Big Bentley Packs A Performance Punch

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday November 14, 1996

FREDDIE CHEAH

Rolls-Royces and their Bentley cousins may no longer be the undisputed champions of the automotive world but, writes FREDDIE CHEAH , there's still something awe-inspiring about the way they do the things they do.

ROLLS-ROYCE. The name alone brings up the image of excellence, an image of the best. Just think of the many times you've heard the expression: "That's the Rolls-Royce of such and such industry."

Over the years, the image has grown to the extent that Rollers are regardeded as the cars most people would aspire to, no matter that those produced by companies such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are just as luxurious, just as quiet (perhaps even quieter) and almost as expensive.

But none has the car-park credibility of a Roller. Spot someone driving a Bimmer or a Benz and you'll tell yourself: "There goes someone rich." Spot someone in a Roller and you'll say: "There goes someone who's seriously rich."

And this sort of credibility extends to those cars built by Rolls-Royce but carrying the Bentley name - cars such as the Turbo R, the Mulsanne and the two-door convertible, the Azure. In some ways, with Rolls-Royce deliberately positioning Bentleys as the sporting limousine, the image of these cars has been enhanced.

Naturally, no Roller or Bentley is cheap.

Even a four or five-year-old version from R-R's authorised dealer for NSW, York Motors, would set you back the price of a new Mercedes-Benz S Class or BMW 7-series. New ones start from about $450,000 and will go all the way up to $900,000 plus for the special order R-R Park Ward.

With this in mind, I jumped at the chance to sample a Bentley Turbo R and see what it really is like to be piloting one of the world's most powerful limousines.

First, the specs. The Turbo R shares the same body as the Rolls-Royce Silver Spur, but has its 6.7-litre engine turbocharged and intercooled instead of just using a light-pressure turbo. With this, there's 286.1kW at 4,000 rpm and a humungous 750Nm of torque. (But that's not the ultimate as another Bentley, the Continental T, has an even higher-boost turbo which translates into 297.2kW and 800Nm.)

The Turbo R is a four-door limo, with deep-pile carpets and lamb's-wool rugs, loads of polished burr walnut and virtually the best leather seats and upholstery.

The main difference externally between the Silver Spur and the Turbo R is the radiator grille, with the Spirit of Ecstasy gracing the top of the Roller. Otherwise, it is instantly recognisable as the world's most prestigious car.

Start the engine and there's an uncanny silence from the front. Select drive via the T-bar electric selector (located in between the front seats, unlike the Silver Spur which is on the right-hand side of the steering column) and the transmission engages smoothly.

Treat the accelerator gently and the car takes off gently, just like a luxury limo should, with the four-speed auto upchanging without you noticing. Floor the throttle and you unleash so much power that it propels the 2.5-tonne car to 100 km/h in about six seconds.

Let's put that into perspective: there are perhaps only about a dozen or so cars in the world that are able to outaccelerate the Bentley, including such powerhouses as the BMW M3, Ferrari F50 and Lamborghini Diablo.

Up a sweeping hill on the Bells Line, I floored the throttle, the four-speed automatic kicked down smoothly and the car took off in a manner quite unbecoming of a super luxury car.

The engine is so lazy, too. At 110km/h, the tachometer was showing just 1,700 rpm.

The Bentley's ride is a bit firmer than expected, but still very much in the luxury class. It is also very quiet at speed, with only slight wind noise from the A pillars and hardly any road noise.

Push the Bentley hard into corners and there's hardly any roll, a sign that Rolls-Royce is serious about making Bentleys true sports limousines. And the specially designed Avon tyres don't protest, don't squeal, gripping the bitumen with consummate ease.

There's also something else about driving a Bentley (or a Roller): you sit high, much higher, than in other prestige cars, with a commanding view of the road ahead.

Naturally, the Turbo R has virtually everything that you'd want, and more. Twin airbags, traction control, anti-lock brakes, electric seats with memory positions, power everything, climate control, in-car CD stacker, automatic headlamps - the list goes on and on.

Suffice to say, everything is superbly put together, with close attention to detail, and all in an atmosphere of class and luxury. And the way the doors close, with quiet dignity and a satisfying click, simply adds to the overall ambience of the Bentley.