Car Spot: 2006 Bentley Flying Spur
I bet everybody has a car they lust after but know they will probably never own. For me it’s the current C8 Corvette. What I like about it is that at a base price of just under 70 grand, you’d own a supercar. Of course, I’d go big and go for the new ZR1 with 1,000 hp, which at $174,000 is still a better deal than a Ferrari SF90, Lamborghini Revuelto, and McLaren 765LT. My wife has more modest taste. She’s always had an eye for a Bentley Continental. Now I’ve driven several C8s, some at Road America, but she’s never even ridden in a Bentley. Being the good husband that I am, I looked into renting one, but geeeze. I could find nothing under $1,000 a day, and I’d have to drive to Chicago. Then one day, things sort of fell into place. I was up in Green Bay visiting my best car buddy, Darrel Burnett, who runs the Automobile Gallery up there, and he had just taken in a 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur as a donation. Hmmm, the light bulb went on. What are the chances that you could take me and Ann out for a ride in this? It turns out that a couple of days later, he needed to run it down to a shop to have the headliner looked at, and we could come along.

For those of you common folk who have never ridden in one, it’s an exhilarating experience. The Flying Spur is assembled by hand at Bentley’s factory in Crewe, England. It is essentially the four-door version of the GT. In addition to two more doors, it gets another 12.6 inches in wheelbase and 19.8 inches in length, transforming the coupe’s rather tight rear compartment into the Spur’s limolike seating area. Its base price is similar to the Continental GT’s, a suitably exclusive $171,285. The interior just drips with rich leather, wood, and deep pile carpeting. Its spacious interior fits four adults in comfort, featuring climate control, massage, and seat position control. Underneath the hood is a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine producing 552 bhp with a top speed of over 190 mph and a 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.2 seconds. While we never hit 190, Darrel was kind enough to give the throttle a little pop, and oh yeah, they were in there. A six-speed automatic transmission and Torsen-based permanent all-wheel drive keep everything on the road, and Adaptive Air Suspension and Continuous Damping Control make for a comfortable ride.

Like every other thing that has rocketed up in price, so has this ride. If you were to buy one today, it now has a starting price of around $266,250, and based on trim level and options, some models can exceed $300,000. Yikes. But here’s the good news. Its resale value drops like a rock. I found multiple 2006 models in the mid-20s. What’s up with the drop? Well, it seems this is not a cheap car to keep up and is known for having high maintenance costs because of such things as specialized parts, the complexity of the W12 engine, and the need for Bentley-trained technicians for repairs. Owners should expect to pay significantly more for maintenance and repairs compared to a typical luxury vehicle. Heck, an oil change will set you back $500. But if you’re game, you’re game.
So after Darrel drove us to the spot to have the headliner looked at, it was time to head back to The Automobile Gallery. On the way out the door, he handed me the fob and asked if I wanted to drive it back. Shocked, yes…are you kidding…no way! Yes way, and we all hopped in for the 20-minute drive back. One of the coolest things, besides the thrill of driving it, was when we were stopped at an intersection in Green Bay, there was a black Mercedes-Benz also stopped to my left, and boy was he checking us over, Yup, I’m driving a Bentley and you’re not I thought.
So this day was a double thrill, both unexpected. Ann got her ride in a Bentley, and I got to drive one! I keep saying this: Darrel is plugged! He knows a ton of car guys who have super-cool stuff like this. Now, buddy, if I could just take that Ford GT sitting in the corner for a spin.
Thanks for spending part of your Sunday reading about my latest spot. It sure was fun. I’ve got plenty more sitting in my photo files, so be sure to pop back next week for another one, along with some of its history. Have a great week.
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