Vehicle Sales & Collectables
New Bentley Flying Spur 2026: Handcrafted Luxury Meets Supercar Performance
Bentley’s latest four-door flagship brings cleaner design, renewed emphasis on performance and significantly expanded personalisation. For buyers, the more interesting question is where luxury specification ends and long-term desirability begins.
Executive Summary
Bentley has refreshed the Flying Spur for 2026 with a sharper exterior, expanded interior choice and the return of the performance-focused S derivative.
The new model reintroduces single front headlamps to a Bentley saloon for the first time since 1962, bringing the four-door car into closer visual alignment with the latest Continental GT.
The engineering changes are more significant than the styling suggests.
The returning Flying Spur S receives Bentley’s High Performance Hybrid powertrain producing 680 PS and 930 Nm, together with the Performance Active Chassis and an electronic limited-slip differential.
Meanwhile, Mulliner’s new Virtuoso Collection expands Bentley’s bespoke proposition with upgraded audio, specialist materials and Champagne Gold detailing.
The real question is not whether the new Flying Spur is more luxurious or faster. It is which specification is most likely to remain desirable once the novelty of launch has passed.
Key Takeaways
- The new Flying Spur adopts a cleaner exterior design with single front headlamps for the first time on a Bentley saloon since 1962.
- The S model returns with 680 PS and 930 Nm.
- Bentley quotes 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph for the Flying Spur S.
- The S receives Bentley’s Performance Active Chassis and, for the first time on a Flying Spur S, an electronic limited-slip differential.
- Five seat designs are now available, each requiring approximately 12 hours of hand craftsmanship.
- The Mulliner Virtuoso Collection adds the Naim for Mulliner audio system and unique aesthetic themes.
- Production is due to begin in Crewe in September 2026, with first customer deliveries expected during Q4 2026.
1. A Cleaner Flying Spur
The new Flying Spur represents a visual reset rather than a wholesale reinvention.
Bentley has simplified several of the previous car’s details, creating smoother and less interrupted exterior surfaces.
The radiator grille is now integrated within the front bumper, the wing vent has disappeared and the front wings are cleaner, with model badging positioned behind the front wheel.
At the rear, Bentley has revised the boot lid, rear lamps and number-plate surround while introducing additional 22-inch wheel finishes.
The objective is clear: make the Flying Spur feel like part of the same design generation as the current Continental GT rather than a four-door model operating on a separate visual cycle.
2. Why the Single Headlamps Matter
The most obvious styling change is also the most historically significant.
Bentley has returned to single front headlamps on a saloon for the first time since 1962.
That decision changes the character of the car considerably.
Previous generations of Flying Spur were visually defined by a four-lamp front treatment. The new arrangement is more contemporary and more closely related to Bentley’s latest grand tourer design language.
For collectors, apparently minor design decisions can matter later because they help define generations clearly.
A model that is immediately identifiable as the beginning of a new design period often ages more coherently than one caught between two eras.
3. The Return of the Flying Spur S
The most significant addition to the range is the return of the S.
Bentley is positioning it explicitly towards drivers who want a more sporting four-door rather than a softer luxury derivative.
Its High Performance Hybrid powertrain produces 680 PS and 930 Nm, making it the most powerful Flying Spur yet to wear the S badge.
That represents an increase of 130 PS over the previous-generation Flying Spur S.
| Flying Spur S | 2026 Specification |
|---|---|
| Power | 680 PS |
| Torque | 930 Nm |
| 0-60 mph | 3.6 seconds |
| 0-100 km/h | 3.7 seconds |
| Top Speed | 191 mph |
Those are supercar-adjacent figures in a full-size luxury saloon designed to carry four adults in considerable comfort.
4. Performance Active Chassis
The S is not simply a trim package.
It receives Bentley’s Performance Active Chassis, previously associated with higher-tier Speed and Mulliner specifications.
The system combines:
- Active All Wheel Drive;
- twin-valve dampers;
- torque vectoring;
- 48V Bentley Dynamic Ride active anti-roll control;
- revised electronic stability control software; and
- an electronic limited-slip differential.
For the first time, the eLSD is available on a Flying Spur S.
That matters because it reinforces the model’s position as a genuine chassis derivative rather than an appearance-led specification.
5. Five Seat Styles and Crewe Craftsmanship
The return of the S also expands the number of seat styles available across the Flying Spur range to five.
Bentley states that each seat takes approximately 12 hours of hand craftsmanship.
Customers can choose between fluted and more advanced quilted treatments depending on the derivative and intended character of the car.
This breadth of choice reflects one of the central tensions in modern Bentley ownership.
The customer is buying a series-production car, but the purchasing process increasingly resembles commissioning.
That creates extraordinary opportunity for individualisation.
It also creates specification risk.
6. The Virtuoso Collection
Mulliner’s Virtuoso Collection pushes that commissioning philosophy further.
The collection combines the Naim for Mulliner audio system with specialist materials, bespoke embroidery and Champagne Gold detailing.
