Road & Track - Vol. 10, Night, 2022

BC SPECIFICATIONS 2022 Acura NSX Type S PRICE $184,995 (as tested) ENGINE 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 + 3 electric motor-generators OUTPUT 600 hp 492 lb-ft TRANSMISSIONS 9-speed dual-clutch automatic, direct- drive (front) CURB WEIGHT 3900 lb 0–60 MPH 2.7 seconds

150 R&T VOL. 10 S H E E T M E TA L A PHOTOGRAPHS BY H U S E Y I N E R T U R K

HALFWAY HOUSE THE FLYING SPUR HYBRID SUGGESTS THAT BENTLEY’S HARD-DRINKING YEARS ARE ALMOST BEHIND IT. IS IT TIME TO RAGE against the dying of the light? Not long ago, the idea of Bentley chasing either modernity or improved gas mileage would have had ’em rolling in the aisles. The English luxury brand was as traditional and unchanging as the rules of cricket, whatever those are. The famous L-series pushrod V-8 served in the company’s products from 1959 until the retirement of the Mulsanne in 2020. That engine was originally a Rolls-Royce unit. Bentley’s turbo- charged versions, gentlemanly thugs perfectly suited to old-fashioned priorities, combined industrial-diesel levels of torque with the fuel economy of a helicop- ter. The turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 that Volkswagen created largely for Bentley’s use at the turn of the cen- tury was much more technically advanced but equally unlikely to be nominated for environmental awards. Yet Bentley’s world is shifting quickly. The brand’s rush toward an electric future is largely driven by the Volkswagen Group’s corporate politics; combustion engines will soon be thin on the ground in Europe. And Bentley has publicly committed to offer a plug- in-hybrid version of each model by 2024, drop all pure combustion powerplants by 2026, and switch entirely to EVs by 2030. Against the boldness of that sched- ule, the company’s first electrified model was a timid start. The Bentayga Hybrid SUV has 99 hp less than the V-8 versions and weighs around 500 pounds more. The new Flying Spur Hybrid gets closer to its eight- cylinder sibling on both of those metrics. That’s because the Bentayga Hybrid uses an older hybridized 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6, while the Fly- ing Spur gets a far punchier system. Closely related to the one in the Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid, it BY M I K E D U F F

