>  2008 Bentley Brooklands makes Geneva debut

2008 Bentley Brooklands makes Geneva debut

Big, fast, expensive and oh so exclusive.

Arguably, the greatest Bentleys have always been the grand touring variants. Two doors, four seats, a powerful engine, sporty-yet-supple suspension, wood and leather trim, and a gracefully aggressive appearance were all requisite for the affluent gentleman who needed to get to some exotic destination fast. The whole idea conjures up romantic images of high speed blasts from London to the south of France for a weekend holiday. Or an overnight trip to Geneva just for the chocolate. Or maybe Venice, because you have a hankering for some really good espresso. Enter the Bentley Brooklands. A clear evolution of the last Continental R coupe, the Brooklands pays homage to all Bentley coupes that have gone before it. The low roofline combined with the classic mesh grille, dual headlamps, and coke bottle-shaped rear fenders all hint at Bentleys past while still appearing modern and distinctively un-retro. The interior too, is classic Bentley with rich leather, chrome, wood, and aluminum covering every conceivable surface. Brooklands buyers can choose from what Bentley describes as "an extensive range of hides, veneers, carpet tones and safety belt colors". Bentley claims the Brooklands' cabin is wider than the old Continental R's both front and rear and every effort has been made to provide as much leg and headroom as possible. The five gauges on the dashboard just above the sloping center console hint towards the Bentley's sporting nature. The origins of the Brooklands' Crewe-built engine can be traced back to 1959 when a 6.23-liter version did duty in the Bentley S2 saloon, providing a solid 200 horses and 295 lb-ft of torque. Over nearly 50 years, the evolution of Bentley's V8 has driven steadily along. Today, the engine provides the go for the Arnage sedan, but in the Brooklands, the twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 has been massaged to produce a whopping 530 horsepower and an even more impressive 774 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode and a locking torque converter send the power to the wheels and allow for more of the driver's input to shine through than a conventional autobox. Any Bentley is a relatively exclusive automobile, but the Brooklands is even more so with only 550 cars to be produced in total. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2008.
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