NEW FOR 2006

Thanks to its parent company, VW, Bentley has seen a resurgence among the world's ultra luxury brands. First there was the Phaeton-based Continental GT coupe; now witness the newest family member, the Continental Flying Spur. Like the original Flying Spur of 1957, this new sedan is built off the company's coupe platform and carries the now-familiar four-headlight, mesh grille design.

Under the hood is the GT coupe's 6.0-litre twin- turbocharged, 12-cylinder engine making a massive 560 horsepower. It's mated to a six-speed 'paddleshift' ZF gearbox, a standard all-wheel-drive system and an air suspension. With maximum torque available at just 1,600 rpm, the Continental Flying Spur is the fastest four-door in Bentley's history, with a top speed in excess of 305 km/h and a 0-100km/h time around five seconds.

As expected in a Bentley, the interior is vault-like and expensively detailed. The automaker says there's "leather or wood veneers on every interior surface," (aside from that plush carpeting, of course) and it takes over 11 (yes, 11) cowhides to fully complete a Continental Flying Spur interior.

Onboard toys include the expected DVD navigation and electric everything, along with four-zone climate control. Customers have the option of a four-seat layout with a central console between two electrically powered rear seats or a five-seat cabin with a full-width rear seat.

British elegance, German engineering

Looks merely like a stretched coupe