152 R&T VOL. 10 S H E E T M E TA L B features a 2.9-liter six-cylinder with turbos pack- the drama of the V-8 or W-12; the V-6’s exhaust C aged tightly in the vee of its cylinder banks. The note gains volume but never finds any interest- 410-hp V-6 is assisted by a 134-hp electric motor ing harmonies. Subjectively, the Hybrid feels as A. (Previous pages) mounted between the engine and the eight-speed quick as the V-8, certainly at the sort of speeds that An elegant, imposing dual-clutch automatic transmission. The engine can be attempted in Southern California. (Regu- presence in any can declutch to allow the e-motor to drive the lar autobahn commuters should know that the setting, now just a Spur by itself, or it can add boost. The peak sys- Hybrid’s 177-mph top speed is 21 mph shy of the little more friendly to tem output of 536 hp (slightly less than the com- pure combustion car’s.) the environment. bined totals for both sides of the powertrain) means that the Spur Hybrid makes just 6 hp less The chassis does a fine job of dealing with the B. The trees whose than the V-8 version—and 93 hp more than the Flying Spur Hybrid’s considerable mass—5523 wood is trimming Bentayga Hybrid. Performance is similarly close, pounds, according to Bentley. The air springs this interior would with Bentley claiming a 4.1-second 0–60 time for absorb bigger bumps with pillowy compliance, be proud of what the Hybrid, just a tenth behind the V-8, mainly while the clever adaptive dampers act fast enough they’ve become. because the Hybrid is heavier. to stop secondary motions from building up. My test car wore monstrous 22-inch wheels, the big- C. If, for some reason, At lower speeds, electric propulsion suits the gest upgrade, and they gave the ride a busy edge owners forget what Flying Spur extremely well. When the car is in EV over high-frequency bumps; 20- and 21-inch fit- car they have, an mode, drivers can waft around urban areas with an ments will bring more limo-like compliance. The open door will help- almost total lack of noise. On a trip that started in Hybrid can’t be ordered with the 48-volt active fully remind them. Beverly Hills—apparently the most Bentley-dense anti-roll system of the V-8 and W-12, but it doesn’t Such is the pam- part of the U.S.—the Hybrid proved almost freak- lean excessively, even at an enthusiastic pace. pered life of Bentley ishly quiet when running as an EV, although it does drivers. project an external hum to warn pedestrians of While hoonery doubtless wasn’t part of the its approach. brief for the Spur’s engineering team, refinement was—and there is a problem with the brakes at Under electric power, this Spur couldn’t beat a low speeds. They’re hard to modulate when com- Prius in a stoplight drag race. Staying in EV mode ing to a halt, likely as the car switches from regen- requires serious gas-pedal discipline; anything eration to pure friction braking. That makes it all more than gentle pressure rouses the V-6 to life. but impossible to achieve the sort of invisible stop Bentley estimates that the 18.0-kWh battery pack that keeps rear-seat champagne unsplashed and will deliver up to 20 miles of range. But those would chauffeurs unscolded. be very slow miles. The Flying Spur Hybrid isn’t very electric, and At gentle speeds, combustion power arrives the only external cues revealing its status as a as unobtrusively as a good butler, but sudden plug-in hybrid are tiny “Hybrid” badges on the requests for faster progress make the transition fenders and the presence of a second filler cap for clumsier. When the V-6 starts, it immediately charging. But it is a Bentley. breaks the silence with the sudden arrival of revs equal to your foot position on the throttle. As Given that we expect similar pricing between the gearbox software works out which ratio best the two, why would anybody choose the Hybrid corresponds to the perceived urgency, there’s a over the V-8, which is more charismatic and rep- slight wait before the rush to deliver it. Although resentative of the traditional Bentley experience? the electric motor does its best to get things roll- In many parts of the world, the answer is simple: ing, the delay is obvious. tax breaks. Yet the Hybrid feels much less com- promised than most luxury plug-ins and offers a Yet once everything is flowing, the Hybrid does very gentle introduction to the company’s elec- turn Bentley-fast, delivering big longitudinal tric future. It’s a car for those who don’t want to g-forces and lifting its prow slightly as the V-6 rage against the dying of the light, who are more hits its stride. Unfortunately, the soundtrack lacks than willing to go gentle into that good night.

SPECIFICATIONS 2022 Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid PRICE $213,325 (as tested) ENGINE 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 + electric motor-generator OUTPUT 536 hp 553 lb-ft TRANSMISSION 8-speed dual-clutch automatic CURB WEIGHT 5523 lb 0–60 MPH 4.1 seconds

154 R&T VOL. 10 GARAGE ILLUMINATED ILLUSTRATIONS BY B R O W N B I R D D E S I G N GET THAT GROUP B STYLE WITH A HOOD-MOUNTED LIGHT POD. SOME DRILLING REQUIRED. BY B R I A N S I LV E S T R O

1 How to: Mount a Light Pod in 5 Steps 1. Determine where on install the clips. Mark 2 the hood you’d like additional drill points the light pod to sit. on the hood to per- Place a microfiber rag manently attach each on the hood to avoid clip. Follow Step 3 for paint damage, then drilling holes for the put the pod on it. To clips, securing them ensure straightness, to the hood with the measure the dis- supplied hardware. tance from the lower 5. Wiring up power and a corners of the pod to switch for your new the hood’s leading pod will vary greatly edge. Mark each depending on car and corner to make a kit, but a relay and a framed reference fuse will likely be area. Step back and involved. If you want look at where the pod to keep things sim- 3 sits—once you start ple, attach the power drilling, there’s no wire directly to your turning back. battery’s positive 2. Figure out where to terminal and bolt the drill the mounting ground wire onto the holes. Hold the pod chassis. Some kits where you plan to will have a switch mount it and mark that’s prewired and the hood through ready to go, so all you each stud hole on the have to do is find a pod’s base. Confirm place for it on the that all your markings dashboard. Congratu- line up with the lations! You’re ready placement marks for a night stage on you created earlier. the Col de Turini—at 4 3. It’s time to start least from a lighting drilling. We recom- perspective. mend using a small center punch to mark each hole. Start with a 1⁄8-inch drill bit and work up in bit size until the pod’s mount- ing studs fit snugly. Patience is the name of the game. 4. A quality light-pod kit will have quick- release sliding clips for each mounting point. Mock up the 5 pod to the hood using the holes you drilled, then temporarily

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