Bentley has launched its Flying Spur Hybrid, and with it, the limited-edition Odyssean Edition, a competitor to ultra-luxurious plug-in hybrid limousines like the Mercedes S 580 e L.
The Flying Spur Hybrid Odyssean Edition is the first production model inspired by Bentley’s EXP 100 GT concept, which was unveiled in 2019 to celebrate the company’s centenary and signal the direction for the next 100 years of the brand.
Bentley is billing the Odyssean Edition as “the first step on a journey to introduce new sustainable materials” to the brand. In addition to being able to travel around 25 miles (official certification pending) in all-electric zero-emission mode, the Flying Spur Hybrid Odyssean Edition is packed with sustainable and eco-friendly materials.
Its open-pore wood is said to use around 90 percent less lacquer than high-gloss veneers, while cabin elements are made from tweed derived from sustainable British wool. Meanwhile, exterior trims include a subtle, almost matte finish instead of the flashy chrome or glossy black edge typically associated with Bentley.
In addition to a 134 HP electric motor powered by a 14.1 kWh battery, the Flying Spur Hybrid runs on the same 2.9-liter V6 petrol engine found in the Audi RS5, giving the car a total of 536 HP for a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.1 seconds, making it a tenth of a second slower than the Flying Spur V8.
What sets the car apart from other Flying Spurs are the door sills marked with ‘Odyssean Edition,’ an exclusive diamond-stitched embroidery style in the upholstery, as well as a “curated exterior palette” of six “recommended” colors, though customers can specify the car as they wish.
The Odyssean Edition also features Bentley’s ‘Touring Specification,’ an extras package that includes driver assistance aids such as adaptive cruise control and night vision, along with an illuminated Flying B mascot on the hood, a leather headliner, and the signature rotating display as standard.
The name of the new car is a revealing nod to the task Bentley has at hand in the coming years, as the brand will sell only plug-in hybrid models from 2026 and fully electric cars from 2030. However, Bentley doesn’t shy away from it, and the company will offer its first full electric vehicle in 2025.
In Greek mythology, Odysseus was said to have taken 10 years to return to Greece after the Trojan War, and Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, which chronicled his travels, is shorthand for a grand long-term undertaking. This makes Bentley’s choice of the name for the launch edition of its latest plug-in hybrid car enlightening.
Such an undertaking for the brand in the lead-up to 2030 is Odyssean not only from a technical standpoint but also from an existential one: Bentley is the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder gasoline engines and is associated with large and powerful engines as much as high-gloss leather and wood interiors.
Guiding customers as it moves towards the sustainable and electrified future that all car manufacturers seemingly must embrace if they wish to survive is clearly an essential task for Bentley.
The brand can well be pleased that, in addition to being synonymous with long journeys, the hero lending his name to its latest Flying Spur was also known as “Odysseus the Cunning” for his intellectual strength
