2005 vs 2026 Bentley Flying Spur: how tech changed luxury

I’ve all the time had a mushy spot for Bentley. There’s one thing in regards to the leather-based, the wooden, the deep carpets, and that quiet swagger the model carries that simply will get me. It turns even a fast grocery run into one thing that feels a notch above regular life.

Lately, I drove two Flying Spurs back-to-back—a brief half-hour in a 2005 Bentley Continental Flying Spur from the automaker’s heritage fleet, then a number of days in a hybrid 2026 Bentley Flying Spur Pace press mortgage—and it felt like hopping between two parallel timelines. Identical concept, similar silhouette, similar sense of event, simply informed via two completely completely different many years.

What stunned me wasn’t how far aside they have been. It was how proper each felt for its period. One’s old-school indulgence; the opposite’s trendy, easy intelligence. Each are unmistakably Bentley, simply talking completely different dialects.

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Driving the 2026 Bentley Flying Spur Speed felt like borrowing a billionaire’s life

I spent just a few days within the 2026 Bentley Flying Spur Pace, and each drive made me really feel ridiculously essential—even when caught in site visitors.

Design and dimensions: acquainted DNA with sharper edges

Bentley doesn’t design quiet automobiles—they design automobiles folks discover. The 2005 Continental Flying Spur leans into that timeless, upright look with a protracted 5,290mm physique, a 3,065mm wheelbase, and a single, uninterrupted profile line. With the Mulliner full-length rear console and two particular person rear seats, it virtually invitations you to be chauffeured, although most house owners weren’t.

The 2026 Flying Spur Speed retains that very same basis however sharpens every part. Slimmer LEDs, smoother surfaces, and delicate aero tweaks give it a extra athletic stance with out messing with the grand-touring silhouette. It’s nonetheless an enormous, heavy automotive, however it appears to be like poised—not cumbersome.

Out on the street, I bought completely different reactions. Folks actually stared on the 2005 Continental Flying Spur, drawn to its basic proportions and that “wow, haven’t seen a kind of shortly” vibe. When it got here to the 2026 Flying Spur Pace, a automotive full of fellows truly shouted compliments throughout the lane in site visitors. The outdated automotive will get quiet admiration; the brand new one will get loud appreciation.

Specs snapshot: old-school muscle vs hybrid punch

• 2005 Continental Flying Spur (press automotive): 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 twin-turbo, 550 hp, 479 lb-ft, 0–62 mph 5.2 sec, 195 mph high velocity
• 2026 Flying Spur Pace (press automotive): 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid, 771 hp, 738 lb-ft, 0–60 mph 3.3 sec, 177 mph high velocity

Cockpit tech: buttons in all places vs digital calm

The 2005 Continental Flying Spur is pure early-2000s inside. Each function has a bodily button—a whole bunch of them. When you study the place every part is, it is sensible, however the studying curve is… actual. I even needed to take a second to recollect learn how to function the unique navigation system. It’s charming and really tactile, if a bit overwhelming at first.

The 2026 Flying Spur Pace takes the alternative method. Clear screens, minimal buttons, and intuitive menus make it really feel trendy with out going chilly. The rotating show immediately turned “the James Bond display,” in response to my ten-year-old son Oscar—who meant it as a real praise.

A few of the newer programs, particularly lane assist, can really feel a bit of clingy, however general the cabin removes friction fairly than provides it. That’s precisely what trendy luxurious ought to do.

Engine and driving tech: growl vs glide

Switching from the 2005 Continental Flying Spur to the 2026 Flying Spur Pace made the variations inconceivable to disregard. The W12 within the outdated automotive is clean and charismatic, however every part occurs with a little bit of ceremony. Acceleration swells fairly than snaps. Braking takes push. The steering is heavier, and the huge fastened paddles make shifts really feel like commitments. It’s mechanical, participating luxurious—and thirsty. Count on round 16–17 mpg mixed, dropping to 10–11 mpg in metropolis driving.

The brand new Pace, in the meantime, can creep round silently in EV mode, gliding via site visitors prefer it’s no massive deal. Press tougher and the hybrid system dumps 771 horsepower onto the street immediately. Brakes are lighter, steering is simpler, and torque vectoring tidies up corners the outdated automotive simply muscle tissues via.

And the kicker? On my drive dwelling from Bentley’s Crewe HQ, I hit 40 mpg. In an almost 800-horsepower Bentley. That alone reveals how far we’ve come.

Security and driver help: really feel vs foresight

The 2005 Continental Flying Spur offers you the fundamentals—airbags, ABS, stability management—and leaves the remainder to you. It’s satisfying on a relaxed street however can get tiring on a protracted journey.

The 2026 Flying Spur Pace brings the full modern suite: adaptive cruise, lane hold help, evening imaginative and prescient, a 360-degree digicam system, and predictive security options. Freeway miles change into virtually easy, although often the lane help feels a bit of too invested in the way you’re driving. Nonetheless, the peace of thoughts is tough to beat.

Consolation and cabin tech: craftsmanship vs cocooning

Each automobiles really feel unmistakably Bentley inside. The 2005 Continental Flying Spur surrounds you with leather-based, burr walnut, and that sense of “this can final endlessly.” The Mulliner rear console turns the again seat into two correct thrones. Consolation isn’t adjustable in a contemporary sense, however it’s genuinely wonderful.

The 2026 Flying Spur Pace layers in additional: massaging and ventilated seats, configurable ambient lighting, upgraded rear leisure, and a sophisticated local weather system that appears to foretell what you need. My girlfriend Suzy liked the massaging seats a lot she joked they undid “all of the stress I trigger her.” I selected to interpret that as a praise.

The brand new automotive makes use of tech to cocoon you, not exhibit—and that looks like the suitable method.

Connectivity: from CDs to cloud consolation

Again in 2005, CDs have been nonetheless king, GPS felt futuristic, and cellphone integration wasn’t actually a factor. The system works now, however you’ll be able to positively inform it’s from the early days of in-car tech.

The 2026 Flying Spur Pace, against this, is mainly a rolling Wi-Fi community: streaming music, cloud companies, over-the-air updates, predictive navigation—the entire package deal. It’s all built-in quietly and cleanly, which is how tech ought to really feel in a luxurious automotive.

Driving impressions: two eras, two personalities

The 2005 Continental Flying Spur is massive, heavy, and splendidly mechanical. You’re feeling each motion, and that’s a part of its appeal. It’s not environment friendly, however it has actual persona. I’d fortunately personal one for the analog expertise alone.

The 2026 Flying Spur Pace is its reverse: mild on its ft, extremely quick, and virtually unnervingly composed. It glides in EV mode, growls once you push it, and by no means feels prefer it’s working arduous. Even with just a few overprotective driver-assist moments, it’s a improbable day by day driver.

Actually, they each ship precisely what a Bentley ought to—simply interpreted via their very own many years.

Conclusion: evolution with out compromise

Separated by 20 years, these two Flying Spurs inform the identical story from completely different angles. Bentley didn’t ditch its core values—craftsmanship, magnificence, presence, indulgence. It simply constructed on them.

The 2005 Continental Flying Spur stays timeless, stately, and stuffed with analog appeal. The 2026 Flying Spur Pace reveals what modern luxury appears to be like like when it’s considerate, highly effective, quiet, and surprisingly environment friendly.

Two eras. One philosophy. Nonetheless unmistakably Bentley.