If there's not too much to worry about on the outside of an Arnage, the interior is a different case. This is because there are as many as 27 hides worth of leather in the cabin and the water-based tanning process means the leather is not as hard-wearing as older Bentleys. Worn seat cushions and squabs are the first thing to look for and any damage to the leather on the doors, centre console, dash top and headlining. Also, have a sniff for signs of a smoker as the smell can be hard to shift, and check for any damage from carelessly pointed fag ends.
Gentleman's club on wheels vibe is appealing
The rear seats in the Arnage T are also more likely to have been used than in many sports saloons, so look for wear and scruffy carpets for signs of an ex-wedding hire car that has not been looked after. In the front seats, the passenger detection pad to warn about seat belts can fail and a new pad means buying a whole replacement cushion from Bentley at £800. This has the downside of the leather not quite matching the colour and patina of the rest of the interior. However, John Bowling offers a replacement pad fitted to the existing leather cushion.
The electric window regulators can fail, leaving the window stuck. It's £500 for a new regulator, so make sure all four windows work smoothly and quickly. Also, feel the indicator stalk is not floppy or loose in its action as a new one is £500 in parts to replace and an hour's labour. Alarms can fail and key fobs wear out, which means a new fob from Bentley. For most other electrical niggles with the Arnage T, a new auxiliary systems battery should cure them and it's a wise precaution to fit a battery conditioner when the car is garaged and not in use for any length of time.
The original satellite navigation system fitted to early Arnages is antiquated by modern standards, but the revised system fitted for the 2005 model year can be updated with newer DVDs, which the previous CD-Rom system couldn't. This was further improved with the 2007 update of the Arnage range. A new dash top for 2005 models also allowed the sat-nav screen to sit flush with the top when not in use.
Make sure all the leather matches in shade
Bentley revised the centre console design for 2005 with new switches for the ventilation, while the window switches were also repositioned to either side of the gear lever. Controls for the electrically adjusted front seats were now placed beneath the sliding panel behind the gear lever.
In 2007, driver comfort was improved by extending the steering column's length by 25mm and providing more vertical movement for the electric adjustment. The gear lever was now leather trimmed as standard and Bentley used Thin Film Technology for the information displays to make them clearer to read.
The Final Series cars came with drilled alloy pedals, rear cocktail cabinet and document stowage pouch, two picnic tables and stainless steel flask and shot glasses. In the boot were four Bentley umbrellas with wooden handles, while the stereo could now be linked to an iPod.
PHer's view:
"Nothing beats sitting at the wheel of an Arnage T! You feel great and it's the most comfortable car I've ever spent time in. Four up from London to Monaco was no problem non-stop, other than the obvious fuel stops."
Leon Pink