2003 Bentley Arnage R Specs, Price, Models, & Review Summary

We expected the big sedan to be trucky and antiquated. But the Arnage R doesn't feel old so much as it feels like a mature-driver's car. Its stiffened body structure and tweaked mechanical bits allowed Bentley's suspension tuners to combine a supple ride with solid cornering power. While it's no lightweight sport sedan, body control and handling make it particularly agile for a 5700-pound machine. Steering is light and precise, with good on-center feel--you won't be tempted to turn this one over to the chauffeur.

The R's twin-turbo 6.75-liter/400-horsepower V-8 has more torque than an overwrought metaphor (616 lb-ft!), proving GM isn't the only automaker that can massage a pushrod engine to near-perfection. The higher-priced, harder-edged Arnage T offers even more power and torque and a stiffer suspension, but will owners want to give up the R's quiet subtlety?

The Arnage line has been pared down to the R, the T, and the long-wheelbase RL. The previous coupe is gone, and the Azure Final Series convertible has also just wrapped production. Shifting coupes and convertibles to the new Continental GT platform means a higher-volume, lower-priced, more profitable line.

More is on the way, as a Continental-based sedan is due a year after the GT coupe's launch. Its body will be more upright, and it reportedly will share little sheetmetal with the coupe. A convertible version of the GT should appear shortly after that. Bentley is still considering a Shooting Break ("Sketchpad," December 2002) and other variants, but hasn't yet finalized those decisions.

This lineup places Bentley firmly in the $150,000-$200,000 range. VW's Bugatti will take on higher-priced Rolls, Maybach, Ferrari, et al., so the British marque now occupies that nether space below those brands, but just north of top-drawer Mercedes and BMWs. It's a special place in the automotive world; one that emphasizes raw brutal power, exemplary dynamics, and masculine sporting attitude first, followed by heaps of luxury sedan.

Fast trucks, indeed.