BENTLEY BROOKLANDS
Chris Hope gets behind the wheel of what we reckon is the best value route into a classic Bentley
Although the Turbo R is credited with being responsible for reviving Bentley’s fortunes, there was much more to the marque’s line-up throughout the Eighties and early Nineties than just its all-conquering turbo-charged drawing room on wheels. The aforementioned Eight and Mulsanne were replaced in 1993 by what represents the pinnacle of naturally-aspirated Bentley motoring during this period – the Brooklands.
Much like the Mulsanne took its name from the famous Le Mans Straight, Rolls-Royce chose a similarly evocative and altogether more British name for what would again serve as the entrylevel Bentley beneath the Turbo R and its equally potent Continental R stablemate. Don’t let this hierarchy fool you, though, because even the ‘least expensive’ Bentley is still an incredibly accomplished package.
Outside, details such as the central chrome strip on the bonnet are gone and the grille has the same vertical slats that you’d find on the Turbo R. The cabin is as you’d expect, with huge seats swathed in hand-stitched hide and a highly-polished walnut dashboard in which the various gauges, chrome vents and switches are housed. It’s unashamedly opulent.
Turn the key and the big V8 fires quickly before settling to a muted thrum. The power-assisted steering is light at low speeds and this two-ton machine moves off easily. You sit up high, with a commanding view of other road users.
With just under three-quarters of the performance of the Turbo R, the Brooklands does lack the urgency of its turbo-charged stablemate. It’s not slow – far from it – but being so large and refined there’s the feeling from behind the wheel that speed builds deliberately and purposefully rather than in one almighty rush.
The Rolls-Royce four-speed automatic gearbox, which replaced three-speed GM unit and has a centre gearchange rather than previous column shift, is a revelation, though; it changes near-seamlessly. Likewise, the revised computer settings for the Automatic Ride Control suspension improve the ride markedly – it’s still tauter than the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit upon which it’s closely based, but still cosseting by any driver’s standards.
In 1997, the Brooklands received the same light pressure as the Turbo S before being discounted a year later in 1998 as buyers were now being tempted by the Arnage. Certainly, it is these turbocharged examples that are proving to be the most sought-after today, but the naturally-aspirated Brooklands should not be overlooked.
With these earlier examples, you can easily put a decent example on your driveway from as little as £10k, which is quite some deal when you consider that with various options (including picnic tables) this Brooklands we’re driving would have cost its first owner well in excess of £100,000.
By any standards, that’s an awful lot of upmarket wafting for the whole family for not a lot of money.