Bentley Brooklands review
Bentley Brooklands 6.75 V8 Road Test
Test date 18 June 2008
Price as tested £236,400
For Handling balance and agility, robust structure, rear room, standard of finish
Against Inconsistent throttle response, over-firm seats, too noisy
Both the name and the Brooklands concept have their roots in the early ‘90’s, the name appearing in 1992 to replace the Mulsanne and Eight saloon a year after the Continental R coupe appeared.
In 1999 the Brooklands R was replaced by the new Arnage – sister car to the Rolls Silver Seraph – after which the two brands were split, Bentley retaining the new saloon and developing its platform substantially into this new Brooklands.
Bentley is flourishing under Volkswagen stewardship. It enjoyed record sales of more than 10,000 cars in 2007, and matched this with record profits, both results propelled by a fast-expanding product portfolio.
The range has been filling out with bodywork variations that now provide six ranges stemming from two model lines. In the Continental family there are the original VW Phaeton-derived GT coupé, the GTC convertible and the Flying Spur saloon, while the Arnage line-up is now three-strong with the saloon, Azure convertible and the Brooklands.
This new coupé comes despite the Arnage being a decade old, and first appeared at last year’s Geneva show. It’s a limited edition model, Bentley confining itself to a run of 550 units, with a specification that provides it with the most powerful version of the 49-year-old 6.75-litre V8 yet, chassis settings tailored for a more sporting drive and a bodyshell that gives it the biggest rear compartment of any two-door coupé in the world.
It might have heritage, but is the Brooklands a convincing package?
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