A car for all moods

To most racing buffs, Bentley means the classic, upper crust, luxurious touring car with a solid lineage. But it is more than just that, as its two recent manifestations – R and T – show: marques of pure excitement and technical finesse

The new Bentley Series Two Arnage 'R' and 'T' are the latest models to proudly bear the winged 'B' and the name of the founder of the marque, W O Bentley. Bentley is the only world-class British supercar and only a few years ago the marque was faced with an uncertain future as part of Rolls Royce Cars Ltd. Then, a takeover took place involving the company, BMW and Volkswagen Audi Group and after some confusion, it became apparent the VAG were the owners of the brand.

As the new CEO of Bentley Cars, Dr Franz-Josef Paegfen, has been quoted as saying, "Maybe only five years ago it was unthinkable to have a German company owning Bentley. It was so much part of British culture that I was wondering how this could happen. But someone had to do it or Bentley would no longer exist; surely it is better to be part of a German company than be dead?"

To emphasise how strongly Bentley remains a British enterprise at heart, the company recently presented to HRH Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain an all-new Bentley State Limousine to add to the other limos in the stables of Buckingham Palace. Those limos were all made at Crewe but bear the Rolls Royce name, but times have changed and Crewe is now making only Bentley cars.

To drive a Bentley, even for just a few hours, is a memorable and emotional experience as I recently discovered here in Dubai. The Arnage is a sophisticated, luxurious, hand crafted, large, over 2-ton 'muscle car'. The 'T' version will accelerate from 0-160km/hr in just 13.4 seconds, passing the 100km/hr point in just 5.8 seconds. There are few, if any, road-going cars that can equal that. It has a top speed of 270 km/hr (170 mph).

Despite these awesome statistics, the Bentley Arnage is equally at home when being used for a gentle tour or for going to the office – perhaps boardroom would be a more suitable destination because it is likely that only the Chairman of the Board could afford one!

The interior of the Arnage is a classic understatement of pure luxury and elegant refinement, yet with idiosyncratic features that remind one of its British heritage. For example, the controls for the air vents on each end of the facia panel are stainless steel organ stops or one starts the T version by pushing a starter button, like in the old days, rather than turning a key in an ignition switch.

Only the finest Connolly leather, with contrasting stitching, is used for the seats and it is embroidered with the Bentley motif. There is a lot of engine-turned aluminium for both the instrument surround and the waist rails at the doors. Needless to say, the seats are power operated with memory function. There is a DVD-based satellite navigation system that is displayed on a pop-up screen on top of the dashboard.

Bentley's own (if you remember a few years ago BMW engines were being fitted to Crewe-built cars – but no longer!) 6.75-litre V8 engine has been totally re-engineered for the 21st-century Bentley driver. The most notable change is the adoption of a twin-turbo system replacing the single turbo of the old engine. This provides more power and a critical reduction in exhaust emissions. This new engine is the most powerful in Bentley's history and the most torque-laden power plant of any series production car. It produces 450 bhp and maximum torque of 875 Nm. This output means the Arnage can cruise at 112 km/hr (70 mph) with the engine turning at just 1,900 rpm.

Each engine has a small plate attached to the front by the inlet manifold and it states the engine number and that the engine was 'Hand built in Crewe, England' and the signature of the responsible technician who built it.

The Arnage is a car for all moods. If you are feeling sporty it will perform and behave just like a large sports car. For such a large and heavy car, the handling is quite astonishing. But you have to be careful and pay attention to how fast you are driving – it is deceptively quick because it so quiet, smooth and effortless to drive. The handling is superb and the ride quality equally so. Even when cornering enthusiastically there is virtually no body roll, which is also quite amazing for a 2-ton vehicle. Bentley's design engineers have done a lot of successful work on the suspension and shock absorbers to provide a near perfect compromise between ride comfort and performance handling.

When you accelerate fast, the torque is enough to pin you back in your seat, your luxury leather seat, that is! The grip on the road is helped by the large 255/50 R18 Pirelli tyres fitted to 18" diameter, 8J wheels.

If you are in a more reflective mood, you can drive slowly and sedately and soak up the atmosphere of being inside one of the world's great cars. You can listen to your favourite CDs, or, if your driver is at the wheel, sit back and enjoy the superb comfort of the rear seats whilst deciding how you will spend this year's dividend from your company!

Bentley is a British icon and now has a sure future, thanks to the huge £500 million financial investment by new owners VAG. This investment has enabled Bentley to transform the Crewe factory into a modern manufacturing centre. This investment has also enabled Bentley to develop the Continental GT as a sporting coupe that was unveiled at the recent Paris Motor Show. But that is another story.

The Arnage 'R' and 'T' are the epitome of grand touring cars. That says it all.