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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  Bentley Cont GT - 2004 Bentley Continental GT
  By Bentley Auto Fanatic - May 18 - 10:00 am

  Although the styling is very attractive, I am disappointed with the interior finishes as there is rattling and squeaking from the interior. The knobs/switches are rather cheesy considering the Bentley name and price of the car. Also the car has too much of a heavy feel on turns.

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  10 reasons not to buy a Bentley - 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur
  By lovecars11 - October 20 - 5:50 am

  Nice to drive with quite enough power (until one drives a Speed version). Good ride and comfy cabin. All that is marred/spoiled by Bentley Motors hateful behavior towards its customers. My Flying Spur (which, when we purchased it, had never been owned by anyone but Bentley Motors and the dealer) now has paint peeling in a bunch of places, an inaccurate speedo, an inaccurate odometer, throws codes seemingly at random, and is now plagued by a shrill noise in the cockpit the dealer was too busy to fix prior to a 7000 mile trip. For us at least, owning a car is not just owning a car, its an experience and a relationship. The folks at Bentley Motors have been so hateful and pompous that the en

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  Continental GT- Smoke and Mirrors - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By Ken Dialo - November 23 - 11:53 pm

  This car took me a long time to receive. After 3 months not satisfied. Engine is strong, but does not prove out to alleged specs that are reported. Porsche all models will give it a solid run to 60mph. Handling is sloppy, braking is not world class. Interior is beautiful, controls are nicely placed. Overall I will purchase Ferrari or Aston on next trip around.

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  THE FLYING BRICK - 2003 Bentley Arnage
  By M.EGAN - February 8 - 2:00 am

  BENTLEY ARNAGE T IS NOT FOR SISSYS. THE TWIN TURBO EFFECT GIVES MASSIVE ACCELERATION AT ANY SPEED. THE BRAKES ON THIS 6000 PLUS LB CAR ARE ALMOST ADEQUATE. IF YOU OWN ONE YOU WILL GET TO KNOW YOUR DEALER VERY WELL.I BOUGHT MINE WITH 9500 MILES ON IT AS A FACTORY DEMO,AT 12500 ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED AND ONE WHEEL. NAVIGATION SYSTEM WORKS 25% OF THE TIME,FALSE WARNINGS ON HYDROLIC SYSTEM & BRAKE PADS ARE A CONTINUING ANNOYANCE.THE ARNAGE T IS EXCITING TO DRIVE BUT MY GUESS THE REAL EXCITEMENT STARTS WHEN THE WARRANTY STOPS. THE FIRST DEALER QUOTE ON REPLACING ONE TIRE WAS $700.

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  Next Time Around Will Be Ferrari! - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By John Telerico - September 11 - 5:00 am

  The interior of the Bentley Continental GT is pretty, but it has no headroom even without a sunroof. This car also has poor overall handling. The engine is strong off the line and above 70 mph. Its braking is no better than a Lincoln Navigators. The Continental GT is just too heavy. If you are over 6 feet tall, forget about comfort. Its quality has not met my expections, especially considering the fact that I had to wait a year for my ordered car to come in. This is a good car, its but far from great. It truly does nothing great.

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  Terrible electronics - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By 05bntly - December 23 - 4:33 am

  This car is absolutely gorgeous, is a blast to drive, but it is the worst quality new car I have ever owned. The electronics in the car fail in one way or another about every three weeks. One fourth of the miles on the car have been put on going back to the dealer for repairs. It is so bad, the car now qualifies for a buyback under my state Lemon Law. I am very disappointed with the quality of the electronics. Also, the customer service is very much below my expectaions for a car in this price range. My advice to anyone considering buying one is to wait till they get all the bugs worked out of the electonics in the car.