Bentley Arnage T

Common sense would indicate that you would have to be either eccentric and rich, a long-time Bentley lover or simply very, very British (and again rich) to understand and purchase a Bentley Arnage T. Simply put, the car is large, overweight and seemingly out-of-date (take that pushrod 2-valve-per-cylinder V8 engine whose origins date back to 1959 for example) considering the cool $235K price tag. And yet the Arnage T turns out to be arguably the most desirable of all the world's fastest sedans.Partly, it's exactly that thumping 6.75-litre engine. It wears two Garret T3 turbochargers and has been heavily revised with lighter, stronger pistons, new camshafts, new valve gear, new cylinders heads and much-improved cooling over the old 6.75L and is now considerably less peaky. An apocalyptic 645lb-ft of torque is available, 470 of which are ready to go at only 1500rpm. Stiffer anti-roll bars, more chassis braces, extra bracing in the wheel-arch areas, strengthened sills and reinforcement in the bulkhead increase body stiffness by 10 percent and roll stiffness by 57 percent over the Red Label without a large weight gain. Bosch provides the ME7 engine management and stability control systems. Other modifications include a stronger steering column, automatic variable rate dampers, stiffer springs and a higher rear-axle ratio for the 4-speed automatic transmission.In 2004 the entire Arnage line received a swoopier and rather ungainly (to these eyes) design 'freshening.' And for 2007, the T becomes even more of a gentleman drivers' sedan, with the revised twin-turbo OHV V8 now giving 500-hp, plus an improved ZF six-speed automatic gearbox replacing the Rolls-Royce-era GM 4-speed, and less intrusive stability control functions.The 'Tee' has terrific punch throughout the rev range, enough to lay rubber for 20 yards coming out of a corner, but will hold 70mph at only 1900rpm. Its top speed also makes it the fastest current sedan in production (in 2002)! The updated chassis make this Arnage surprisingly able and agile down narrow lanes and the huge tires guarantee huge grip. Nonetheless, with so much torque everywhere, turning the ESP off and leaving everything to the tires can turn things real ugly real quick. Of course, the Arnage is much, much too heavy to be mistaken for anything resembling a sports car, but it will satisfy in any condition and provide an incredibly unique driving experience. If I had the money, this would be my choice. - by Traian Popescu

See more: Bentley Arnage T Photos, Bentley Arnage T Technical Data