Friday 3rd October 2008

Paris '08: Bentley Arnage Final Series

Last chance saloon for the Bentley Arnage

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Bentley showed off its last ever Arnage - fittingly called the Final Series - at the Paris Motor Show. The car celebrates 10 years of the Arnage, 50 years of the legendary V-8 powertrain, and 90 years of the marque itself. It is based on the Arnage T and gets the most powerful version of the 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8, packing 500bhp and 738 lb ft of torque. It also gets the T’s 6-speed auto and running gear.

Externally there are subtle hints that this is a special run-out model, due for cancellation next year, including wheels and tyres from the Brooklands coupe and the ‘Le Mans’ lower front bumper. Other features include the body-coloured front and rear lamp bezels, the retractable bonnet ornament and the jewel petrol cap as standard equipment. Inside there are handmade wood accents, leather surfaces and ‘Final Series’ plates on the door sills.

Pictures: Sebastian Geisler

[Wigeon Incognito]

It may seem banal, but that is what I consider to be a proper car.

Straight onto the shopping list along with the Brooklands and the Azure.

[Neil G60]

Last of the proper Bentleys and hence hugely desirable. Posh mummies and footballers need not apply. I doff my virtual cap.

[skimmo]

I could live in that!! Love the colour as well.

[GTO Scott]

Exquisite.

Just the sort of car that one could happily own for the rest of one's motoring life.

[oagent]

+1 for all the comments above! The sort of car Bentley excels at. Not a VW parts bin component or footballer in sight.

[DaveDave124]

Last of the proper luxury saloons. Probably the classiest car on sale today. Just hope the replacement isnt made from leftovers sat in the bottom of the VW bin.

[MitchT]

oagent said:

+1 for all the comments above! The sort of car Bentley excels at. Not a VW parts bin component or footballer in sight.

+1 to all of that!

[Bluebottle911]

Sad day. The Arnage is the ultimate development of the Turbo R concept - the car that put Bentley back on the map after years of being no more than a badge engineered Roller, so its demise really will be the end of an era. Let's hope there is a replacement on the way, because, although the Spur is a great car, it is not in the same league as the Arnage.

[Fire99]

Yup....The end of an Era is an understatment.. The Arnage is what i call a true Bentley and still has a hit of 'Britishness' about it.

You can keep you're Continental etc... This is the last Bentley IMO.

[infradig]

All these comments about not being a footballers car,I seem to recall a certain Mr&Mrs Beckham are often photographed in London in a black Arnage T,maybe this and his old V8 Volante go some way to undoing the damage caused by 22''wheeled Continental GT's and Navigators... but then again.

[E21_Ross]

have to agree with all of the above. this, in my opinion, is the classiest car available to buy. i know someone who has an arnage, in dark green and the thing is absolutely gorgeous. pure class. i'll put this on the shopping list....but being a 19year old student it might just be out of my price range hehe

such a shame it's going. lets hope there is a replacement on the way. the brooklands is epic and also classy (i prefer the arnage/brooklands styling over the cgt and flying spur, as nice as they are, i think the arnage is way nicer.

it's a sad day

[Not Ideal]

agree with all of the above as well..!!

Looks 100 x classier than the flying spur

[cardigankid]

Its beyond brilliant. I don't care what they come up with next, this is a car to have.