Hands on with the Bentley Flying Spur (Bluetooth)
The Bentley Flying Spur is Bentley’s four-door version of the popular coupe. Drastically changing the technology inside for the better made me want to take a more in depth look at what this car has to offer. Unlike the GT you no longer have to use a peasant Nokia phone as your car phone. Throwing away the standard Pop-Port connector and adding Bluetooth could not be a more welcome change. It gets better. This isn’t just bluetooth here, this is rSAP Bluetooth. Should I stop? No way. The Bentley Flying Spur also provides a SIM card reader in the armrest which works so flawlessly a tear started to roll down my face. The menu and GUI might not be the prettiest thing in the world, but it does what Bentley does best; keep it simple, keep it classy, and have it work perfectly. Click on for some more explanations of how this technology integrates into the car and more pictures than you probably care for.
This is the LCD screen that controls the Bluetooth. Beneath it is a simple directional wheel to select your options.
Here is the SIM card slot I was referring to. Simply drop the card right in, and your good to go! It uses the built-in antenna in the car so your reception is improved by at least 2-3 times.
This is the main control screen throughout the car. You can read text messages at anytime but you can’t compose one. I know, sad.
Oh look, a message from Bentley
On the steering wheel there are many different controls from voice commands, send/end key, select wheel, and the obvious volume buttons.
Here is the display you are most likely to look at while driving. It offers a slimmed down version of the main screen shown earlier.
Alan-
Regarding a phone that will work with both a Bentley and a Mercedes, I had the same problem.
I found that my Blackberry 8800 (and my wife’s Blackberry 8700) worked fine in her MB station wagon and in my Maybach. In addition, the BB people also recently published some software that allows my BB to hook up with my Jag XKR.
Since (as is now more that evident) my BB wouldn’t work with the Bentley, I went the Parrot route in the Bentley. This worked out quite well, since the Parrot system allows the use of the BB oral command system, which works in the Bentley without the need for “training” the BB voice activated software.
Thus both of our BlackBerries work in all our cars, and in all cases (MB, Maybach, Jag and Parrot), the address book also gets transferred.
Losing the Bentley rSAP system doesn’t seem to to be a great loss, since the rSAP address book is so limited and the Bentley oral command system is less than stellar.
Ted- If the Parrot is installed in the Flying Spur, where do you install the screen that displays the address book, etc? Was it installed in a way that is unobtrusive, yet easy to see and use? I’m all for disconnecting the Bentley system, but I don’t want it to look like it was an afterthought or mistake ( as I’m sure you didn’t either)
Alan –
The Parrot is installed in the ashtray, and is invisible when the ashtray is closed. See my prior posts.
Just bought the Nokia 6126, works great but is a terrible phone for out of vehicle use, such a shame to buy an 07 GT and have such limited choices, does anyone know if Bentley has read this and wants to help us with this problem, it will be the law in California this year to only use hands free phones
Just bought a Bentley Continental Flying Spur. I agree that the phone interface is horrible. Very clumsy to dial a call. I love the Bluetooth and how it automatically logs into my phone when I start the car. But dialing from the dashboard screen is really horrible. It’s easier to just pull my phone out of my pocket and dial from my phone. I wish they had made the phone as easy to use as Mercedes does. But boy do I love everything else about the car!
Rick Rahim
Hi – Does anybody out there own a 2008 Bentley GTC? Rumor has it that Bentley completely redisigned the audio and phone system for this model year. Does this mean that the factory phone system works better? If anybody has any information about this please let me know.
Thanks,
Jed
I just got word that the 2008 models were actually upgraded. Will post whole product update sheet soon.
Bought a used 2005 GT with a Nokia 6200 phone and it seems to work OK except when a phone number has a double zero in it. It seems to turn the first zero into a “11″ instead of a zero. The dealer has not been any help. I hope someone can give me some input.
The dialing feature is extremely prehistoric. Not impressed. I did finally take my Iphone. Have not tried a simm card yet. ALso have a ipod connection but very weak with sound system. Any thoughts on how to pump out more volume?
I have bid on ebay for 3 6200 nokia’s looks like I’ll win them all, but it appears the 3120 is a safer choice. Their is a double zero problem with newer 6200 series
did you ever solve the iphone bentley issue? Ihave the same code request.
