By David Corbett

In the 1920s, Bentleys were famous for racing prowess, among other things.   After being acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931, both marques had nearly identical chassis and powerplant, though each had coachbuilders to give some variation.  But these cars were nothing like the sporting legacy of the early years.

Fast forward to the 1960s and 70s Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow and the Bentley T Series (twin sisters with a different nose)   Rolls-Royce replaced  the Silver Shadow (SY)  with the Silver Spirit and long wheelbase Silver Spur (SZ) .  The Bentley variant was the Bentley Eight and Bentley Mulsanne  – but still, basically a Rolls-Royce

Along came Bentley Chairman David Plastow and engineers John Hollings and Mike Dunn   They harkened back to the 1920s at LeMans.  They caught the bug to differentiate Bentley by creating a 5,400 pound sports car with luxurious appointments   And thus was born:   the Turbo R and its variants.

The engineers were given resources to create a performance saloon worthy of the legacy.  They began with a 50% reduction in body roll.  After all, the R stood for “road holding”.    The early Turbo R cars (20,000 series beginning in 1987) came with a fuel-injected V-8 boasting 297 hp and 486 lb ft of torque coupled with a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, retuned suspension, and  wider tyres.    Top speed: 150   0-60 in 6 seconds.   Pity the Ferrari revving its engine next to your proper Bentley at a red light.

A few tweaks were made over the 5,196 production run.   Of course, as tradition requires, there  are several limited editions.    The most expensive was the 1997-1998 RT, with a 6.75 litre 420 hp engine, a single Garrett T04 Turbocharger and suspension upgrades to handle the power.  Sadly, the RT was limited to 150mph.  252 cars were produced.  The RT is easily recognizable with its mesh grille.

Even more rare is the 1998-1999 Mulliner with 56 copies, of which 39 were left hand drive and only 7 short wheelbase.   My favorite feature of the Mulliner is the rear seat Speedometer.   That takes a back-seat driver to a higher level of annoyance.  A quick identifier is the smaller rear windscreen, crafted by Hooper

And if 56 units is not exclusive enough, there is the Bentley Turbo RT Olympia with just 4 copies, one of which is Left Hand drive.

Nothing says rock band better than a photo shoot with a Bentley Turbo R.   The raw horsepower of “Grosh” – with its driving bass and percussion –  matched to the precision and opulence of the guitars and vocals. . .    Much like the car itself.   Nimbly slipping through rush-hour traffic.  From idle to red line.    Nimble to ferocious.  Elegant and beastly.

By David Corbett