Tuesday 10th July 2012

Spotted: Bentley Brooklands

The perfect car for a summer getaway?

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It's raining here. Again. I am the staunchest advocate of the UK-based summer holiday, and have been for 37 years, but even I am beginning to dream of sunshine and the restorative effects of vitamin D leeching into my hide.

I dream of driving to the Dordogne, in thisBentley Brooklands.

Why a Brooklands? If you have to ask, you probably don't understand. Sitting as high as a Range Rover driver, you feel isolated from the road surface and other road users, the 6.75-litre V8 occasionally rumbling to acknowledge another completed overtake. The Brooklands offers an unparalleled opportunity to pretend, from within its gorgeous interior, that you don't live in the year 2012. It's a throwback.

Should you choose to scare natives on the Routes Nationales south west of Paris (Autoroutes are unseemly in a proper Benters), you can do so with 537hp - a number slightly diminished by a 2,650kg claimed kerb weight, which must surely be closer to 2,800kg with fluids and 3,000kg when replete with humans and luggage. It is still a very fast car though.

A great-looking machine too: styled like it was supposed to take a starring role in Bugsy Malone. I particularly like the blue coachwork of this example: livelier than all your greys and blacks, but not too loud.

Bentley claimed that the Brooklands would clear 180mph, but Les Flics are way too excitable for such an attempt - besides, above 140 the wind noise would compete with the wireless, and that would be irritating. Better to stop every few hours, nibble cheese and sup local beverages. Between stops you might attempt to hustle, but you will not persist with this course of action once you realise that the steering is vaguer than a lobotomised third division footballist.

On arrival, you will settle into your family-run Chateau and prepare for dinner.

It's still raining here. And I'm still in England.

Have a butcher's at what else Benters has to offer in the PH Classifieds...

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BENTLEY BROOKLANDS
Engine:6,761cc twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power (hp): 537@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft):774@3,250rpm
MPG:14.4mpg
CO2:465g/km
First registered: 2008
Recorded mileage:6,090
Price new: £230,000
Yours for: £139,950

 

[si_xsi]

lovely chairs, waft away

[Garlick]

Been for sale for a while that. One of my all time favourites, this car has been drooled over many times. This style of wheel is a must too, much nicer than the spoked option.

[Countdown]

Absolutely love these

[V8 FOU]

Totall agree, old boy.
One needs such a vehicle to travel in some degree of comfort and be insulated from the great unwashed.
So much better than those newer Bentleys too.
Tally Ho!

I'll send my man around to collect one....

[f1ten]

a proper bentley and as such its rare. Therefore it will go up in value rather than all these new mass produced, use then throw away, modern ones.

[sunsurfer]

Good article with a great final line

"It's still raining here. And I'm still in England."

[Noe]

Maybe a mclaren and the dordogne? Why the dordogne? Froi gRas and a nice chablis, pastis or . . . Ah the food and the troubles with two
breatherlizer kits

[phil_cardiff]

Footballist? Oh dear.

[Krikkit]

What a machine, always loved these as the ultimate expression of a smoker barge.

[Switch]

Thanks Chris, you've now got me looking at Bentleys I didn't need.

[vixen1700]

Love a European trip in one of these.

[Noe]

@switch . . You should be looking at the dordogne . . . Something the english should learn!

[Uncle John]

That is one handsome brute of a car!! You can see and I bet even smell the history in that thing.

Home James and don't spare the horses!

[Switch]

Noe said:

@switch . . You should be looking at the dordogne . . . Something the english should learn!

Sorry but I'm quite happy with my annual pilgrimage to la Sarthe, a woofle up to the Family Cottage on Anglesey (which just happens to be 5mins from the track...) and the odd jaunt somewhere over the pond 'dans un plan'

Venturing any further into France would require a more comfortable steed for the trip and that's where the Bentley comes in.

Cart before horses and all that (Possibly the first time a Bentley has been referred to as a Cart...)

[Watchman]

Wow, £90,000 depreciation for 6K miles.

[E38Ross]

now THAT is a nice Bentley. conti GT or flying spur not done it for me, certainly not like this. has the rev range of a diesel though

[Luca Brasi]

What a car. Like it better with the split rims though.

[jonby]

I'm a big fan, but look at how these have come down in value too
http://pistonheads.com/sales/4002796.htm
How long til a 100k Phantom coupe ?

[chris2010]

10/10 that's a perfect car, one of my favorite.

[RollingOnSteels]

It is so horrendously ostentatious and in your face, but i'd love one.
Have to say i have had my eyes on the one at Bentley Leeds for a few weeks now. Oh well back to reality.