2005 Bentley Arnage Review

Specifications

The Worlds Most Exclusive Limousine

No matter how many toys the one you love has, you can be sure that Bentleys new Arnage Limousine is one thats not already parked out in the garage. Thats because the revered luxury marque will only build twenty examples, and in so doing create the most exclusive luxury car on the planet. Also, your significant other will need to live in, or at least have a residence or office in Europe to take advantage.

As if the Bentley Arnage wasnt already special enough, the automakers Mulliner custom coach building division has stretched its wheelbase to a total of 140.4 inches, a process that results in much greater rear seat room and the privacy of a deeper D-pillar. Additionally, numerous over-the-top luxury appointments add to the ambiance, creating a car worthy of being driven in.

Of course being driven in a Bentley is the stuff of royalty, truly. The brands other stretched saloon, the State Limousine, was specially built for and then given to Her Majesty the Queen of England on May 29th, 2002, as a gift in recognition of her Golden Jubilee year.

The new Arnage Limousine was first shown at this years Geneva International Salon last March, and due to a great deal of interest it has been put into very limited production. The fortunate twenty clients that get to take an example home will experience Bentleys usual unrivaled craftsmanship, taken a step further, in the same bespoke tradition as classic low production models of the 1920s and 30s.

The new limousines will be handbuilt, meeting the individual needs and desires of each customer by offering pretty well any surface finish, feature and convenience money can buy, whether it be outrageous opulence or a more practical fully-integrated mobile office. This means no two Arnage Limousines are to be made alike. For this reason each version can take up to 6,000 man hours to manufacture, and even more if armor plate protection, integrated during the build process, is ordered.

“The Arnage Limousine is the epitome of Mulliner craftsmanship,” commented Ashley Wickham, head of projects, Bentley Mulliner. “Everything you can see - from the beautiful line of the new D-pillar to the stainless steel sills - was shaped by hand. Thats why a Mulliner-built Bentley can take up to 6,000 man hours to complete. It is a labour of love.”

Rather than using the already longer wheelbase RL sedan as a donor platform for the new limousine, Bentley starts each of the twenty off from its “entry-level” Arnage R, before reinforcing the subframes and upgrading various suspension components.

Despite the extra weight incurred from making the car larger, the stock Arnage 6.75-liter V8 engine doesnt need modification due to a motivating 400-horsepower that spools up via twin-turbochargers to produce 616 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm. This translates into a sprint from standstill to 60 mph in merely 6.6 seconds, not as quick as a base R but still impressive for a limousine. And whats more, even with its tremendous power Bentleys V8 achieves Euro IV and US LEV emissions standards.

The engine is as beautifully displayed as its power is awe-inspiring to contemplate. Bucking a trend of covering mechanicals with a sculpted shroud, something that started in the premium class, Bentley veils the less appealing open area of the engine bay and through the center exposes enough polished aluminum to make a hotrod buff salivate.

I drove a 2004 Arnage R a while back, and can attest that its an impressive machine. Its robust 4-speed automatic is velvety smooth, kicks down quickly albeit imperceptibly and, due to Adaptive Shift Control, is quite sporting in the curves.

Yes, believe it or not the Arnage is extremely agile, unlike most full-size luxury cars in this class. During my previous drive I stole through the snaking California coastal highway system, up over crests and down into deeply descending dips, around long sweeping arcs and then switching back through sharp curves. No matter the roadway, the Arnage R charged forward relentlessly, only bettered by the more sporting T that I also sampled, and even more so by the 2005 T Mulliner I recently drove throughout Washington States Olympic Peninsula.

It drives so well because of a double wishbone independent front and rear suspension setup, but due to the added curb weight the limousine will get enhanced springs and reinforced subframes. These work together with Bentleys computer-controlled adaptive electro-hydraulic damping system (ARC) allowing optimal ride and handling balance no matter the forces exhibited on the chassis.

The brake calipers are upgraded to 8-cylinder units up front and 4-cylinder components in the rear, clamping down on ventilated alloy discs for impressive braking performance with little fade after repeated operation, according to Bentley. The stock brakes certainly work well in the Arnage I previously tested, and therefore these uprated binders needed for the heavier car should perform equally.

But as exciting as the new Arnage was to drive, what initially took my breath away were the changes made to its classic styling. While still unmistakably a Bentley, the 2005 Arnage streamlines the look with a more integrated wrap-around front fascia-fender assembly and exposed xenon low and halogen high beam quad headlamps, losing the glass covered beams and any resemblance to the old Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph in the process. The new Arnage also deletes the large vertical turn signals at each front corner, integrating them into the outside headlights for a much cleaner appearance instead.

The updated bumpers integrate headlamp power-washers which retract away “invisibly” when not in use. Bentley also offers the choice of either a matrix or vaned pattern on the modified radiator grille. The 2005 cars hood bulges at center more so than last years Arnage, melding more fluidly with the radiator shell.

The Arnages profile and rear end designs are pretty well identical to the current car, excepting new wheels for all trim levels in the former and a splash of chrome surrounding the license plate indent on the Arnage R with regards to the latter.

The new limousine will also get the Arnages updated interior treatment, which includes improved driver ergonomics due to hidden secondary controls, updated instruments and switchgear, a new DVD-based navigation system, and completely upgraded dashboard top.

The center console features upgraded climate control and heating, ventilation and air conditioning switchgear, while buttons for the power windows are now more intuitively arranged for ease of operation. Those hidden secondary controls spoken of in the previous paragraph include actuators for the power seats, memory functions and seat heater, now located beneath a sliding panel behind the gear lever.

