As far as flagship engines go, Bentley’s twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 is more than deserving of the title. With a legacy that dates back to the early 2000s and the work of industry legend Ferdinand Piëch, it’s an iconic powerplant. However, given that the British brand produced its final W12 last year, it now faces a dilemma: what to replace a flagship engine with?
The answer arrived last year under the hood of the fourth-generation Continental GT Speed: a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 paired with an electric motor and a 25.9 kilowatt-hour battery pack. It’s a plug-in hybrid combo that also powers the Lamborghini Urus SE and the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. This week, I’m in the newest flagship to adopt this hybridized setup, the 2025 Bentley Flying Spur Speed.
Developing 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, it produces 145 hp and 74 lb-ft more than the outgoing Speed’s engine. However, as the Spur’s much-loved W12 was never short on power, is its plug-in hybrid successor just a case of downsizing to meet stricter emissions regulations, or does it have a charm of its own?
From a visual standpoint, there isn’t much that distinguishes the latest Flying Spur Speed from its predecessor. That’s because, unlike the Continental GT Speed, which entered a new generation last year alongside the arrival of its new engine, Bentley’s sedan is still in its third iteration. As such, it still rides on the same platform that underpins the Porsche Panamera and, despite major updates to its powertrain, retains the use of a dual-clutch automatic transmission and the carmaker’s stellar active anti-roll system.
While they are subtle, the Flying Spur Speed does adopt some aesthetic updates. The most significant addition is the availability of a dark tint option for the sedan’s exterior and interior brightwork. Think of Rolls Royce’s approach to its Black Badge models. Its aero package, as part of the Styling Specification, now comes finished in body color, while it rides on a new set of 22-inch ten-spoke wheels. Open its doors, and you’ll spot new LED puddle lights, rounding out this sedan’s relatively short list of revisions.
It’s a similar story as you step inside, with the Bentley Flying Spur Speed retaining its digital instrument cluster and its 12.3-inch infotainment screen, although the pair sport new graphics. Its seats are adorned with a new 3D quilted pattern, which you’ll also find on its door cards. You can also darken its brightwork via the aforementioned Dark Chrome Specification, as seen on my tester.
Starting at $276,450, this specific car pairs its dark trim with a two-tone black and Mandarin orange interior, a $9,615 Naim sound system, a $6,995 rotating touchscreen display, and a $22,135 Mandarin exterior finish. This brings its total as-tested price to $367,060.
As you might expect, these updates pale in comparison to what’s going on under the Spur’s hood. For the 2025 model year, it’s only available as a plug-in hybrid, even if you opt for the slightly detuned “base” model. That said, the least powerful sedan Bentley currently makes still produces 671 hp and 685 lb-ft. However, step up to the Speed, and those figures rise to 771 hp and 738 lb-ft, making it the most powerful sedan the British carmaker has ever produced.
Its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 sets the base for those immense numbers, producing 591 hp and 590 lb-ft on its own. An electric motor develops up to 187 hp and 332 lb-ft, pairing with a 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery pack to provide an estimated electric-only range of up to 47 miles. More on that later.
Given the V8’s lighter weight when compared to the outgoing W12 and Bentley’s decision to position the Speed’s new batteries close to its trunk, it now sports a rear-biased weight distribution of 48:52. Those stats translate to a sedan, which, despite gaining 460 pounds over its W12 predecessor, totaling a 5,833-lb curb weight, still sprints to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 177 mph.
In the real world, it’s difficult to overstate just how rapid the Bentley Flying Spur Speed feels. It accelerates with a ferocity no car in its weight class should be capable of. While its V8 already generates its peak torque output at 2,000 rpm, the accompanying electric motor steps in to both bolster that performance and fill in to counteract the effects of turbo lag. The result is a throttle response that feels instantaneous when dialed up to the most aggressive drive mode, allowing it to pick up speed effortlessly.
Its dual-clutch automatic transmission complements this performance well, executing shifts without delay. At the same time, the Spur’s all-wheel-drive system enables it to put all that power down without any loss of traction. However, the V8’s engine note remains a highlight of the experience. Despite powering an ultra-luxury sedan, Bentley pairs this powerplant with a decently vocal and relatively free-flowing exhaust, allowing it to play its burbly, muscle-car-like tune.
Straightline acceleration aside, part of what made the previous Bentley Flying Spur Speed special was its ability to marry an ultra-luxury experience with a driving experience that retained some authentic sportiness. That’s something this latest model is both better at and worse than the Spurs that came before it.
Its rear-biased weight distribution plays a significant role, especially when you factor in that it no longer has a hefty W12 over its front axle. Turn into a bend, and the new Speed follows your commands without defaulting to understeer like its predecessor. Bentley quickened its variable electric power steering to make it feel as agile as possible. However, its calibration oscillates between being far too slow in Comfort and too twitchy in Sport. Somewhere in the middle would generate a more natural feel.
As standard, the Bentley Flying Spur Speed comes equipped with the brand’s Performance Active Chassis. It includes items such as 48-volt active anti-roll bars, rear-wheel steering, torque vectoring, and an electronic limited-slip differential in the rear. It’s a hardware suite that eliminates much of this 5,833-lb sedan’s body roll while maximizing its mechanical grip, allowing it to exit corners confidently.
Paired with new twin-valve dampers, the Speed can firm its ride more significantly in Sport mode without sacrificing its plushness in the Comfort setting. Its dampers work in conjunction with an adaptive air suspension setup. As such, its back road performance is as impressive as its ability to soak up road imperfections around town and on the highway.
However, these gains come with some losses. As of the time of writing, Bentley has yet to announce plans to produce a V8-powered Flying Spur without a hybrid system. While this is likely due to emissions regulations, I’d like to briefly revisit the Flying Spur S V8 I tested over two and a half years ago. While its 542-hp output and four-second time to 60 mph are certainly less impressive than what you get in the latest Speed, the S weighs nearly 700 fewer pounds.
While a 5,137-lb curb weight doesn’t turn a Bentley into a Lotus, it allows many of the active systems you get in the current car to work more effectively. With less weight to counteract, its Dynamic Ride enables the S to corner completely flat and achieve a level of balance and stability no W12 or plug-in hybrid Flying Spur has been able to match since. It changes direction instantly, handling like a car whose curb weight starts with a four. True to the Bentley spirit, the S is an ultra-luxury car that still delivers a proper thrill.
This is where the new Bentley Flying Spur Speed struggles. As quick as it is in a straight line and through the bends, it lacks the light-on-its-feet feel achieved by the S that preceded it. As such, while it’s tremendously capable, far exceeding the level of enjoyment offered by the Speed it replaces, by gaining more weight, it limits its ability to provide a true dual personality.
There’s a significant upside to the Speed’s gains, however, and that’s its electric-only range. While this matters more to owners in Europe who have to deal with ultra-low-emissions zones, US-based buyers still benefit from this setup’s increased efficiency and its ability to cover up to 47 miles without ever firing up the car’s V8. For those who want the quietest commute, it’s an ideal setup.
Starting at $276,450, the updated 2025 Bentley Flying Spur Speed marks an impressive entry into the plug-in hybrid world. It’s more powerful, quicker, and more efficient than the car it replaces while retaining its good looks. More importantly, its V8 engine oozes character thanks to both its performance and its burbly engine note.
Inside, its cabin benefits from refinements to its seats as well as an expanded list of customization extras. Thanks to its use of an electric motor and a battery pack, the Speed backs up its world-beating performance with the added flexibility of electric-only cruising.
While there’s no denying this car’s flagship status, its need to mask its ever-rising weight means it’s not quite the luxurious driver’s car it once was.