If we were ever to crown a king in the luxurious automaking segment, it would be either Bentley or Rolls-Royce. Yet, despite emphasizing their differences as they compete for the same market segment, the two brands have a lot more in common than they care to admit. In fact, they were both once the same company before splitting in two, and they both have German parent companies.
Bentley is known for its ability to effectively marry immersive driver experience and unadulterated luxury. Specifically, for this reason, you have superstars like Arnold Schwarzenegger having as many as three in his garage. Since the demise of the legendary Mulsanne, Flying Spur has been charged with the mantle of being Bentley’s brightest star. It was labeled at some point as the Bentley with the most complex and luxurious interior ever.
While the Flying Spur can be chauffeured and driven by the owner, driving the Rolls-Royce Phantom yourself doesn’t quite sit right. It somewhat equates to daily driving a limousine. What would be the point of owning one when you can’t relish the luxurious backseat? Considering how unhealthy the Phantom may leave one’s bank account, there have been arguments that it isn't worth it. Who cares? The Phantom cements your arrival into the top percentile of the rich who splash the cash simply because they can.
With the Flying Spur and Phantom being two of the most lavish four-wheelers around and having some of the coolest features ever to grace a vehicle, let’s watch them go toe-to-toe in this competition of “who’s cooler.”
9 Bentley Flying Spur: Electronic All-Wheel Steering
The Bentley Flying Spur is equipped with the ability to turn all four wheels in either direction using the steering wheel. A feature Bentley calls Electronic All-Wheel Steering. The feature enables the car to get out of challenging parking situations, helps prevent body roll when turning at high speeds, and has an overall much better steering response.
Electronic all-wheel steering is standard for the W12 variant, but not for the V8. However, the feature can be built into your V8 Bentley on request only if you are willing to throw in some extra cash.
8 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Adaptive Headlights
It is only right that the Phantom is fitted with adaptive headlights, as it is the very best lighting system a vehicle can have. Adaptive headlights provide the most appropriate illumination for the fast and constantly changing environment characteristic of a vehicle in motion.
It utilizes sensors to switch between high and low beams and pivot the headlight in the direction of the vehicle's path while on a bend. This helps to reduce the dazzling of oncoming drivers and provide consistent lighting even at bends.
7 Bentley Flying Spur: Supercar Performance
The Flying Spur’s performance caps Bentley’s efforts to engineer a vehicle that satisfies the crave for sheer luxury and automobile exuberance. With the Flying Spur, you get a vehicle capable of hitting the 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds, making it one of the fastest sport sedans. The W12 option is quieter than its V8 cousin and best suited to one looking to blend into traffic seamlessly.
The optional 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine is capable of pulling 626 horses and 664 lb-ft of torque, while the standard V8 option belches 542 hp and 658 lb-ft of torque at its best. While there’s no noticeable difference in speed, the torque of the W12 option shows its mettle when overtaking at high speeds.
6 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Night Vision
It may appear counter-productive that the Rolls-Royce Phantom’s headlights switch between low and high beams at night, considering the fact that there may be obstacles that the low beam may be unable to illuminate properly.
However, the luxury automaker went a step further by installing an infrared camera in its Pantheon Grille that will enable the driver to see obstacles up to 1000 feet ahead. This feature is also useful in conditions where it is difficult to see even with the headlights shining at their brightest.
5 Bentley Flying Spur: My Bentley Smartphone App
Innovation, convenience, and safety; these words best describe what Bentley had in mind when developing its Smartphone app. The app affords you the opportunity to check your vehicle's vital signs and initiate a couple of other security features like Theft Alert, all by simply using your smartphone.
The app's effective tracking system allows you to easily find your car wherever it is parked without wasting time trying to remember. With the My Bentley app on your smartphone, James Bond is no better.
4 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Starry Sky Interior
Rolls-Royce describes the Phantom’s interior as “the domain of both the bass drop and the pin drop.” The Phantom creates the perfect environment for quality ideation and relaxation, a haven away from the ever-busy and noisy world.
The Phantom uses almost 300 lbs of sound insulation material, resulting in what's likely the quietest cabin in the industry. Still, in case your thoughts are louder than the outside world, the Phantom has you covered. Its interior is perfect for quiet meditation and relaxation, with one of its most notable features being the starry night ambient lighting effect on the roof.
3 Rolls-Royce Phantom: In-Door Umbrellas
If you’ve ever had to step out from your vehicle on a rainy day, you’d agree this is a truly underrated feature. Every door of the Phantom is fitted with a Rolls-Royce-branded umbrella for those rainy days you need to conserve your drip regardless of what the weather throws at you.
Recognizing the need to keep the umbrellas dry and rid them of the whiff typical of damp cloth, there are in-door drainages and ducts through which hot air is passed to ensure the umbrellas are always ready for use.
2 Bentley Flying Spur: The Touchscreen-Remote
The interior of the Bentley is fully customizable. The dashboard is home to a high-definition touchscreen where every setting can be altered to taste by both the driver and the front passenger.
Customizable settings range from ventilation to mood lighting. You get to enjoy this better on days you’re chauffeured. Without having to communicate with the driver, passengers seated behind can customize these same settings by using the detachable touchscreen remote housed in the central console.
1 Rolls-Royce Phantom: Satellite-Aided Driving
The length to which Rolls-Royce is willing to go to provide optimum comfort and an almost seamless driving experience is both frightening and crazy, and so is the Phantom’s price tag. The Phantom scans the road ahead using the windscreen's stereo camera system and prepares its suspension to cushion the effect of any impending bumps, even at speeds of up to 62 mph.
The scan also makes it possible to select the gear best suited for the pre-scanned terrain. Something close to a semi self-driven vehicle. With this level of technology, it is safe to say the Phantom is a couple of releases away from being a fully self-driven car.