This site is named Top Speed for a reason, and it’s because we like to go fast. Writing on the Internet does not make us millionaires, however, so we’re often forced to sit on the sidelines watching one-percenters have all the fun. That ends today. Thanks to our eagle-eyed friends at The Autopian, we now have verifiable proof that 200 miles per hour in a car can now be reached for less than $30,000.
The answer to our underfunded prayers is the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed. Thanks to the magic of depreciation, one can now buy a first-generation example of this super sedan for the price of a well-optioned Ford Maverick and then take it to a salt bed or generously sized oval track and peg the go pedal until its speedometer reads 2-0-0.
The Proof
This listing for a 2010 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed currently on CarGurus is proof of what we say. The no-haggle price is $29,500. Sure, it’s got 111,297 miles and six prior owners, but its title is clean, and no accidents have been reported.
It’s not the only example out there. Here’s another at Auto Trader with fewer miles for even less money. The Autopian even found one that had sold on Bring A Trailer recently for $32,855, which is impressive considering the online auction site’s reputation for premium prices.
But It’s A Volkswagen
When we were kids and imagined ourselves white knuckling a steering until the speedometer reached 200 mph, it was not behind the wheel of a rebadged Volkswagen sedan. That’s right, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur shares a platform with the Volkswagen Phaeton.
The Phaeton was an ill-begotten attempt by VW in the early 2000s to move upmarket. The company quickly discovered the world wasn’t ready for a premium-priced Volkswagen but realized it might embrace a more affordable Bentley. Having acquired the British luxury marque in 1998 and needing to modernize its lineup, Volkswagen used the Phaeton as the basis for the Bentley Continental. Launched around 2003, the Continental came in three flavors: GT coupe, GTC convertible, and Flying Spur sedan.
The Phaeton could be had with a number of engines, the best of which was a unique W12. Bentley plucked this engine for the Continental line and added a pair of turbochargers. The result was an impressive 552 horsepower, which could boogy the GT up to 197.6 mph and the Flying Spur to 195 mph.
|
2009 Bentley Flying Spur Speed |
Specs |
|
Engine |
Twin-Turbo 6.0L W12 |
|
Horsepower |
602 hp |
|
Torque |
553 pound-feet |
|
Top Speed |
200 MPH |
|
0-60 MPH |
4.2 seconds |
|
Price |
$236,665 (as-tested by Car and Driver in early 2009) |
Then came the introduction of the Speed models. While the financial world crumbled around us in 2008, Bentley thought it prudent to give us more power and performance for an even higher price. While a standard Continental Flying Spur had a base MSRP at the time of $170,990, new Continental Flying Spur Speeds were going for well over $200,000. For that price, you got 602 horsepower, optional carbon ceramic brakes, steering and suspension upgrades, and that precious 5 miles per hour of additional velocity to reach 200.
Speed models have been part of Bentley’s Continental line ever since. The first-generation ones made between 2008 and 2013, though, have been hit the hardest by depreciation, and the Flying Spur has gotten the worst of it. You could get a box standard first-generation Flying Spur with a respectable 552 horsepower and still go over 190 mph, but why not stretch for the Speed model and its 200-mph top speed if you’re still spending less than you would on a new Honda Accord.
Source: The Autopian
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