Automotive Nirvana

I started the week with the all-new Azera, Hyundai’s first affordable, full-sized luxury sedan, and easily one of the better family sedans on the market today.

I was enjoying my first couple of days behind the wheel when my test-vehicle supplier called to ask if she could drop off a new Bentley Continental Flying Spur for me to drive and review. Unlike my usual weeklong test drives, the Bentley would only be available for three days.

I immediately parked the Azera, dropping it quicker than a Cardinals’ receiver drops a football in the end zone. My ship had come in (even if it more closely resembled a land yacht), if only for a few days. The Continental would easily be the most exclusive and expensive vehicle to be placed in my hands in quite some time.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

The stunningly beautiful Midnight Emerald-colored Continental with ochre interior (golden caramel to us common folk) arrived in my driveway with a window sticker of $187,475. That includes a gas-guzzler tax of $3,700 and a destination charge of $2,595.

Options in this particular model included a rear-seat package with a full-length center console and massaging heated-and-cooled bucket seats ($7,190); 19-inch, seven-spoke, chrome alloy wheels ($4,240); an electric glass solar-panel sunroof ($990); a Convenience Package with a Bluetooth telephone system ($840); a chrome and leather shift knob ($590); drilled alloy sport foot pedals ($590); deep-pile carpeted floor mats with matching leather trim ($490); a two-tone leather steering wheel, hand stitched through a process that takes five hours ($490); an alloy fuel-filler cap ($240); a space-saver spare wheel ($240); and a valet parking key ($240).

Inspired by the 1952 Bentley R-Type Continental and 1957 four-door Continental Flying Spur, this latest edition was introduced in April 2005. It was developed after a British holding company sold off the concern to Volkswagen in 1999. (The Rolls Royce half was purchased by BMW.)

Three Bentley models are currently available. In addition to the four-door sedan, a two-door Continental GT coupe and a two-door Continental GTC convertible are part of the lineup. All feature all-wheel drive and are powered by a twin Borg-Warner turbocharged, 6.0-liter W-12 engine rated at 552 horsepower. A premium model called Mulliner, named for Bentley’s custom coachwork supplier, will be available later this year.

With a zero to 60 time of 4.9 seconds, acceleration to 100 miles per hour in a mere 11.3 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph, the Continental’s drive performance can only be described as exhilarating. The acceleration and speed are even more impressive given the vehicle’s incredibly hefty 5,456-pound curb weight.

I enjoyed a library-quiet cabin at cruising speed on I-10, thanks in part to Bentley’s dual-pane window glass. The vehicle provided me with a reassuring feeling of stability, comfort and control.

Controlling the ride at all speeds is an adjustable suspension system. A button on the center console allows the driver to choose from a range of suspension settings, from comfort to sport. A second button raises or lowers the vehicle as desired to ensure the optimum level of ride refinement.

Exterior features include twin bi-Xenon headlamps with integrated lens washers, unique quick-response LED bulbless taillamps, dual stainless steel exhaust ports, power latching for all doors and a choice of 16 exterior paint colors.

Inside the stunning cabin, a classic mix of premium leather and wood veneer adds to the contemporary yet timeless appearance. Leather abounds, blanketing the seats, doors, center console, dash, pillars, rear parcel shelf and even the headliner and sunroof lid. Bentley claims to use a total of 11 different hides, imported from Northern Europe because insects that can damage the quality of the finished leather are less prevalent in colder climates.

Front seats adjust 16 ways, can be either heated or cooled, and incorporate a massage feature to relieve fatigue. The optional two-passenger rear seats adjust independently of one another. The rear-center console incorporates climate and audio controls; privacy screens for all rear glass deploy electronically.

As one would expect, the Flying Spur includes a full complement of safety features. There are two front airbags, four side-thorax airbags for the front and rear seats, and full-length curtain airbags. An occupant sensing system in the rear seats automatically raises the rear headrests to protect against possible whiplash injuries. Traction, stability and brake control serve to avert potential danger.

While there is much to fall crazy in love with about the Continental Flying Spur, not all is perfect. A few minor gripes: rear seat room isn’t what you would expect in a vehicle this size; the CD changer is awkwardly located in the glove box; why no knee airbags? They are standard in a Chrysler Pacifica. The navigation system is hopelessly complex; and, of course, with 552 horsepower pushing six-tons of automobile, I averaged a dismal 10.6 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving.

The Continental Flying Spur projects a commanding presence that turned heads everywhere I drove. The car is a work of rolling art that has passers-by straining to see if they can recognize a celebrity or athlete behind the wheel. But much like the fabled Cinderella, I was disappointed to be relegated back to my Hyundai when the clock struck midnight.

Everyone I know tells me that no car is worth that kind of money. I agreed until I drove the Flying Spur.