Bentley Says Brooklands Destined to Become a Classic

In 1997, production of the Bentley Brooklands was discontinued after it was replaced as the brand’s flagship by the Bentley Arnage. At this year’s Geneva International Auto Show though, a new generation of the Brooklands was unveiled. During the event, the company announced that the new Brooklands will be made available for the 2008 model year.

Recently, at the opening of a new dealership in Istanbul, Turkey, Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive Josef Paefgen declared that the Brooklands is on its way to becoming a classic. The declaration came after the first year production of the Brooklands were sold out in no time after it was introduced in the market.

“The interest in Brooklands since its unveiling in Geneva has exceeded our expectations. It is surely destined to become a collectors’ classic,” says Paefgen.

According to British car manufacturer which is currently a subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group, only 550 units of the coupe will be made in its lifetime. This small number of production ensures that the Brooklands will be rare and is definitely on the right track to becoming truly an instant classic.

One of the most notable standout features of the Brooklands is its interior space which provides adequate room for four grownups to be seated comfortably inside the coupe. Aside from the interior of the coupe, the exterior also has a strong tendency to capture the attention of luxury car buyers. Its muscular yet sleek design gives it the unique styling that is unmistakably a Bentley tradition. Concerning the design of the Brooklands luxury coupe, Raul Pires, the Head of External for the company, has this to say: “We wanted to capture the muscularity, glamour and beauty of iconic two-door Bentleys from the past to achieve a handsome coupe with real presence.”

The Brooklands is built around a chassis designed to handle the demand of the 6 3/4 –liter V8 engine. This powerplant is rated to produce as much as 530 horsepower or 395 kW. The engine that the Brooklands comes equipped with produces the most torque of all automotive V8 engines. It produces as much as 774 lb-ft of torque.

With the chassis, engine and transmission working imperfection, the Brooklands can reach a speed of 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just 5 seconds. Its top speed is rated to be 184 miles per hour. According to Bentley, the coupe can reach 70 miles per hour from 50 miles per hour in just 2.4 seconds. Brian Gush, the director for chassis and powertrain of the carmaker, has this to say about the design of the V8 engine: “Our prime objective was to unlock the power potential of the amazingly flexible V8, allowing it to breathe more efficiently.”

The engine of the Brooklands is complemented by a free-flowing air induction system and sports exhaust which reduces back pressure which robs power from the engine. The exhaust system of the Brooklands offers efficiency similar to that of Flowmaster exhaust components. The engine’s recalibrated valve timing and active engine management systems keep fuel consumption to a respectable level.

To complement the power output of the V8 engine, the Brooklands is equipped with the most efficient brake system in any coupe in the world. It has the largest brake discs of any production passenger vehicle today. Under normal driving operations, the brake pads of the Brooklands can last up to twice the lifetime of the coupe.