All posts by Macfivenews

Motoring and travel journalist, opinionated gob on a stick

Electrifying news from Bentley

New V6 Hybrid Flying Spur hits roads

Bentley Mulliner has announced the new Flying Spur Mulliner – the ultimate in four-door luxury Grand Touring and Mulliner’s first electrified Bentley. Whether enjoying the technically advanced V6 Hybrid powertrain, the emotional V8 or endless waves of torque from the W12, customers will still benefit from the exquisite detailing offered by the latest Mulliner product.

Revealed at the prestigious Monterey Car Week in California, the elegantly appointed sedan sits at the pinnacle of the Flying Spur family, combining the very finest in modern craftsmanship and breath-taking luxury.

The most luxurious Flying Spur to date has been created and developed by Bentley Mulliner and designed, engineered and handcrafted in Great Britain. Taking its place as the flagship of the Bentley range, the new Flying Spur Mulliner will appeal to customers who desire an even greater focus on elegant details.

Beautifully appointed detailing includes exclusive Mulliner 22-inch wheels, in a grey painted and polished finish, with self-levelling wheel caps that remain upright as the wheels rotate. A “Double Diamond” front grille and chrome front lower grille are matched by bespoke Mulliner branded wing vents and Satin Silver painted mirror caps. The iconic Bentley Flying B is electronically deployed and illuminated, while the Flying Spur Mulliner also features jewel fuel and oil caps.

Mulliner illuminated outer treadplates and deep-pile Mulliner overmats welcome passengers inside the ultimate Flying Spur cabin, which offers a Mulliner curation of eight custom-made, three-colour combinations. The sumptuously trimmed cockpit is complemented by accent colour piping and unique Mulliner embroidery to the hand-stitched seats.

An example of one of the curated interiors – Ascot – is a combination of Imperial Blue leather to the instrument panel, door trims and headlining while a light tan leather called Camel, emphasises the style of the seats. White micro-piping, embroidery and accent line combines a third colour into the unique Mulliner interior.

Further combinations such as Flare and Sirius add bolder combinations including Hotspur and Beluga, and Linen and Brunel both with a silver accent.

The Mulliner Driving Specification is fitted as standard, bringing the “Diamond-in-Diamond” quilting to the seats, and three-dimensional leather to the doors. Contrast seat piping matches the accent that surrounds the occupants from the centre console, around the instrument panel and finishes beneath the door waistrail, highlighting the Bentley B chrome inlays.

The luxurious Diamond-in-Diamond interior quilting involves an embroidery process that alone took 18 months to develop. Each diamond contains exactly 712 individual stitches – each one aligned to the exact centre of the diamond it creates.

Modern craftsmanship and breath-taking luxury combine in the diamond milled technical finish that is applied to the centre and rear consoles. The centrepiece feature on the dashboard alongside chrome bullseye vents is a stunning, brushed silver Mulliner clock.

The classic Bentley theme continues in the LED driver’s instrument panel, with stylish new and exclusive Mulliner graphics. The now famous Bentley Rotating Display, sports pedals, heated duo-tone 3-spoke steering wheel and panoramic sunroof further add to the luxurious ambience.           

Unique Mulliner electrically-operated picnic tables are mounted to the rear of the front seats and can be deployed with a single press of a button. The veneered tables, which feature unique overlay, lower and self-level to reveal a leather-trimmed surface with a recess for a pen or stylus. Holding the button down returns the table gracefully to its home position. 

Flying Spur Mulliner customers receive leather-bound keys in a unique, Mulliner-branded handcrafted presentation box, which matches the three-colour cabin configuration of their car. The two keys are provided in similarly colour-matched cases with contrast stitching.

The Flying Spur Mulliner is available with Bentley’s V8 and W12 powertrains, as well as the new V6 Hybrid. When equipped with Bentley’s 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12, the Flying Spur Mulliner accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds) and is capable of a top speed of 207 mph (333 km/h). The new generation 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 delivers a top speed of 198 mph (318 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds). The new V6 Hybrid accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds) with a top speed of 177 mph (285 km/h).

Bentley Mulliner
Bentley Mulliner is Bentley’s highly-acclaimed, bespoke commissioning division and the oldest coachbuilder in the world. Synonymous with luxury, the new Flying Spur Mulliner is just the third member of the newly-created Bentley Mulliner Collections family alongside the sublime Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible.  

In the world of Mulliner, anything is possible. Established to respond to the requirements of Bentley’s most discerning customers, the bespoke division is renowned throughout the automotive world for crafting some of the most individual Bentleys ever created.

An experienced team, supported by in-house engineers and designers at Bentley headquarters in Crewe, prides itself on a long history of fulfilling the desires and demands of every Mulliner customer.

Chance to hit the beach

Larnaka upgrades top tourist spots

As travel restrictions are gradually lifted, tourists visiting Cyprus are promised a treat when they visit beaches at a favourite spot for visitors, according to the Larnaka Tourist Board.

Summertime in Larnaka region is synonymous with lying on a beach or swimming in the sparkling sea, and according to the tourist board, the new upgrades and improvements made on several popular organised coasts will really enhance your beach time.

Larnaka City 

Beachgoers can ‘surf on the sand’ with free WIFI services available on the beaches of Finikoudes (the famous palm-tree beach parallel to the town centre), and at tranquil Kastella (located behind the ice-cream parlours that bridge Finikoudes with Mckenzie beach). The action is part of the EU-wide ‘WiFi4EU’ initiative. 

Larnaka Region 

Voroklini: Voroklini’s coastline has been beautified with the planting of palm trees, whilst a shade has been installed at the children’s sand playground. On Yiannades (Gold Fish beach), sunbathers will soon be able to borrow books from the new, wooden boat-shaped library to read as they lounge. The Community Council has also placed 240 new sunbeds and 120 new umbrellas on the beach.

Larnaka Kitesurfing Beach (Softades): The island’s only dedicated kitesurfing beach has had new greenery planted. Famous for having the most optimum weather conditions for the sport, the beach again played host to the ‘King of the Kite’ kitesurfing championships organised by Kahuna Surfhouse (August 5-8).

Upgrades are continually made on organised coasts of Larnaka region as part of the annual ‘Enriching and Greening Larnaka’s Beaches’ initiative that aims not only to maintain Larnaka region beaches in pristine condition, but also to offer added facilities and leisure options for all the family. 

It is also important to note that it was recently announced that Cyprus has once again come first across Europe for having the cleanest bathing waters – an honour that the island consistently holds for its sparkling seawaters.

This handy map of Larnaka region’s coastline will also help you find your perfect spot.