The Flying Spur Hybrid Is a 536-HP Bentley Sedan With a V-6

First it was 12 cylinders. Arranged in a W, sure, but breathing through two turbos to produce 626 hp. Then came the Flying Spur V-8, with four liters of displacement providing 542 hp. Now, Bentley is betting that buyers will accept six cylinders so long as turbos and electric motors bridge the power deficit.

The result is the Flying Spur Hybrid, a 536-hp step toward Bentley's electrified future. The brand has said it aims to sell exclusively hybrid and electric vehicles by 2026, phasing out internal combustion engines entirely by 2030. The Bentayga Hybrid came first, more will surely follow, but this is the big one.

Bentley has long offered 12-cylinder sedans and massive, gas-guzzling tourers. Pivoting its new-age SUV toward the hybrid future was almost obvious; steering its last long-nosed sedan into that skid is a far more dramatic move. This is the flagship of a company long defined by 12- and 8-cylinder gas engines. A V-6 Bentley sounded impossible just a decade ago.

The company credits a host of technological improvements to making this possible. The goal is to use the instant-on torque of the electric motors and a pair of turbos to keep things forceful from a stop. Peak torque reaches 553 lb-ft, a hair behind the twin-turbo V-8 Flying Spur's 563 lb-ft output. Its 2.9-liter V-6 is 0.1 liters smaller than the 3.0 in the Bentayga Hybrid, but a higher specific output and more electric oomph gives it a 93-hp advantage over the company's first hybrid model.

The electric motors tap into a 14.1-kWh battery pack. There's no word on range yet, but Bentley's other hybrid provides a low bar to clear. The Bentayga Hybrid goes just 18 miles on a charge. It uses a larger battery, so the Flying Spur might be even more limited. These vehicles aren't really about saving on gas bills as much as offering some zero-emissions capability, useful for European city centers that are looking to ban internal combustion cars. Tax credits and carpool lane access may also sway buyers when the Hybrid arrives early next year. There's no crazy design flourishes or extra-special interiors, just a hybrid badge to let people know you got the slightly-less-thirsty version. As for the rest of us, the V-8s and W-12s aren't gone yet.

You Might Also Like

• 16 of the Most Interesting Engine Swaps We've Ever Seen

• See 70 Years of the Greatest Ferraris Ever Built

• These Are the 14 Best New Cars for Less Than $45,000