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Shown for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in
2002, the Bentley Arnage R was the second car in the Bentley Arnage
Series Two family.
The Arnage T, launched in January 2002, is an ultra-high performance
flagship, breaking new ground for both company and class.
The Arnage R is the direct replacement for the Arnage Red Label.
The Arnage R remains emphatically a high performance saloon (indeed
the Arnage T is the only four door car on sale with more torque),
with a clear focus on providing Bentley’s customers with a sublimely
refined and comfortable carriage.
Engine and Transmission
The engine fitted to the Arnage R is essentially that used by the
Arnage T, but entirely recalibrated to provide yet more refined
responses at the expense of some power and torque. The Arnage R
engine produces 400BHP (298kW) at 4000rpm and 616lb ft (835Nm) of
torque at 3250rpm. Top speed for the Arnage R is 155mph, while
0-60mph can still be achieved in just 5.9 seconds.
The engine itself is a radical reinterpretation of the famed
6.75-litre V8 engine that has served in every Bentley since 1970. So
far reaching are the changes that only its basic architecture and
internal dimensions remain as before.
Most notable is the adoption of twin Garrett T3 turbochargers to
replace the single T4 used since the launch of the Bentley Mulsanne
Turbo in 1982. A key modification is the inclusion of a Bosch
Motronic ME7.1 engine management system. This state of the art
system is central to the engine’s ability to minimise emissions.
Like the Arnage T, the Arnage R also features new fabricated,
twin-skin exhaust manifolds which heat quickly and further reduce
emissions while their tuned exhaust lengths improve both efficiency
and sound quality.
The aims of such enhancements, and the legion of revisions to the
engine block and cylinder heads, were to produce quicker and
smoother responses right across the rev-range while, at the same
time, dramatically reducing emissions with the result that the new
engine meets all emissions legislation until 2005.
The gearbox is carried over from the previous generation Arnage. Its
exceptional smoothness and extraordinary torque handling
characteristics ensures it remains the best transmission for the
Series Two Arnage.
Body Structure
The body strengthening measures already seen on the Arnage T are
carried over in their entirety to the Arnage R. There is a new brace
inside the wheel arches, strengthened sills, an extra roof bow and a
reinforced front bulkhead.
Additional detailed changes such as the use of adhesive bonding
materials and tougher mounts for the steering rack have resulted in
an improvement in body in white dynamic stiffness. This brings many
real world benefits including better handling, improved ride quality
and enhanced crash protection.
Chassis
Nowhere are the contrasting objectives of the Arnage R and T more
apparent than in their chassis configuration. For while pure
handling prowess is at the top of the Arnage T’s agenda, the Arnage
R has been set up to provide a balanced blend of handling and ride
comfort. The result is a car slightly more sporting in feel than the
out-going Arnage Red Label yet even more comfortable.
Chief among many chassis modifications is the fitment of a rear
anti-roll bar. This allows a greater degree of control over the body
movement during cornering while creating greater scope for Bentley’s
engineers to fine-tune the Arnage R’s chassis using spring and
damper rates.
After careful evaluation in both the virtual and real world,
slightly softer springs were selected, with the variable rate
dampers tuned to suit.
However, the fitment of a rear anti-roll bar and a thicker front
roll bar has resulted in an increase in overall roll stiffness.
For the Arnage R, the result is the most comfortable, cosseting ride
of any Bentley.
The wheels for the Bentley Arnage R are an 18in six spoke alloy
design, with a chrome finish as an option. They are fitted with
asymmetric 255/50 YR 18 Pirelli P-Zero tyres.
Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
Conventional traction control systems are effective at limiting
excessive applications of throttle but offer limited resistance to
other conditions that can result in a loss of control. ESP, however,
is able to detect any undue tyre slip the moment it occurs,
regardless of cause. It then has the ability to set in train a
number of computer-controlled counter-measures designed to restore
control to the driver. In particular, as well as moderating engine
power as expected from a sophisticated traction control system, it
can also squeeze individual brake callipers to help restore
stability to the driver.
Aerodynamics and Acoustics
Though the exterior appearance of the Arnage R is similar to the Red
Label it replaces, a full aerodynamic evaluation of the car has led
to many changes.
Most obviously is the inclusion of an integrated rear boot spoiler,
first seen on the Arnage T. Though this lends a more purposeful look
to the car, its true purpose is to provide better stability at the
phenomenally high speeds that Series Two Arnages are capable of
achieving. Work has also been carried out under the car, to smooth
the airflow and thereby reduce further both drag and lift.
Safety
In common with the Arnage T, the Arnage R comes with a complete
suite of passive safety measures to complement the already
impressive active safety inherent within its massive brakes, near
50:50 weight distribution, benign chassis characteristics and ESP
stability programme. In addition to the driver and front passenger
airbags used on the Arnage Red Label, the Arnage R has side airbags
for all four occupants and full-length air curtains running along
the length of the cabin on each side.
Styling
In keeping with Bentley’s philosophy of understated elegance,
styling changes have been kept to a minimum. The red badge is
carried over from the previous model and the only key exterior
indication of the changes that lie beneath the skin is the gently
upturned lip of the boot spoiler. The chromium brightwork deleted
from the front, back and side of the Arnage T is retained on the
Arnage R.
The cabin has an instantly traditional feel to it, replacing the
dark stained wood and optional engine turned aluminium found on the
Arnage T with burr walnut. But perhaps most notable in a wide range
of enhancements are the seats. Bentley is one of just a few
manufacturers left in the world to design and manufacture their
seats entirely in-house, and has spent two years building
CAD-profiles of the best seats on the market against which to
benchmark its own products.
Equipment
As you would expect from any car in the upper luxury sector, the
Arnage R boasts a formidable array of standard equipment including
Connolly leather, Wilton carpets, automatic climate control,
DVD-based satellite navigation, electrically adjusted and heated
seats, cruise control and parking sensors front and rear.
Thanks to the extraordinary talents within its Personal
Commissioning team, Bentley is able to offer effectively unlimited
opportunities for customers to tailor cars to their own, unique
specifications. Using skills handed down through the generations at
Crewe, Bentley’s craftsmen can create bespoke interiors from a vast
choice of woods and hides to fully functioning offices for
executives needing to work in the car |