I have an iphone that did sync with the 2006 Flying Spur, but everytime the call actually connects(other side answers), the bluetooth connection goes dead on the Flying Spur side. The phone call is still connected with the iphone. Any suggestions?
actually, I got my verizon blackberry pearl to work with my 08 bentley spur- it just depends what phone
Hey guys i have the 2007 GTC continental
and i been trying to pair my phone with the
car, but for some reason i can’t make it work
i have a motorola rokr z6, when i call the guys
at the dealer they told i would work with any
t-mobile or att, well guess what it doesn’t work any comments? thanks.
Abraham-
read the prior posts, including mine. Non-rSAP phones won’t work with a Bentley.
Ted K.
P.S. Anyne tried to sync the new iPhone with a Bentley? It’s not clear if the new iPhone has rSAP, although I think it doesn’t.
Just back from the dealer for this very problem for my 2007 GTC. The strange this is that it connects to bluetooth but can’t hold the call. It immediately drops. I am told that the Phone does work with the 2008 model.
for the 2007 GTC-the best phone for complete pairing try the Nokia 6300–works great and a fine phone–
by the way has anyone hooked up an ipod adapter to the GTC–do i have to remove the CD changer??
2007 GTC does not connect with the iPhone 3G. Same problems as described above… phone connects, once connection established (making a call/receiving a call), connection drops, phone is still active.
Im curious if there is a way to have Bentley upgrade/replace the module for the 2007 to give us HFP capabilities…
I just bought a 2008 GT Speed, love the car but the same bluetooth recognition problem with my Samsung I760 PDA. Anyone gotten this phone to work? Suggestions…
Also, the dealer mentioned that people with blackberry can get it to work if they change their settings to move the stored data to the phone from the sim card. Not sure if that is correct because I don’t use blackberry.
I just ran my VIN on the Bentley Motors website under the phone compatablity tab and it lists the phones that are compatable with my specific car. Check your VIN and it will at least give you what options are available. Of course my I760 is not on the list. My list has 6 non-rSAP phones, all older phones, a couple of years at least.
Larry-
The dealer is confused.
If you save a phone number which is already in your Blackberry memory to the SIM card memory, then, when you put the SIM card in the Bentley armrest, the saved phone number will appear on the Bentley screen.
However, the Bentley will NOT make a call via a Blackberry/bluetooth connection just because you saved a phone number to the SIM card in the Blackberry. As long as the SIM card is in the Blackberry (and not in the Bentley armrest), the Bluetooth connection to the Bentley will drop shortly after a call made through the Blackberry/bluetooth system is initiated. It’s a security feature of rSAP!
Don’t you feel better now that you know how secure your Bentley/rSAP system is? After all, if you never make a call, no one can intercept it.
I have just bought a VW Tiguan. The Premium car phone kit sees my mobile (Sansung D900i) but my phone does not see the car kit. When I try to connect, the car screen tells me my phone is not compatable. Have read all of this site and as a learner am unsure as how to proceed. I think Nokia seems to be the way to go, bt the only list I can see is from a year agao. Does anyone konw of any new phones which are rsap compatable? Thanks in advance for help
Bentlet corporate or your dealer has a list of apporved phones . 08 is improved and you dont have to use rsap profile. latest phone is nokia n95 series. nokia created rsap profile any s60 platform nokia should have that profile . it works great however i didnt get my phonebook to load past the a’s but it only played with it once.
I have a Bentley GT ‘04, nice car! But the phone system is terrible!
You can forget pairing a Blackberry with the rSAP bluetooth as its incompatible. However I just drove a GTC ‘08 and they have fixed the issue, Blackberry’s work fine with the Bluetooth. (but the interface and downloading of numbers is still ancient!!
Have just collected a Bentley Continental GT 2004.
Has the Bentley privacy kit in one armrest and the other has a cradle for an older Nokia i believe.
Would prefer to get connected with a bluetooth phone, but the cost to upgrade the Bentley system is just stupid at a main dealer. Surely their is a dongle that adpats the cradle to communicate with a Bluetooth mobile ? or do you suggest an alternative way i can get bluetooth enabled without spending a kings ransom replacing the system