Launched: Bentley Brooklands

Wheels Magazine
April, 2008

A line in the press presentation for the Bentley Brooklands claims that this 5.4-metre-long coupe offers 'supercar performance'. The mighty twin-turbocharged 6.76-litre V8 may produce 395kW and 1050Nm, but further interrogation of the spec sheet reveals that, at 2655kg, Brooklands also outweighs a Toyota Landcruiser.

It's difficult to suppress a smirk at the thought of this over-sized British luxury coupe running with Ferraris and Porsches on the autobahn.

However, after less than 24 hours on an Italian autostrada, that smirk is very much wiped from my face by the astonishing, but accessible, performance of the Brooklands. From rest, Bentley claims its new flagship will accelerate to 160km/h in just 11.5 seconds - on par with a Porsche 911 Carrera S.

As for top speed, we never had the opportunity, nor the nerve, to keep the turned metal throttle pedal pinned to the deep woollen carpet long enough to validate Bentley's claim of a 296km/h. But the way the big coupe keeps you pressed into the seats on the rush from 100-200km/h goes a long way to justifying the top speed boast. And this, despite a bluff drag coefficient of 0.35.

Not only is the engine a real powerhouse, but it's full of character. As you'd expect of such a large capacity, twin-turbocharged V8, there's simply not a soft spot in the rev range. It's broadly the same engine as that found in the Arnage T four-door, but ECU tweaks and a new sports exhaust boosts power by 22kW and torque by 50Nm.

The totals of 395kW at 4000rpm and 1050Nm at 3200rpm are accompanied by a muscular V8 soundtrack under throttle. On the overrun the plumbed-back blow-off valves release a demonic hiss and snuffle, like the Saint George dragon heavy breathing on your neck.

Backed by a smooth six-speed ZF auto, only recently fitted to the Arnage range, the drivetrain is only upset by a short throttle travel that, without a judicious right foot, can muster too much torque too soon.

Bentley claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 19.5L/100km, but use even a fraction of the Brooklands' prodigious power and you're likely to drain the 96-litre tank at a much quicker rate.

When we exit the autostrada for some tight and twisty roads in the hills above Florence, the Brooklands reveals a surprising dynamic competence. This will sound absurd, but despite the corpulent kerb weight, the Brooklands handles, rides and brakes like an 1800kg car.

There's simply unbelievable grip from the bespoke 255/40ZR20 Pirelli P Zero tyres. The steering's light but it's surprisingly easy to accurately thread this massive car along a tight road.

If you're ambling around town, the softest setting of the three stage adjustable dampers is your best bet for a pillowy ride. However, once you up the pace you'll need to switch into the firmer modes to control the ample body moment, but this is achieved effectively and without the expected trade-off in ride comfort.

The four Brooklands available for dynamic assessment on the launch (including VW CEO Martin Winterkorn's personal car) were fitted with the optional carbon ceramic brakes (circa $25,000). At 420mm up front and 356mm at the rear, the brakes offer impressive feel, even when cold, and tireless retardation when worked hard.

The Brooklands represents the absolute top of the Bentley tree and just 550 will be built over the next three years. The order books already hold nearly 500 deposits, including six from Australian customers, who will each pay $693,000 for the privilege.

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