The Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid proves electric motors improve the breed

Enlarge / Bentley's Flying Spur sedan is now available as a plug-in hybrid. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Bentley provided flights to Los Angeles and two nights in a hotel so we could drive the new Flying Spur Hybrid. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.

Over the last few years, I've been fortunate enough to drive many different vehicles, and one thing has become abundantly clear: electric motors make cars better. They're highly efficient, and they can recapture energy that would otherwise be wasted under braking. They make massive amounts of torque almost instantly and respond in a fraction of the time it takes an internal combustion engine to take a deep breath. And they do all that in near-silence, which makes them ideally suited to applications in luxury cars.

And cars don't get much more luxurious than Bentley's new Flying Spur Hybrid.

The Flying Spur Hybrid is a big car, but it's a relatively low-drag one as well. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

This new plug-in hybrid is Bentley's second PHEV and follows the hybrid version of its Bentayga SUV ahead of the introduction of the brand's first battery EV in 2025. As in the SUV, a 2.9L V6 gasoline engine sits under the expansive hood, generating 410 hp (306 kW) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm).

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