be entirely shut; the latch was broken. Finally, while the buyer can choose from 17 leather tones and several high-quality wood trims, there are no standard sunshades in the rear side windows like in many cars in this category.
The driveI liked the dashboard for its looks and ergonomics. The controls are easily found and manipulated, while the on-board computer is quite user-friendly. You must stop the car in order to enter an address in the
navigation system; kudos to the designers.
On the highway, the drive is sublime. It's easy to fly at 140-150 kph without even knowing it. While the speed is not electronically limited, I only exceeded the 200 kph mark for a brief moment and I never felt the least vibration. I did not try to reach the limit of 312 kph posted on the speedometer. On smaller roads, considering the weight of the car, the Flying Spur surprisingly pulls through in corners. As for the brakes, the huge discs quickly slow down this luxurious ship. However, the 19-inch
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| 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (Photo: Philippe Champoux) |
Yokohama tires disturb the quietness of the interior on concrete highways.
UniqueEvery Bentley is largely hand-made according to the requests and desires of the customer. The Continental Flying Spur shows that Bentley still keeps alive and well its tradition of style and performance. Here's hoping that the visible defects are only the result of my tester being a press car and that they won't spoil Bentley's reputation. The company deserves perfection and nothing less.
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