It’s kind of odd that we don’t really hear too much about the Flying Spur. It seems like most of those in the eye of the public tend to hit the road in cars like the Bentley Continental GT or the Bentley Mulsanne. Be that as it may, the Flying Spur actually accounts for more than one-third of Bentley’s sales. Offered with either a 500-horsepower V-8 or a 616-horsepower W-12, the Flying Spur->ke1657 sets the standard for performance and luxury in one package.

One of the best things about buying the Flying Spur, just like any other vehicle from Bentley,->ke15 is that purchasing one means you can select from a long list of luxurious options from the brand’s in-house coachbuilder. With Mulliner on the scene, it’s practically impossible not to create a Flying Spur that isn’t different from the rest. There are so many different options that there are literally more than a million possible combinations. That list is getting a little bigger now, as Bentley and Mulliner have just announced even more bespoke options for the Flying Spur.

You’ll have to keep reading to hear about all of the options, but my favorite on the list has to be the option of painted veneers. It is a first for the Flying Spur, and opens the door for an even more bespoke interior, allowing customers to choose from the entire range of exterior colors to compliment the interior. To get the unique look you see in the photos, each veneer is hand sanded, lacquered, and painted, before being polished with lamb’s wool to create that shiny, mirrored appearance. It’s a nice touch isn’t it?

Well, now that we’ve talked about those painted veneers, let's dive into the other new features available for the Flying Spur by Mulliner.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner.

What makes the Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner special

First off, you won’t find any new features for the exterior of the Flying Spur on this list, but that's okay because owning a Bentley is about enjoying the interior as much as the exterior and performance that comes with it.

Starting off the list of new features available for the Flying Spur is the signature quilting that can now be applied to the center console, seat bolsters, and door panels. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you look at the images here and compare them to models without the signature quilting, you can really see the difference. In addition to the quilting on the center console, customers can now opt for a rear stowage compartment. This compartment provides safe storage for small items, and even includes a special watch holder in case you don’t like to wear your watch while you ride. Furthermore, as you can see in the images, colored hides can be selected to grace the inside of the compartment.

Next on the list of new features, and one that comes off as maybe a little ridiculous, is the sterling silver atomizers that can now be installed in the rear door trim. These little atomizers raise up from a small compartment in the door trim and spray a mist of water of perfume for the rear passengers. I’m not all that enthused about this feature, but I’m sure it will tickle the fancy of some. My biggest concern is the location of these little atomizers. They are located just ahead of the interior door handle, which means that when they spray, they may spray directly onto the passenger’s legs.

Now for the feature just about everybody will love – at least those that are riding in the back seat, anyway. See that middle seatback? Well, the flying spur can now be equipped with a refrigerated compartment behind that center seat. The compartment can support your everyday champagne bottle in a canted position, along with a bottle stopper, and two bespoke champagne flutes. As you can see, they are beautifully displayed behind frosted glass that can be seen with the seatback folded down. Furthermore, those flutes and designed specifically for the flying spur, with the base shaped just like the wheels the flying spur rides on. A sliding door in the seatback gives way to two different holders designed specifically for these bespoke flutes.

Sure, this is a rather short list of new additions to Mulliner’s catalog for the Flying Spur, but sometimes less is better, and I think that is the case here. There are already so many other options, and so many different combinations, that it doesn’t take much to keep the offerings fresh. I would probably pass on the atomizers in the door, but you can bet I would get those veneers color matched to the exterior and I would surely go for that bottle cooler in the rear – that’s what I like to call riding in style.

Bentley Flying Spur

The Flying Spur name actually came to life back in 1957 when it was four-door saloon built upon a Bentley Continental chassis. These special order saloons were put together by H. J. Mulliner & Co. on special order request. The Flying Spur name lived on until 1966 when it was eventually discontinued. Bentley revived the name for the 2006 model year, once again based on the Continental GT, albeit with a stretched wheelbase and plenty of space for rear passengers. Now, the Flying Spur is available with a V-8 in its lowest form, but even in that base form, the Flying Spur can be fully customized by Mulliner just like the 600-horsepower W-12 Flying Spur. To me, the decision of which Flying Spur to go for depends on what you’re more interested in doing with the car. If you want to ride around and enjoy the amenities in the rear, go with the V-8. But, if you want to embrace the power offered by the W-12 and bend a few corners yourself, go with the bigger engine.

Read our full review on the Bentley Flying Spur here.