Blower Bentley
04/01/2005
As recently as the 1970s, Bentley got no respect. Only a grille, some badges, and a few dollars separated the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II from the Bentley T2 and, logically, the two should have been considered equals; but somewhere along the way Bentley experienced an identity crisis—no one really understood the marque’s purpose. At one time the sporting alter ego to sedate Rolls-Royce, Bentley no longer offered a more athletic driving experience, and without that, its value as the ultimate statement in reverse snobbery declined. Instead of regarding the Bentley as a less-showy alternative, buyers saw it as a second-tier Rolls-Royce, the equivalent of paying Cadillac money for a Buick. Only one person is said to have requested a Bentley version of Rolls-Royce’s range-topping Camargue coupe, and in the secondhand market it wasn’t unusual to find Bentleys fitted with Parthenon-like Rolls-Royce grilles.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Modifying the ECU increases horsepower in the
Continental GT’s W-12 engine
to 630. (Click image to enlarge)
Things improved for Bentley in the 1980s. The Mulsanne and the Eight—Bentley’s Silver Spirit variants—started at least paying lip service to the marque’s illustrious racing past with “S” models and mesh grilles. Then came the introduction of the Turbo R toward the end of the decade. With buckets of torque, a painted radiator shell, and unique interior design, there was no mistaking a Turbo R for its Rolls-Royce stablemates—the winged B atop the rounded Bentley grille started to regain its luster. Turbochargers, particularly, helped create a unique identity for Bentley, since Crewe initially declined to bolt them onto any Rolls-Royce engine. Wisely, Bentley continued to cultivate its sportier image throughout the 1990s; just as young, fashion-conscious buyers had readily embraced the Rolls-Royce Corniche in the ’70s, they were snapping up Bentley sedans, coupes, and convertibles with verve. The Azure convertible’s regular appearances in music videos underscored the marque’s newfound cool factor.Decisions made during the last several years under Bentley’s new owner, Volkswagen, have only enhanced this image makeover. And, fortunately, Bentley has worked on more than simply wooing the right demographic—it is also producing outstanding automobiles. Reveling in anachronistic splendor are the big Arnage sedans, the most obvious offspring of the Turbo R, with torquey engines and exquisite interiors. Aimed at a younger demographic, the Continental GT has generated such interest that buyers of the $160,000 coupes will have to wait if their names are not already on the waiting list. And a four-door Continental Flying Spur is joining the GT, reviving a name given in the 1950s and ’60s to sportier Bentley S-Types and Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds with less-formal coachwork than the standard sedans. Like the two-door GT, the Flying Spur will continue to broaden Bentley’s appeal, and should generate similar interest levels and—more importantly for Bentley—sales volumes.
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Although an
outstanding automobile—it
earned Robb Report’s Car of the Year prize
last year—the Continental GT has a
few items in the debit column. Its
proportions can be awkward from certain
angles—the sedan likely will
fare better on this count—and while it has nearly
all of the Arnage’s
weight, it does without that car’s fierce torque. The
Continental
weighs in at a hefty 5,100 pounds, undercutting the Arnage T by just
600 pounds. And while the 552 hp generated by the Continental’s W-12
engine
handily outstrips that of the Arnage’s 450 hp, its 480 ft lbs of
torque can’t
match 645 ft lbs in the Arnage. With a zero-to-60 time of
4.7 seconds, the
Continental is by no means underpowered, but power can
be felt far more
viscerally in the Arnage during its 5.5-second journey
to 60 mph. (Click image to enlarge)This
explains why the modifications from the German tuner Mansory have
intriguing
potential. Introduced at Essen last November, the Mansory’s
Continental GT
employs a modified ECU that increases horsepower to a
healthy 630 and bumps
torque to 553 ft lbs. According to the tuner,
acceleration to 60 mph improves
fractionally to 4.5 seconds. We haven’t
yet had the opportunity to drive the
car, but its numbers bode well for
all-around improvement. Mansory also offers a
comprehensive body kit
that includes a front spoiler with integrated fog lamps,
a rear apron
with two squared-off stainless steel exhaust tips, and an
integrated
trunk-mounted spoiler. One-piece, 20-inch alloy wheels can be painted
or chromed. The interior can be tailored to customer specification with
carbon
fiber trim, napa leather, and Alcantara.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Modifications to the interior, above, and exterior, below, are subtle but
distinct. (Click image to enlarge)
Given recent history, it is remarkable that a tuner would pay any attention to a Bentley. Even in the days of the Turbo R, journalists routinely commented on the car’s impressive torque before explaining why an S-Class Mercedes-Benz or 7 Series BMW surpassed the English car in just about every other category. That isn’t true of the current crop of Bentleys, and with an excellent base upon which to build, there will be plenty of work for tuners, especially from owners who might decide after the fact that they’d like a little something more. And as long as the Paris Hiltons, P. Diddys, and Ben Afflecks of the world continue to tool around in their Bentleys, the halo effect of celebrity will continue to enhance a Bentley’s desirability. So if you would like your Continental GT with a little more grunt, talk to Mansory soon—you might not be the only customer in line.
Mansory, +49.9236.969.880, www.mansory.com