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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  Love It - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By J. R. - July 11 - 5:03 am

  This is the car! Ive owned a few luxury cars and a few Ferraris and this car is a great compromise between an everyday driver and a weekend fun car. Its very practical for everyday use with loads of performance for those spirited drive times.

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  Supersport - 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports
  By Jeremy - June 25 - 11:20 am

  I purchased this as a replacement to a 2008 GT Speed. Hard to believe that a few changes results in such a vastly improved vehicle. Handling is outstanding, transmission is much crisper. Drives like a Ferrari 599 with and auto transmission. Plus the iPod interface actually works. (finally!) Black wheels and trim looks good, but not all exterior colors work. Avoid browns and greens). This is a unique vehicle. Stunning performance, but with reliability and comfort that mean the car can be driven daily.

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  2004 Bentley Continential GT Rocks! - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By Christopher Kent - June 16 - 11:46 am

  Love this car. I have owned many high end sports cars, but this takes the cake. Had to pay $30,000 premium to get it from the dealers floor or wait 15 months. It was a no brainer. No regrets.

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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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  My Bentley - 2004 Bentley Continental GT
  By Rick Collins - March 16 - 10:00 am

  My Bentley is great. I just purchased three new cars, two for me and one for my wife. My wife has a Mercedes SL600, I havea BMW 760Li and my Bentley. My Bentley is by far my favorite car. I have it in the colors featured on the Edmunds site. I am 50 years old, and I remember lots of the old Bentleys, and this one is a blast from the past.

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  True oppulance and performane - 2005 Bentley Arnage
  By michael salimbene - March 5 - 12:42 pm

  The 2005 Bently Arnage is by far the most exciting, not to mention luxurious sport sedan ever made!! Every time I start the car (via the push button start) an uncontrollable grin is immovable from my face. The car is stunning! Having a good amount of experience with both the Mercedes-Benz S55 and S600 it would be silly to even compare the them to this car. The fit and finish is pure artwork. I highly reccomend this automobile

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  Bently Continental GT - 2004 Bentley Continental GT
  By bentlyguy97 - January 27 - 10:00 am

  This car is amazing. To anyone looking to purchase such a luxary car that still performs, you will be very happy with this car. And to those of you that already have one all I can say is HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!

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  its great when it is not in the shop - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By Bent - December 30 - 10:53 pm

  The car handles great and has plenty of power. The interior could be a little better thought out, but only a minor issue. Reliability is a huge problem. There is an electrical bug somewhere in this car and the Bentley service has been poor at best. The car has been in the shop at least 5 times in the last year, and it is still not right. Dealing with the problems has taken all the fun out of this car.

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  The Perfect Car - 2004 Bentley Continental GT
  By EMB - December 29 - 8:33 pm

  I have always been a Porsche owner, but ever since I purchased the Bentley GT, I dont even remeber what a Porsche looks like! I love everything about this car; great looks, tons of room and monster engine.