Bentley Brooklands

[EXTRACT]#EANF# What‘s it? The Brooklands is Bentley’s new flagship coupe, and also a deeply impressive, deeply seductive machine It‘s too. Based loosely upon the Azure convertible yet picking up in spirit in which the thunderous Continental T from the late 1990s left off, everything in regards to the Brooklands is big. And beautiful – so long as you’re into cars that cost £230, 000, weigh 2665kg and therefore are largely made by hand from unfathomably exotic materials. Take the ability and torque outputs from its venerable twin turbo V8 engine. At 530bhp and 774lb ft, the Brooklands’ 6761cc V8 is that the most potent in current production, easily eclipsing anything on offer given by a Mercedes or AMG V8. Then there will be its brake discs which (assuming you tick the choice marked carbon ceramics, during which case add another £14, 000 towards the £230, 000 asking price ) nestle gracefully behind the new 20in front wheels and – at 420mm – are very simply the biggest ever seen on any production car. Even the rear seat compartment sets a global record for bigness, being the foremost spacious of any coupe’s in history. Only 550 Brooklands will certainly be built over subsequent three many, of those, almost 500 have found homes. So if it is a car that’s designed primarily to construct on Bentley’s increasingly strong brand reputation without putting much of the dent inside the sales sheets, you’d need to say it’s a bullseye coming from the outset. What’s it like? Even in photographs it’s impossible not to obtain some concept of the pure scale of the car. Yet however enormous the Brooklands appears upon the page, nothing can prepare you to its majesty inside the flesh. On an open road it‘s huge but additionally – somehow – not remotely clumsy. Despite its 10ft wheelbase and 17ft overall length it‘s lithe and athletic, and you may clearly detect the influence from the 1957 S-series Continental in its styling. Before you decide to such a lot as turn the key or press the starter button it’s better to drink in and revel in what surrounds you inside a Brooklands. Which, inside a nutshell, is nearly best places find yourself on four wheels, even by Rolls-Royce or Ferrari standards of interior design. The interior theme is almost identical to that from the Azure but better somehow, possibly since the roof over your head intensifies the experience. After 10 minutes inside this car you begin to wonder whether it may be the foremost beautiful thing you’ve ever sat in. Until you climb into either of the 2 rear chairs, that‘s, and that is whenever you realise that it’s more appropriately inside the back than It‘s inside the front, since the view forwards is much more panoramic. Once the engine fires the subsequent whoomf that occurs will likely come as something of the surprise. You almost expect there to become no noise in the least from this type of serene machine, but in reality the Brooklands hides its intentions and, once again, little can prepare you for which happens whenever you place your foot towards the floor with an empty road. The Brooklands has such a lot torque it matters not just one iota the V8 won’t rev much beyond 4500rpm, because at that time you’re already flying in the horizon as though on board some bizarre, leather-lined jet fighter. The acceleration can be as potent as it‘s hilarious, and the very first time you experience it, all you really want to do is return for additional. And much more. On an open road the Brooklands feels sporting although not intrusively so. The ride is super smooth but has enough detail in its reaction to let you will know exactly what’s happening beneath your backside. Even the steering feels sufficiently well-damped to remove any unwanted kickback with the rim, yet simultaneously accurate sufficient to allow you – once you’re confidence begins to grow – to position the nose through quick bends with genuine accuracy. However the real star from the show is that the engine. And also the gearbox, which works seamlessly in tune using the motor to supply perhaps one of the more surreal experiences you’ll ever have inside a motor car. On the dual carriageway just outside Florence the Brooklands felt mind-bendingly rapid, regardless of the near-total absence of aural drama. Just the scenery rushing quietly past the window gave any clue that I‘d been out accelerating a Porsche 911. Inside a car that’s 17ft long and which weighs not plenty lower than three tones with two people on board. There aren’t many flaws but those that exist are curiously irritating. The manual gear selector is that the wrong way around because to alter down you pull it towards you whereas it ought to be the other, ie away to alter down once the braking force pushes you forwards. It might really do with some paddles behind the wheel, too, because unlike the Azure it IS a car that rewards in case you drive it rapidly. And when we’re being really picky the driver’s seats could use more lateral support for much a similar reason. Overall, though, it’s a peach – the very best car Bentley has produced since VW took charge, and no mistake. Should I buy one? When you have an extra £230k rattling around your checking account and don’t mind waiting a few years, then yes. During which case you’ll be perhaps one of the very lucky few to own one among, otherwise THE most desirable coupes ever made. For the remainder of people the Brooklands is a thing merely to aspire to, and also to admire, even from a really long way away. EXTRACT#EANF# Bentley Brooklands