The concealment process doesnt stop there, with Bentleys quest to simplify the cabins appearance incorporating sliding wood panels that hide the audio system interface, ancillary ventilation controls, and ashtray.

Yet as attractive as the new Arnage R is inside and out, its not as stately as the new Arnage Limousine, which breaks from Bentleys driver-oriented tradition in order to deliver unparalleled rear seat comfort.

The extra length added to the limos cabin looks regal as well, especially in the D-pillar where 8.0 inches has been added alone. The same length was added to the rear doors, making ingress and egress extremely easy. The front seats are only slightly more accessible, due to a 2.0 inch increase in door width, which means the owner can hire a larger driver, who can double as a more intimidating body guard.

Extending the Arnages D-pillar, rear and front doors, instead of just the rear quarter, being how most limousine builders stretch the metal, allows a continuity of form, keeping the Arnage Limousine true to the donor cars classic profile, rather than the disproportionate designs and resultant graceless shapes most limos exude.

Finishing off the original show car was a two-tone pain scheme, the hood, cabin and trunk lid in Royal Burgundy and black nose and side panels. The car also featured stainless steel sills and bumpers.

Rather than fire all of its guns at once, Bentley Mulliner chose to not endow its show cars interior with every option possible, but rather keep it restrained. After all, the customer would have an easier time painting a “blank canvas” than a car fitted with someone elses features, luxury appointments and material choices. Therefore the Geneva car featured a more classic patina of linen and burgundy leathers, combined with dark walnut veneer. The result is an airy cabin that feels more spacious than one trimmed with dark blue or black hides, for instance.

To come to this decision, however, Arnage Limousine buyers wont have to go down to a Bentley dealership, but rather a factory representative will visit them within their own home or office, show samples of leathers and woods while discussing which of a myriad of options will best suit the car of their dreams.

The high-level service doesnt stop once the car is ordered, of course, but continues with personal delivery when completed and a follow-up service appointment once per year including a full inspection of the vehicle, for the duration of the warranty.

And just what are some features a customer can order? The Geneva car featured a large, comfortable rear bench seat, replacing the standard individual rear buckets. Optional electrically-powered footrests can slide backwards and upwards upon request, capable of supporting the feet and/or calves for total, complete comfort.

Of course, a DVD entertainment system is included, with large 12-inch monitors fixed to the rear of each front seat. The screens can be LCD or plasma, depending on a clients budget, or individual larger screen TVs can be integrated into the cars rear quarters. Similarly a computer can be built-in with wireless access to the web.

Other niceties can include a bar with cooler, a cigar humidor, or for that matter, pretty well anything any customer wants to integrate. Thats the beauty of having a coach builder such as Mulliner on the Bentley team, anything can be done to satisfy the unique desires of a client.

While I previously just mentioned the availability of armor protection, the extent Bentley goes to protect its customers who order the option merits attention. Rather than just adding plating, bullet proof windows and other protective components, the British firm begins the armor integration before the Arnage Limousine is built, incorporating armor right to the bare body shell. While benefiting by having the armor treated with anti-corrosion paints from the beginning, the most significant advantage to this process is the assurance of the cars engineering integrity. Bentley doesnt need to compromise when placing armored materials where needed, but rather can incorporate them into the design from the beginning for ultimate protection.

The automaker also states this process allows the weight of the armored materials to be spread more evenly throughout the car, therefore not impeding upon the limousines ride and handling characteristics as much as would otherwise be. It also means that any additional materials will be discreetly hidden away, and excepting the thicker protective glass, to those not familiar with armored vehicles the differences would be minimal compared to a stock Arnage Limousine.

“Bentley Mulliner has one purpose - to provide our customers with the Bentley that they want, not the Bentley we want to sell them,” stated Derek Davies, brand director, Bentley Mulliner. “Many of our customers are used to a certain level of service from other car companies, but without fail they are amazed by what we can do to meet their needs. Other carmakers may claim to offer thousands of choices but Bentley Mulliners option list is genuinely infinite - we will do whatever it takes to provide the bespoke car. Put simply, no two Bentley Mulliner cars are the same because no two customers are the same.”

If youve never heard of Mulliner, well it would be understood as most new car buyers arent privileged enough to be on Bentleys Christmas card list, and even most of those dont spend the extra coin to upgrade to a Mulliner edition model. For your interest, Mulliner started out coach building, literally. The name has been in the finest circles for close to 250 years, from when the company built horse-drawn coaches for the Royal Mail.

When the automotive era began Mulliner instead produced custom bodies and upgraded interiors for what have become some of Bentleys most memorable and revered collector cars. The first Bentley to get modified by HJ Mulliner was for the 1924 London Olympia
Show, a full 80 years ago, while his most famous car was the R-Type Continental of 1952, considered the fastest 4-seat sports car of the time, and inspirational to the design team of the current Continental GT. Bentley Motors now owns Mulliner, after purchasing it in 1959 under then parent company Rolls-Royce. The tradition of handbuilt luxury continues with all Bentleys massaged by Mulliner, especially the Arnage Limousine.

And when can the cars twenty customers expect to take delivery? Production starts in February of next year, with the end dates appearing some 6,000 or so man hours later, depending on just how many options each buyer specifies. “

The price? It starts at 270,000 British pounds, or the equivalent of about $525,000 U.S. dollars if it was available here. For such exclusivity and otherworldly attention to detail, that seems quite reasonable, dont you think?