SOME cars are beyond the reach of superlatives... and virtually all mere mortals.

The new Bentley Flying Spur, a car appearing on wish lists of the super-rich all over the world but particularly in China, where there is a new breed of successful and very wealthy people, is the epitome of restrained status and luxury and is indeed quite possibly the most luxurious sedan on the planet.

This is a car that brings gasps of admiration from anyone peering inside, a vehicle that carries with it a reputation so ingrained in the motoring psyche that to take a seat behind the wheel is a privilege.

And so it was that when Bentley delivered a Flying Spur into my hands for a week of road testing it caused quite a commotion in the small York street near the offices of The Press as it was unloaded from a sealed container.

Its appearance prompted a flurry of questions and picture-taking from the small throng of residents who popped out to take a close look at this automotive masterpiece with the price tag of a small house.

The new Flying Spur wisely follows the template set by the original. It’s an imposing, majestic four-door machine but with more curvature around the hips and greater separation from the Continental GT coupé.

Starting at the back seats rather than the front, there is the kind of business class room you would expect from a car in which you might well be driven. It's as cosseting and elegant as you could wish for, while the huge range of hide, metal and wood combinations means you can make it as tasteful or otherwise as you wish.

As well as claiming a reduction in noise by 40 per cent over the former car, it now has heated, ventilated and electrically adjustable seats for all for an even better back-seat experience. You can enjoy a back massage, too, if the mood takes you, and keep out prying eyes at the touch of a button that operates rear curtain blinds. Or even watch a film or TV in your climate-controlled rear seat. The attention that has been paid to the details really shows.

The fundamentals of course are already well in place. The body structure uses aluminium for the bonnet and front wings, a composite rear bootlid and high strength steels for a better combination of safety and reduced weight. Overall, the body is four per cent stiffer than before while the whole car is 50kg lighter, and Bentley says this would be more but for an increased specification.

This is a very large car, for which no parking space is quite long enough, and it needs an engine of colossal power to propel it with gusto.

The twin turbocharged 6.0-litre W12, also seen in the Continental GT, produces 616bhp and is spectacularly fast, reaching 62mph from standstill in 4.6 seconds and 100mph in under ten seconds. The top speed is 200mph.

And now there's an alternative that is also doing great service in the Continental GT - a four-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 500bhp and turning out equally startling statistics. It will soar to 62mph in 4.9 seconds and send the dial spinning to a top speed of 183mph under the right conditions.

The Flying Spur doesn’t always feel this fast though. Most of the time it simply glides with the most gentle and barely audible of hums from the engine.

But if you need that power it is there on tap, and the driver has the choice of slipping the gear lever into Sport mode, using it to manually change the gearing or flicking the steering wheel paddles to bring a sense of urgency and a restrained snarl to the proceedings.

The waves of torque mean you need barely need prod the accelerator to keep up with the traffic. Press more firmly and you can leave it well and truly behind. Even when accelerating hard there’s nothing more than a cultured roar from the exhaust as it unrelentingly shoots ahead. The auto gearbox works best when left to its own devices despite the presence of paddles, while the dampers can be firmed up for more demanding driving.

Despite its size, the four-wheel drive Flying Spur is still very capable at pushing through bends, while the brakes are immensely strong and the steering is reassuringly accurate.

Bentley Motors remains the most sought after luxury car brand in the world. The Flying Spur is one of the reasons why.

Fact file

Bentley Flying Spur V8 Mulliner

Price: from £136,000

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, developing 500bhp

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, driving all four wheels

Performance: 0 to 60mph in 4.9 seconds; top speed 183mph

Economy: 25.9mpg combined

CO2 emissions: 254g/km