Overview & Reviews

The Bentley brand is to luxury cars what Everest is to mountains. Those with wallets deep enough to meet the six-figure price tags of the company's vehicles are treated to towering levels of refinement and prestige. Bentley coupes and sedans are mostly hand-assembled in Great Britain at the manufacturer's state-of-the-art Crewe factory. This fusion of old-world craftsmanship with new-world technology is what the Bentley marque is all about.

Founded by Walter Owen Bentley, Bentley Motors was born in England in 1919. Two years later, the first model debuted, the rapid "3-litre" Bentley. Larger cars followed, and racing success at Le Mans earned the Bentley motorcars status among British sports car enthusiasts. Financial woes (brought on in part by the Wall Street Crash of 1929) triggered the brand's sale to Rolls-Royce in 1931. The first new Bentley after this event was the "3 1/2-litre," introduced in 1933 and based on a Rolls chassis that never saw production.

In subsequent decades, Bentley slowly slid into anonymity with vehicles that, at times, were little more than rebadged Rolls-Royces. The company's fortunes finally took an upturn in the 1980s. A new company policy dictated a more distinctive brand image, and it yielded the Mulsanne Turbo sedan, named after the famous corner on the Le Mans circuit. Most other Bentley models of this time, however, such as the Continental coupe and convertible, were still Rolls-Royces with different grilles.

The '90s brought more distinctive models into the fold, such as the redesigned Continental coupe, new Azure convertible and the new Arnage sedan, the latter replacing the dated Mulsanne. In 1998 BMW began supplying engines to both the Bentley and Rolls-Royce brands. Later that year this relationship created a conflict when Volkswagen acquired both marques, but the two German automakers reached an agreement that saw VW handing over control of Rolls to BMW in 2003, while keeping Bentley and the Crewe factory.

During the 2000s, that VW ownership allowed Bentley to further expand its model range and improve overall quality. The Continental coupe was again redesigned and quickly became a sales success, spawning a convertible version. Soon a four-door version of the Continental, the Flying Spur, debuted, followed in 2011 by the Mulsanne flagship sedan.

As one would expect, modern Bentley coupes and sedans are powered by a series of surprisingly muscular engines. The most potent models are motivated by a turbocharged 12-cylinder engine that generates more than 600 horsepower, though a new V8 promises similar acceleration but with much better fuel economy. No matter the engine, Bentley's traditional qualities remain, with all models benefiting from a cabin exquisitely finished in a variety of leather and wood trim.

There are high-dollar ultraluxury cruisers, and then there are Bentleys. Whether it's the Arnage sedan or the Brooklands coupe, these cars make an impressive statement and are sumptuous enough to make even the most jaded tycoon purr with delight.

User Reviews:

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  GTC Bentley Quality Sinking Like Benz - 2007 Bentley Continental GTC
  By John Lander - August 8 - 4:46 pm

  This vehicle has a beautiful interior, but that is about all I can say good about it. Handling is reminiscent of my 10 year old Rolls. I thought this car would be much tighter, and squeak free, just not the case. Electronic gremlins, including a very slow downshift automatic transmission. Dealership says "everything is normal". We will now be selling a pretty new car.

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  Bentley - Major Disappointment - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By KEITH - June 4 - 6:46 am

  My Bentley Continental GT was tons of fun for about three months, but now every punk kid is driving one! It has electronics issues galore. Also, this is an extremely heavy car that does not handle like I had expected. Its engine is superior, however its ergonomic design is not up to par either. I should have bought the Aston Martin or Ferrari.

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  Our Bentley GTC was a LEMON! - 2013 Bentley Continental GTC
  By lee1970 - July 24 - 4:24 am

  Got a brand new 2012 Bentley GTC in April 2012. It was a lemon. Lots of problems. Broke down twice. Terrible car. The car was sold to me with defective tires too. They had to replace them. It was in and out of the shop all the time. The dealer (Bentley Naples) was a nightmare to deal with as well. Filed Florida Lemon Law. Vehicle was bought back by Bentley as a "manufacturer buy-back". Got full refund. Would never buy a Bentley again or recommend this vehicle to anyone. They tried to make me a sign a non-disclosure document to prevent me making this public. I refused. They told me that is common practice. I asked why. They said to protect the brand name.