GREAT GETS BETTER; THE SPEED IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE FLYING SPUR.

Byline: JIM HENRY

It doesn't sound like much, but 48 hp is enough to get the $198,500 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed past the velvet rope that separates 600-hp production cars from the rabble. The standard twin-turbo W12-powered Continental Flying Spur gets only 552 hp, but what do you want for only $174,100? Rather than extra displacement or higher-pressure turbos, the Speed gets the extra horsepower from a number of small refinements, such as lower internal friction. The Speed variant also has a cross tube connecting the twin exhausts, which produces a terrific bass-note burble when you lift off the gas.

Besides the extra power, the Continental Flying Spur Speed is also lowered 10 milli-meters. That's surprisingly noticeable to the naked eye, and, along with a darker grille, it gives the Speed a more menacing look. The steering and suspension are also retuned slightly for sharper response.

There's no mistaking the big Flying Spur for its corporate cousins from Lamborghini, though the two brands share the same W12 engine block and wiring, along with Audi and Volkswagen. The Bentley is no slug, even on rough, twisty roads. Passing is a breeze at any speed. And it feels sportier than rival Rolls-Royce, whose ambition, after all, is to waft the driveror, more likely, the back-seat passengerfrom Point A to Point B.

Like a Rolls, both Flying Spurs are scary-quiet inside, thanks to a host of measures to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, notably a triple-layer aerodynamic underbody, noise-insulated wheel wells and ...