2023 Bentley Flying Spur Speed revealed as W12 engine heads for extinction

Buyers of the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Speed will get a healthy extra dose of performance from the car's W12 engine as it arrives to top the British brand's latest line-up.

The Speed badge signifies the most powerful variant in each of Bentley's model lines – Continental, Bentayga, Flying Spur – with the new arrival one of the last cars fitted with Bentley's 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine.

It gets a substantial boost of 63kW/130Nm over the V8-engined Flying Spur S model – but at 467kW/900Nm, outputs are in fact unchanged from the 'standard' Flying Spur W12, which the new Speed replaces in the line-up.

Earlier this year, Bentley began its transition to electrification in its sedan range with the launch of the Flying Spur Hybrid.

The first of the new Flying Spur Speed machines is due in Australia in the first quarter of next year (January to March), priced from $573,900 plus on-road costs and options.

“Orders taken from now will complete in December and be here in February or March next year. Anything we order from September is a 2023 model,” the brand manager for Australia and New Zealand at Bentley Motors, David Simpson, told Drive.

He said there has been a growing appetite for Speed models in Australia, particularly once the 'regular' version W12 engine had been discontinued.

“About 30-40 per cent of our buyers are choosing a Speed model,” Mr Simpson said.

Bentley believes around one-third of Flying Spur Speed models will be sold into the USA and Europe, with another 20 per cent going to the Middle East, and only a tiny number coming to Australia.

“In our 200-plus cars a year, there are probably 25 Flying Spurs. But with the new Speed in the market it could be more than that,” Mr Simpson said.

The performance package of the Speed reflects the towering outputs from its engine:

The car also has dark tinting to its radiator grilles, headlights and tail-lamps, new infotainment graphics said to be similar to a sports watch, and a special suede interior trim – called Dinamica – made from 73 per cent recycled polyester.

There are 24-way power-adjustable front seats with 14-way adjustment in the rear seats – with heating, ventilation, massage and two memory positions for all occupants.

The cabin also has sports pedals, 'Speed' fascia badges and emblems and illuminated 'Speed' inner and outer tread plates inside the door openings.

There are two option packages for the Flying Spur Speed – Styling Specification and Blackline Specification.

The Styling package adds a high-gloss carbon-fibre front bumper splitter, side skirts with metallic Bentley badges, a rear diffuser and boot lid spoiler.

The Blackline package replaces most of the chromed trim and brightwork on the car's body with what Bentley describes as 'Blackware'.

It takes in the 'Flying B' radiator mascot, radiator and brake grilles, side window surrounds and lower door and bumper blades. The blackout treatment also extends to the front and rear lights, door handles, wing vents and the exhaust tips.

Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.