Thursday 15th December 2011

You know you want to: Bentley Brooklands Coupe

It's big, bold, and V8-powered and it costs the same as a small house - brilliant!

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Guilty pleasure, defined

This week's news that Bentley is introducing a new 'entry-level' V8 for its Conti GT coupe has got us thinking - and dreaming - about all sorts of Bentley Coupes - particularly the stately Arnage-based Brooklands.

The Brooklands Coupe really is everything a big Bentley ought to be. Firstly, it's outrageously large and heavy for a coupe (5.4m long and 2,725kg). Secondly, it's brash but somehow elegant, in an opulently imposing way. A bit like an automotive version of Blenheim Palace.

Thirdly, it's got fulsome (and then some) torque from that twin-turbo 6.75-litre V8 - 774lb ft of the stuff.

As big as a house and just as pricey

It's also outrageously expensive. Even after having dropped tens of thousands of pounds from its original price during its year or so and 13,645 miles of life, at £154,995 This Brooklands is still up for more than the average price of a first-time buyer's home.

Having said that, the Brooklands Coupe will always be an exclusive beast, with only around 550 having been made, so you might find it holds onto its value better than might be expected.

And judging by the prices people are asking for the Continental coupes of the 1990s, it seems that a large two-door Benters is a fairly solid direction in which to point your money. We particularly like this 67k-mile Continental R, up for £43,500. Although that might be more for the fact that the current owner (and we quote) is an "ex wartime Spitfire pilot" who "has a collection of Bentleys & is thinning them out due to his advancing age". Apocryphal or not, it sounds pretty cool...

Tally ho, bandits at six'o'clock and all that

And if you can't find enough pennies in your wallet/down the back of the sofa for that, you could still achieve that Brooklands name badge on something more humble and saloon-shaped, such as this 1994 car, up for 50 quid less than £10k. But you'll have to like the colour green rather a lot.

Course, you might not want a Bentley at all, but still fancy a Brit bruiser. In which case, could we point sir in the direction of this twin-supercharged Aston Martin Vantage? It's only £89,950...

[mrclav]

What a car... I will own one someday.

[nightflight]

Continental R every time.

[0a]

Love it. For some reason I am very attracted to the Continental SC models as well.

[Tuvra]

I would have to have the other wheels, they make the car IMO:

[vidfletch]

All those links are wrong. They just take you to the Classifieds.

[Riggers]

vidfletch said:

All those links are wrong. They just take you to the Classifieds.

Darn, course they do! I wrote that before we switched to the new site. Will sort it...

[Lunja]

Either the Brooklands or the Vantage will be the daily driver in my five car garage. Wonderful machines!

[Frik]

mrclav said:

What a car... I will own one someday.

This.

[Dr G]

I'll take the Aston please; are those 550 real ponies or marketing ponies?

[Asterix]

Lovely things.

[RemainAllHoof]

Ugly. And no, I haven't been hacked because I'm not "towing the party line".

[PaulMoor]

Ah, the last of the propper Astons and Bentleys. Whilst the new ones are all well and good these are much more old money.

[dlockhart]

Makes people who go on about german barges (7-series & S-Class)look like a bunch of part timers

Having said that I wouldnt own one. Im just enthusiastic about the loonecy of it.

[Agent Orange]

Arnage Red or Black Label please and an Azure for my wife.

If I really must maintain an estate for day to day family life I will accept a Bentley Touring Superleggera Flying Star.

[Schermerhorn]

Dr G said:

I'll take the Aston please; are those 550 real ponies or marketing ponies?

Not sure, but they also did a V600 model too with 600 BHP which, at the time, was the most powerful production car available (circa 1998-2000 IIRC) and that was VERY real in terms of grunt. How a car that heavy could accelerate like that at the time is beyond me; nowadays 600BHP 2+ tonners seem commonplace.

[Hellbound]

If I ever work in the middle east, I'll have one of these.

[Riggers]

All links work now, folks...

[Agent Orange]

Riggers said:

All links work now, folks...

Pssst... Aston doesn't. Quickly before anyone else notices...

[Bezerk]

There isn't much chance of selling that listed as a Fiat Panda.

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...


Specification
PistonHeads essentials
Front Engined
Normally Aspirated
1.2 litre
4 cylinder
Inline
16 valves
4 cylinder(s)
68 bhp
107 Nm torque
99 mph top speed
0 to 62 in 13.0 seconds
65.7 mpg
5 gears
Front Wheel Drive
The detail
13,645 miles
Year: 2010
5 door
Hatchback
Manual
Diesel
114 co2
Black
5 seat(s)
1540 mm high
1578 mm wide
First registered: 01/01/2010

[taders]

Love the Brooklands. Essential info in the advert looks a little wrong!