Three curated themes are available:
- Soprano
- Tenor
- Bass
The themes range from lighter, calmer environments to darker and more dramatic treatments.
Champagne Gold detailing can extend across exterior badges, exhaust finishers, collection identifiers and even the edging of the vehicle key.
This is Bentley moving further into territory traditionally associated with coachbuilding and ultra-luxury interior design.
7. Naim for Mulliner: When Audio Becomes Part of the Commission
The Naim for Mulliner system originally appeared in Bentley’s coachbuilt Batur programme.
Bentley has now developed the system for broader use through the Virtuoso Collection.
The installation employs 21 speakers and draws on technology derived from Focal’s Grand Utopia loudspeakers.
Specially developed mid-range units and tweeters use patented M-profile cones designed around rigidity, lightness and damping.
For buyers considering the Virtuoso Collection, this is not simply another upgraded audio package.
It is part of a broader move towards specification as experience.
That can justify a substantial premium to the first owner.
Whether the same premium transfers into the secondary market is a separate question.
8. Specification and Resale Risk
The modern Bentley configurator makes it possible to create an almost uniquely personalised vehicle.
That does not mean every expensive specification creates equivalent residual value.
This distinction becomes particularly relevant with Mulliner cars.
A coherent specification using recognisable Bentley colours and materials may have broad secondary appeal.
An intensely personal commission may appeal strongly to one owner and significantly narrow the future buyer pool.
The newest exterior colour, Dark Teal, illustrates the opportunity well.
Bentley describes it as a metallic mid-blue with green undertones, intended to emphasise the car’s new surface treatment.
Used intelligently, a distinctive factory colour can make a car more memorable.
Rarity, however, should never be confused automatically with desirability.
9. Where the New Flying Spur Sits as an Ownership Proposition
The Flying Spur occupies an unusual position.
It combines limousine-level accommodation with performance that would have been considered extraordinary for a supercar little more than a generation ago.
That broad capability can make it unusually useful for an owner who wants one car to fulfil several roles.
| Requirement | Flying Spur Position |
|---|---|
| Long-distance touring | Core strength |
| Rear-seat comfort | High |
| Driver engagement | Particularly strong in S and Speed derivatives |
| Urban discretion | Greater than most two-seat or mid-engined supercars |
| Personalisation | Extensive through Bentley and Mulliner |
| Collectability | Highly specification and derivative dependent |
For many UHNW buyers, that versatility may be more important than ultimate rarity.
10. Production and Market Entry
Bentley plans to begin production of the new Flying Spur at its Crewe factory in September 2026.
The car can be specified now, with first deliveries expected in most markets during the fourth quarter of 2026.
Early cars will naturally attract attention.
However, the Flying Spur is not a limited-allocation hypercar.
Buyers should therefore be cautious about paying unnecessary premiums purely to secure one of the first cars.
For most owners, specification quality and intended holding period will matter more than being first.
11. What Should Buyers Ask Before Ordering?
The configurator is likely to be the easy part.
The more useful questions are strategic.
Which derivative actually matches the mission?
An owner prioritising rear-seat comfort may reach a different conclusion from one who intends to drive the car aggressively.
How much personalisation is economically sensible?
Mulliner can create an extraordinary commission, but not every option will translate into secondary-market value.
Is the car intended to be retained?
A five- or ten-year ownership horizon gives greater freedom to specify around personal preference than a likely two-year disposal.
Will the hybrid architecture suit usage?
The powertrain should be considered in the context of the owner’s actual driving pattern, charging access and long-term maintenance expectations.
Does the specification have a coherent story?
The strongest commissions often feel deliberate rather than merely expensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the new Bentley Flying Spur be delivered?
Bentley states that production is due to begin in Crewe in September 2026, with first deliveries expected in most markets during the fourth quarter of 2026.
How powerful is the new Bentley Flying Spur S?
The new Flying Spur S produces 680 PS and 930 Nm from its High Performance Hybrid powertrain.
How fast is the Bentley Flying Spur S?
Bentley quotes 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph.
What is the Bentley Virtuoso Collection?
The Virtuoso Collection is a Mulliner specification built around the Naim for Mulliner audio system, bespoke materials, embroidery and Champagne Gold detailing, offered in Soprano, Tenor and Bass themes.
Is the new Flying Spur a hybrid?
Yes. The latest Flying Spur range is built around Bentley’s V8 hybrid powertrains, with the S using the High Performance Hybrid system.
Verification & Source
Technical specifications, production timing, design information and product descriptions in this article are based on Bentley Motors’ announcement dated 2 June 2026: Handcrafted luxury with supercar performance: The new Flying Spur.
APX Perspective
The new Flying Spur demonstrates how far the luxury saloon has moved from the traditional distinction between chauffeur-driven comfort and driver-focused performance.
At 680 PS, the S is unquestionably fast.
Yet power alone is unlikely to determine which examples eventually become the most desirable.
As Bentley expands Mulliner personalisation and moves closer to a commissioning model, specification becomes increasingly important to the ownership proposition.
The new Flying Spur can be configured almost without compromise. The more difficult skill is knowing where to stop.
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