[Dippy]

Day : 16th July 2005
Time : 6 PM
Location : Marine Drive Mumbai
Car : Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Passengers : Mr Pratik Desai and his collegue, Kartik (My brother)
Driver : Me




This was too good true to be true. But yes there I was behind the wheel of the so called fastest saloon in the world, the Continental Flying Spur. I was actually finding it difficult to believe that I was getting to drive it just over a week after its launch but soon it sunk in. So my fellow BHPians, here is a review on the most powerful car I have ever driven till date. An exclusive first on Team BHP.




The Flying Spur is basically the Continental GT in saloon form. But that doesn’t take away the fact that it is equally beautiful. The car is huge and has ever so striking looks. Everything about this car is a thing of beauty and the quality touch just shows. The paint job on the car is fantastic too. The interior greets you with a combination of the finest leather and wood to the dash in walnut finish. Everything in this car from the steering wheel to the stalk switches is made using the highest quality material and it shows. 17 interior trim options are offered on the Spur. The attention to detail to the smallest of things is amazing. Seats are fully in leather and you have the options to have your seat belts and carpets to match your upholstery.



Now for the drive. Got into the driver’s seat and strapped up. Adjusted the seat for maximum comfort and convenience and I was ready to roll. The Spur comes with a 6 speed auto transmission with paddle shifters. I slot the gear lever into D and I was off. I pushed the throttle lightly at first just to get into the rhythm of things. After driving over distance with a light foot, I decided to push it more. No sooner did I push the pedal this monster shot off like a rocket. This beast has a 6 litre 12 cylinder power house with 552 bhp and a mind boggling 650 Nm waiting to be unleashed. The sound from the engine is mesmerizing and begs you to push it further. I remember hearing the sound of the GT a year ago on Worli Seaface but here I was getting to revv her myself. The kicking in of the super charger is so addictive. However I really couldn’t do much in the evening traffic of Marine Drive and managed to take her upto 160 kmph. The suspension is self leveling with options for ride height and damper settings. The Spur rides on massive 19" wheels with an option for 20". I took a short drive from NCPA to Bachelors and back after which I did my photo shoot but that was enough to put me in a daze.




I exchanged business cards with Mr Pratik after the drive and he handed me the official catalogue of the Spur . He told me that this is a demo car for both Mumbai and Delhi and its moving to Delhi tomorrow. The price of the Flying Spur is approx 1.65 crore rupees (ex showroom) and I got to know that they already have 12 orders placed for it.

Well that was a small report on the newest member of the crorepati car club in our country. I thoroughly enjoyed my drive and can easily say that it was one of my best driving experiences ever till date. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Car courtesy : Mr. Pratik Desai, Upaj Motors Mumbai.

For further information on the Flying Spur contact :

Mr. Pratik Desai.
Email : upajauto@vsnl.com