Bentley Continental R | PH Heroes
Once the most expensive car in the world, the R is now a charming reminder of old school Bentley
Nothing on four wheels makes the 1990s seem further away than the Bentley Continental R. Introduced at the beginning of the decade and running to the launch of the Continental GT in 2003, it was the first Bentley not to have a Rolls-Royce equivalent in almost 30 years - as well as the first Crewe two-door made in more than a decade. Moreover, it was important for ushering in the four-speed automatic into a Bentley product, assisting with the onerous task of getting hundreds of horsepower and many more pound feet to the tarmac. The demise of three speeds was presumably quite the talking point in 1991. As was the price: £168,294 - or £363,000 in today's money.
The keen amongst you will notice this is not just any old Continental R, either. It isn't a Continental T, either, the sportier of the Conti models with a shorter wheelbase that just snuck in under three metres. Nope, it's a Continental R Final Series, one of 11 made right at the end of the production run in tribute to the icons which had established Bentley as maker of its own palatial sports cars - and not simply Rolls-Royces with Flying Bs emblazoned on. Given where the brand has gone since 2003, you'll forgive a little reverence around these late Continentals as true 'end of an era' vehicles. Prices have begun to reflect that status, too.
There are some very obvious attributes that make the R feel as period specific as an Oasis megamix, the sheer size being one of them. We still have big cars today, sure, but not like this. The overhangs measurable in furlongs, the 18-inch wheels, the widebody flares and the single bazooka of an exhaust pipe would never be signed off today, dating the Bentley as accurately as a tree trunk. It could never have existed in anything other than the decade which, by the end at least, was brimming with swagger. Yet is now more than 20 years behind us. For some idea of scale, the Continental R's 5,340mm length surpasses even that of the new Flying Spur, which measures up at a mere 5,316mm. So much presence and confidence has seldom been summoned up by a car on such small wheels and with such a vast expanse of glass.
The interior also carries off that neat trick of appearing both really quite old and undeniably impressive. Where you would now expect to see screens and displays there's a smattering of beautiful chrome-rimmed dials and acres of wood, informing the driver of everything from boost pressure to oil temperature, battery amperes to the time in New York. Or whichever market time zone was most relevant. Plus, obviously, there's the almost overwhelming aroma of the finest hides possible to purchase at the time. The Continental's is a lavish, imposing, esoteric and occasionally bewildering interior (one button just has an oil can on it, another says 'Fuel/Mirrors') but it's also an unforgettable one. You'd expect nothing less, right?
The Final Series driven and photographed here has covered just 5,000 miles since new, and is therefore as close to a box-fresh example as is surely now available 17 years after production has ended. It starts without fuss or delay after a turn of the key and a press of a nondescript, unmarked button, settling to a muted, murmuring idle. The tacho marks out every 500rpm as would be found every thousand with a conventional engine; still, with only 4,500 revs to use, it helps keep better track of progress. And, for the driver, allows him or her to marvel at how little mechanical effort can correlate with such unabating speed.
Unsurprisingly, the 6.75-litre V8 steals the show here, powerful as a typhoon but as mild mannered as a grandparent. It appears to roll along on almost dozens of rpm rather than hundreds, the Continental living up to its name after about five minutes - at the turn of the century there was surely no finer way to travel. It still feels indecently fast, too, an impression heightened in the R by a rising prow, whistling turbos and subdued (though detectable) V8 roar. Official numbers were in the region of 325hp and 455lb ft; again, it will come as no shock to find it's the latter which dominates, the combination of enormous capacity and forced induction generating mighty performance from little more than idle.
Accelerating in a Continental R means wistfully acknowledging the slow orbit of the rev counter and enjoying the interior serenity of a smoking lounge, while the countryside goes increasingly and insatiably blurry. The pace at which the speedo's 10mph increments pass just doesn't let up, yet the peace is only ruffled when a gearchange thunks through. Still, with half the ratios of a modern Bentley, that doesn't happen very often. The driver merely sits there with the power of an empire at their disposal. Fitting, when you're perched on an immaculately quilted chair.
Anyone familiar with a modern Bentley will find this car's dynamic performance somewhat shocking, despite a kerbweight not that far apart from the current day. But it's hard to be overly critical; in an era before active anti-roll, modern tyre technology and ceramic brakes, the Bentley feels merely of its time. Which means it's languid, unhurried and a little ponderous at times - and no worse for it. Cars were like that then, and it simply makes you more considerate of the car's mass and dimensions as opposed to blundering down a road as blithely as four-wheel steer and active differentials allow you to. Whoever is behind the enormous steering wheel is captaining the Continental R as much as driving it; scanning the landscape ahead for potential hazards while making the most of a formidable powertrain at every opportunity. There's never any danger of forgetting the experience, let's put it that way.
