German Car Zone

Merc1 · 02-25-2008, 03:30 AM

Since its global unveiling last year, Bentley's Brooklands coupe has had enthusiasts wondering how it will drive. Here is the answer.

For this story right now, it would be too easy to lay on you, first thing, the technical specifications of Bentley's beastly coupe. It would be easier still to share the fine old British historical reasoning behind its Brooklands name.

Yes, it would be too easy, and too cruel, for what you really want to know is just how this mother of all two-doors drives.

Bitchin'!

It is especially bitchin' if you like battleships with unworldly torque and a twin-turbocharged ingot of an engine whose spooling turbos shriek when you get into the throttle and when you back out, and it is especially bitchin' if you're likely to smile while getting the bejesus scared out of you under power. Yeah, it is that much fun.

Which makes what we are about to tell you all the more cruel. According to the Bentley people, someone who buys this very rare car is likely to put it into a collection and watch it appreciate or will drive it only sparingly, appreciating its road manners too infrequently.

Hey, don't shoot the messenger, people. This is what life has come to in the rarefied world of car collecting. With a global build of just 550 copies (50 are still available) of these nearly $350,000 (base) coupes, they are rare beasts, indeed. Put it this way: It will be rarer to see this car than to see Britney Spears at a neighborhood moms' play group.

When you do see it, if you are so blessed, we hope it is on a twisty piece of asphalt cut into a hillside or along an ocean somewhere, with a blazing blue sky behind it and one of its 42 colors glistening in the light. You can't mistake it for anything else. The massive coupe is a gorgeous extension of the Azure from which it was born. And yet it is incredibly nimble on its 20-inch rims and lightning fast--as in 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds.

The Bentley Brooklands wags a politically incorrect finger as it solidifies the position of enormo-coupes in the marketplace. Really, now, could there be any more frivolous and, well, ludicrous a car? And listen up: We love it! The Bentley Brooklands shouts, "Back, swine! Luxury coming through!" and does it so incredibly well that you cannot fault it.

As for its ability to get up and step away at speed, how could it not with hardware built for a thoroughbred? A 6.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 produces 530 hp and an amazing 774 lb-ft of torque. In numbers you can share at the barbershop, top speed is 184 mph, and the ever-necessary passing from 50 to 70 mph takes a scant 2.4 seconds. Talk about torque. And all from a vehicle that tips the scales at 5853 pounds.

You wouldn't expect a tank like this to get fuel economy that would warm the hearts of environmentalists. It boasts a city rating of 9.8 mpg and a highway number of 20.1. The combined rating of 14.5 mpg is similar to that of our former long-term Chevrolet Suburban.

With typical British understatement, Bentley boasts that the Brooklands is a coupe of unparalleled capabilities. And yes, it is enormous enough to fit four adults comfortably, with legroom to let them lounge about in glorious repose. Getting into the back seat is like slipping onto a ballroom floor.

From the outside, you also can see a painted dark steel matrix grille, Le Mans lower front wing vents, a Bentley jewel filler cap and large-bore twin oval exhaust tailpipes, which add to its menacing mien.

The Bentley might be all old-school charm, but the techno-wizardry inside is clearly of the 21st century. To go with the MP3 player, Bluetooth capability and driver info panel with trip computer, there's a top-roll-mounted navigation system to help guide the way. When cruising through the Italian countryside, that's not a bad thing to have, even though few places in the world so invite you to lose yourself.

This beast can get up and go, but it also stops well. A Bosch electronic stability program includes electronic brake-pressure distribution, automatic slip regulation, engine brake torque control and hydraulic brake assist. A note about this ESP: On an early drive, we got into a car whose suspension geometry was slightly out of kilter, which then got the wheel sensor askew, which sent a signal to the right front wheel to apply the brakes. It was unnerving and demanded a fix. It was an easy remedy, and the engineers were able to rectify it in short order.

Inside are airbags galore (and God forbid you should ever need 'em, but we figure that unless you hit something like a steamship, you'll win in the mass-versus-mass encounter).

When you have a car of this value, you want to make sure it stays there when you park it in your carriage house. That's why there are so many alarms and electronic countermeasures. Short of turning an intruder into a pile of ashes, the Brooklands is well armed to take on the least scrupulous ruffians. Its multitiered security system senses when the area around the car is infringed upon; the Brits call it a perimetric exterior and volumetric interior volume-sensing alarm with glass-break and inclination sensors. We believe that last sensor detects when the car is lifted, rather than when a potential thief has an inclination to do your car harm. There's also a multifunction alarm with immobilizer.

But again, the last thing you want to be in this Brooklands Bentley is immobile. Coddled in comfort, swathed in speed, you are invited to stuff your foot to the throttle and have a go. And once you do, you will smile all the while.

Specs

On Sale: Now

Base Price: $348,085

Drivetrain: 6.8-liter, 530-hp, 774-lb-ft twin-turbocharged V8; rwd, six-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 5853 lb

0-60 MPH: 5.0 sec (mfr)

Fuel Economy (EU): 14.5 mpg

Bentley's Brooklands coupe - AutoWeek Magazine

Video:

Video AutoWeek's First Look at the 09 Bentley Brooklands. - New, Cars, Bentley, Brooklands, mandel - Dailymotion Share Your Videos

M

Centurion · 02-25-2008, 06:52 AM

With that engine and weight it probably guzzle as much gas as an 18 wheeler.

Tarek · 02-26-2008, 08:55 AM

I seriously love that car

HighestOfHigh · 02-26-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merc1

That car...Mmmmm. Now that is a true Bentley.. Not no GT or Flying Spur. Thats the real deal.

ree · 02-26-2008, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighestOfHigh

That car...Mmmmm. Now that is a true Bentley.. Not no GT or Flying Spur. Thats the real deal.

Yeah, the same with Azure and Arnage T...but hey, there is also a little price difference...

NarutoRamen · 02-26-2008, 08:25 PM

I absolutely love this car. I'm with HOH, i'm not a big fan of the GT or flying spur.

GTA8.5 · 02-27-2008, 08:53 AM

I didn`t realize that engine was so big!

The weight figure is almost that of the Maybach 57 and it happens to be more expensive than the 57. Thats pretty insane!

HighestOfHigh · 02-27-2008, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTA8.5

I didn`t realize that engine was so big!

The weight figure is almost that of the Maybach 57 and it happens to be more expensive than the 57. Thats pretty insane!

Well coupes are usually more expensive then sedans (don't know why considering more material is needed for sedans) so it doesn't suprise me.

Be nice to see the Maybach get a coupe to go against the Bentley Brooklands..

But to tell you the truth I like this better then the new RR Phantom Coupe.

GTA8.5 · 02-27-2008, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HighestOfHigh

Be nice to see the Maybach get a coupe to go against the Bentley Brooklands..

I`d love to see that to but not in the current Maybach design.. it`s time for a change.. Too much w220 S going on there. The new S-Class makes the Maybach look really outdated.

Quote:

To tell you the truth I like this better then the new RR Phantom Coupe.

Hell yes!

Tarek · 03-01-2008, 03:13 PM

Was wondering about who makes that engine is it VW or Bentley themsleves?

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German Car Zone

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