Bentley Flying Spur V8 S arrives with 521bhp – perhaps the perfect Flying Spur

The Bentley Flying Spur V8 S has been revealed ahead of a debut at the Geneva Motor Show, featuring extra power and cosmetic changes.

When we reviewed the Bentley Flying Spur Speed, we reckoned it was the plutocrat’s BMW M5. But actually, the new Bentley Flying Spur V8 S – revealed today ahead of a Geneva debut – fits that definition better.

Yes, the W12 Flying Spur is awesome – and the Speed even more so – but there’s something more appealing and enjoyable about the V8 Continentals; they’re somehow more dynamic and Bentley-like than the broadsword approach to performance the W12 offers.

So that should make this new V8 S Flying Spur the perfect big Bentley saloon (as long as your car purchases aren’t driven purely by W12 bragging rights) with its more dynamic nature, and power and torque upped to 521bhp and 502 lb/ft of torque, enough to get to 62mph in 4.9 seconds – just 0.4s behind the W12 Speed we reviewed.

Bentley say the V8 S also benefits from improved throttle response and improved stability control allowing more slip and quicker torque response for a more dynamic drive, as well as a more responsive suspension setup which gives better control without affecting ride.

Bentley has also given the V8 S some cosmetic tweaks to make it stand out from its lesser sibling, with a black matrix grille, gloss black diffuser at the back and some new alloys, with the interior getting piano black trim, a three-spoke steering wheel, two-tone leather and knurled gear shift and flappy paddles.

The Bentley Flying Spur V8 S will debut at Geneva in a week or so and go on sale at Bentley’s UK dealers later in the year. There are no prices yet for the V8 S, but somewhere around £150k would see it fitting between the regular V8 and the W12.