Naturally that's the central tenet of the Continental's appeal, and probably explains why values have climbed so substantially in recent years. It's a Bentley experience dripping in retro charm, historical significance and exquisite craftsmanship, albeit with performance that still stacks up (and surprises) in a 21st century context. In some ways there are parallels to draw with the Aston Vantages of the time as well; both were heavier, larger and more profligate than they probably should have been, even then, yet both perfectly encapsulate an era and a type of car so well that their respective charm is irrefutable. That both companies embarked on drastically different paths following those models only serves to bolster their status. Twenty years on from launch, perhaps more so than any other aspect, it's the knowledge that cars like this - machines this roguish and incorrigible - did once exist, and can still be merrily driven in a modern context that makes them so collectible. Bentley's reputation was forged on grand tourers like the Continental R, and it remains unrivalled as an experience even when measured against the firm's current crop. There really is nothing else like it. And it's damn near irresistible as a result.
SPECIFICATION | BENTLEY CONTINENTAL R
Engine: 6,753cc, V8 turbo
Transmission: 4-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 325@4,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 455@2,400rpm
0-62mph: 6.6 seconds
Top speed: 145mph (limited)
Weight: 2,420kg
MPG: Let's say 20
CO2: Let's say a lot
On sale: 1991-2002
Price new: £187,354 (1995)
Price now: from £40,000
Search for a used Bentley Continental here
Whereas these cars are just going to look refined by comparison and more timeless. Of course all the other less visible (and rather more important) tech (like the engines and gear boxes) will be old fashioned and not as good as what you get today but they'll still do a job today.
i was also lucky enough to drive an earlier one and it just went. Point and squirt ! You knew you were driving something heavy but it was like a slightly unconnected missile. Very old school British class and the requirement for your own oil refinery..
Really want one of these. Make a brilliant tow car for my Turbo r track car!
You've no idea of quality uintil you start removing things. The organ stop heater controls and the door lock buttons all chrome. On brass! All the door handles and boot handle the same. Solid brass chromed. The boot handle weighs nearly 5kg ffs! No monkey metal here.
Renarkably easy car to work on too.
Nothing comes close, especially present VW/BMW Rolls and Bentley.
I didn't like the grill as it looked a bitt naff in chrome but it did have the full fat wide Continental T wheels which had the widest tyre I'd ever seen at the time. I think sold it with just 22k on the clock.... Sold as he was just too paranoid to park it anywhere
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/besp...
Funny thing the internet - I just typed "Bentley Continental T italian" ('cos that's what I remembered), and there it was! Still smart - I even like the silly propellers in yellow...
https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/besp...
Funny thing the internet - I just typed "Bentley Continental T italian" ('cos that's what I remembered), and there it was! Still smart - I even like the silly propellers in yellow...
https://youtu.be/sIanzzvRgJI
Swish. And technical elegance.
That's what the interior says to me.
The exterior says something about stately home. Dignified.
I will add:
This type of car is the perfect candidate for battery-electric conversion. Large and largely quiet in operation. Effortless movement.
Yes, I'm aware that some cars of this sort will have a certain something exquisite under the bonnet. But that's not always the case. Conversion to battery-electric need not be a great sacrilege.
For those who disagree: There is always the prospect of developing a wholly contemporary interpretation of this sort of large car. One that is conceived from the beginning as a battery-electric vehicle. I'm not talking about something futuristic like the posh Lucid Air; I'm talking about something modern that places the accent on a certain majestic or dignified look.
Clearly made during an age before the marketing department were let loose after a night of smoking weed.
After all, just WHY does a Fiat 500 need four exhaust pipe tips?
I really do struggle with the cack stuck on most cars nowadays, so it's lovely to see such a resolved piece of design again.
A few owner driver observations:
- my car is a 1996 model year, when many improvements were introduced, with engine output being uplifted to 385bhp and 550lbft at 2000rpm. It's worth seeking these mid to later models out as they are also more economical on fuel.
- when I first bought the car I believed I would be able to maintain and repair it cheaper than what other owners reported. But I couldn't and I very quickly spent thousands on it. The problem is, a fault you might find yourself able to live with is an ordinary car, you just cant in the Continental R, it doesn't feel right.
- I often drive the car on 1000 mile round trip from Scottish highlands to the Midlands and back - 22mpg is achieved. They are considerably more aerodynamic than the 4 door turbo R etc. and the 96 year onwards are also more economical than earlier cars.
- maintenance needs to be carried out by someone who genuinely knows what they're doing because RR built and designed cars in their own unconventional way. Suspension needs to be set up dead on or ride and handling suffer considerably. I see a lot of cars with low rider height on the front - very common.
- they handle surprisingly well vis a vis the size and weight.
- maintaining and repairing a Continental R costs the same as a Turbo R, but the Conti will always be worth more - so it's much easier to justify the cost. So it does make some sense spending more to buy a Conti over a Turbo R.
- they don't like sitting around. They need driving on a regular basis, even just a few miles. It's worth trying to follow the official maintenance schedule, which was obviously written by and signed off by an engineer - an ideal world schedule, but the car will last forever if it's followed!
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