Edmunds.com/Inside Line (Enlarge photo)

27/06/2008 16:47. Of all the new features on the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed, none has a stranger reason for existence than the newly optional three-passenger rear seat.

According to Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Bentley's head of engineering, the new seating arrangement has been added at the request of owners in Japan. Turns out they like driving their Flying Spurs, but don't like parking them. So they bring along a "chauffeur," who takes over upon arrival at the destination. The rest of the time, the chauffeur rides in the backseat.

"It's not a problem until it's time for a night out with another couple," said Eichhorn. "With bucket seats only, there was no room for the chauffeur. We added the middle seat so he can sit between the wives. It sounds strange, but that's the tradition."

This is a... // Edmunds.com/Inside Line