A NEW Flying Spur has been announced by Bentley and the British car maker is claiming it to be the finest super luxury sports saloon ever built.

With all-wheel steering - a first for the marque - an active all-wheel drive set up and a twin turbo W12 engine developing 626bhp, the latest Flying Spur has supercar performance.

Bentley says it can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 207mph while the technology will deliver a peerless drive combining all the elements of a limousine with those of an extreme sports car.

And to mark the brand's centenary the Flying Spur features a newly designed Flying B mascot which rises electronically on to the nose as part of the keyless start-up sequence.

The radiator grille has also been redesigned to echo that of the 1957 S1 Continental Flying Spur with vertical vanes picked out in gloss black. The previous model had a mesh design grille.

At 5.316 metres long the new Flying Spur is only a fraction bigger than the second generation model it replaces yet the wheelbase on the newcomer is significantly longer at 3.194 metres - an increase of some 13cm.

On the inside, the cabin is similar to that of the new Continental GT launched last year but features include three dimensional quilted leather inserts on the doors which Bentley says is an automotive world first.

The instrument panel display incorporates a rotating centre console which offers the choice of a 12.3-inch touchscreen, analogue dials or a veneer finish when open.

Twenty one or 22-inch wheels are available and so is a panoramic glass sunroof which stretches the full length of the roof.

New standard safety systems include automatic city braking, adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning while the car itself sits on an all-new platform and, like the Continental GT, uses aluminium superforming in the body panels.

Other features shared with the Continental GT are an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and the largest iron brakes in the world with 420mm front discs and calipers which bear the Bentley name available either in black or red.

Prices for the new Flying Spur are still to be announced but are expected to be north of £165,000.

Designed and engineered at Bentley's factory in Crewe, the new car is scheduled for release early next year. A V8 and plug-in hybrid version are under development and will join the line up later.