What's all this about?
First Bentley did a V8 version of the Flying Spur saloon. Then it decided to put the slightly more potent bent-eight into the luxury limo and gave it the V8 S tag. And then it did a colour special of the four-door motor, calling it the Design Series by Mulliner. So what might be missing from this little coterie, do you think?
I've no idea - a Flying Spur with rocket launchers in its headlights?
Hardly. Instead, Bentley has broken out the black and created the V8 S Black Edition. So it has dark headlights and tail-lights, with black bezels. The radiator grille is black. So are the window surrounds. And the headlamp washer caps. Oh, and the door-handle inserts. The brake calipers can be painted black (although red is an option). Even the 21-inch alloys, of a bespoke design for the Black Edition, are... yes, gloss black. Johnny the Painter from the Fast Show would lose his tiny little mind, he really would.
And how about the interior?
In a cabin, darkly, would be one way of putting it. Piano Black trim abounds, although Bentley has at least put in some bold stripes of colour to lifts things - each of the four seats has a pair of stripes framing the centre squab, while there's another line of lighter material in the headlining 'roof bow'. Contrast stitching further tries to lighten the mood within, which is brooding. A particularly nice touch is the three-spoke Sport Plus steering wheel for the V8 S Black Edition.
What about power?
It's the same engine as the V8 S non-Black Edition, which is no bad thing. Because that means you get to luxuriate in colossal outputs of 528hp and 680Nm. That's enough to force this mighty chunk of British goodness from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and on to a mere 190mph, should the prevailing conditions be right (read: legal - i.e., you need to go to Germany... or a very long runway). Like all Flying Spurs, the Black Edition has four-wheel drive controlling all that grunt, with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split for sporty driving fun.
Are there any other options on the Black Edition?
You can have Mulliner Driving Specification, which means you don't have to have the Black Edition's unique interior colour scheme as described above, and you also get quilted leather on the seats and door panels. Two further designs of 21-inch directional alloy wheels are offered, both with the ability to be finished in dark tints. Natch.
Go on, then - how much?
No official word as yet, but it's likely to be more than the £150,000 you already need for a V8 S Mulliner Driving Specification, so it's not the cheapest V8 Flying Spur by any stretch.
Matt Robinson - 31 Jul 2017