The Flying Spur Speed dishes up 48 hp and 73 lb-ft more than the base version. The Sport GT S squeezes an extra 8 hp out of its 4.7-liter V-8; maximum torque is an unchanged 361 lb-ft. The XFR's engine betters the normally aspirated 5.0-liter by 125 hp and 81 lb-ft. Is it, with these cars, really worth it to reach out for the high-end models? Yes - but with certain reservations. In the Bentley, we'd consider mating the Speed package with the more compliant spring and damper settings of the standard, 552-hp Spur. That's what chairman Franz-Josef Paefgen did when he specified his personal company car. The result is a cushier low-speed ride and a plusher chassis calibration at speeds of up to 100 mph. The Quattroporte Sport GT S not only sounds better than the S, it also behaves more progressively at the limit, thanks to the conventional dampers that beat the S's arrangement for superior body control and more unambiguous action. On the debit side, the GT S suffers from a much harsher ride, which is due to firmer springs, wider twenty-inch tires, and tauter dampers. At Jaguar, the R package buys different wheels, an active rear differential together with sportier active dampers, and more direct steering, as well as substantially bigger front and rear brakes.
Although it is badged Speed, the Flying Spur makes high velocity feel about as effortless as a Japanese bullet train does. Thanks to four-wheel drive, even low-speed acceleration is always more of a gesture than an event. Despite the curb weight of 5478 pounds, the cruiser from Crewe takes only 10.5 seconds to beam us from naught to 100 mph. The short burst from 50 to 70 mph is an even more impressive 2.4-second affair. And at 180 mph, when the Maserati has moved over to the slow lane, the Bentley still has 20 mph to unspool in its unmistakable, turbinelike style. Directional stability at the peak of the mph spectrum is good but not brilliant, the ride on certain surfaces pays tribute to the stiff twenty-inch Pirelli PZero Rosso tires, and whenever the speed or direction of the flight path changes, the driver is never in doubt about the forces he must deal with. Those with a heavy right foot shouldn't hesitate to spend a small fortune on the composite brake discs, which, when called upon, dispatch a separate guardian angel to each wheel. The Flying Spur rewards smoothness with even more smoothness, precision with ease, consistency with fluidity, and proper timing with perfect poise. ...next page >>