Bentley Arnage

[Ierton]

I know there are a couple of Bentley owners lurking - has anyone owned an Arnage? Would be interested on views on servicing costs etc and real world differences between the BMW and Rolls Royce engines.

 

[Charles Morgan]

I haven't owned an Arnage, but I did own a Bentley Turbo R, and I have a friend who owns a Bentley Arnage with a BMW V8. Servicing and maintenance costs are high, they are big heavy cars reaching the age when things do go wrong. I would only ever want the 6.75 l V8 - the torque is absolutely phenomenal and totally effortless.

 

[LTD]

My boss had an Arnage Red Label.

Serving costs ? If you have to ask ...

Turbo failure can be a 5 figure job - with no decimal points.

 

[stumpy1]

What is your budget to buy and then maintain?

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

H.R. Owen. fixed price servicing. 40k £1679 50k £719 50k 06 my £1529 60k 1399 rear discs and pads a tad over £1000.
Extra items like all other cars are charged extra.

 

[stumpy1]

The engine choice between the 4.4 or 6.75 is only part of the story. Important upgrades and spec changes arrived with the red label from around 2001.

 

[WOODYTHEWISE]

Give 'Bentley Arnage' a Google, lots of information on there. Both on the Green label and red label.

 

[Ierton]

Budget around £30k for the car. Don't really want to pay more than £3k a year for average service items - pads, discs, plugs, tyres etc.

The M6 isn't cheap to run - average 12.5mpg around town, 19mpg on a run. Tyres £1200 a set, discs & pads £1k all round.

 

[stumpy1]

Budget around £30k for the car. Don't really want to pay more than £3k a year for average service items - pads, discs, plugs, tyres etc.

The M6 isn't cheap to run - average 12.5mpg around town, 19mpg on a run. Tyres £1200 a set, discs & pads £1k all round.

That is a healthy budget to buy the right car with evidence of proper maintenance. It's the big ticket stuff that willbust your 3k running costs but buy the correct car and you will be fine.

IMO the Arnage R is a nicer drive than the T but that is just me.

 

[Ierton]

Is the R the Red Label 6.8 with a single turbo - the T the 6.8 twin turbo? Is Mulliner a trim version?

I've heard that the leather is of a better quality in post 2003 cars - any truth to this that you're aware of?

 

[stumpy1]

Yes, Mulliner level 1&2 were trim levels with nice touches. Later leather is of better quality. Many early cars were actually retrimmed by the factory as the original hides were so poor.

Best to go and drive one though as coming from an M6 it might be quite a shock.

 

[stumpy1]

Both R and T have bi-turbos. The R is de-rated and has softer suspension, softer seats etc and is my it is my preferred steer. The T can be a bit crashy and not as soothing as you'd think. But many prefer the spoerier image of the T with the quilted seats. The R is a lot rarer. There is a peach for sale for 34k in the classic Peacock blue and Mag.

 

[Ierton]

Thanks.

I'm probably going to be looking for Mason's Black with the black/aluminium dash if possible. Probably not traditional but this is the sort of thing - though out of budget (and not convinced by the indicator deletion).

 

[stumpy1]

Triple black as it is known in Bentley parlance is desirable and the facelift cars worth looking out for.

 

[Ierton]

I've made enquiries about this car. It's quite a distance from me so probably will have to wait until the New Year to view.

Also found an online brochure which has some useful info.

 

[Red C220]

I've made enquiries about this car. It's quite a distance from me so probably will have to wait until the New Year to view.

Also found an online brochure which has some useful info.

That's lovely.

Must be like driving a Gentlemans Club around.

I do have a soft spot for these, they have huge presence form simply being, well, huge.

 

[LTD]

That's one gorgeous motor vehicle.

... and to think it's as cheap as a C-Class or BMW, albeit with higher running costs.

Life is too short ...

 

[st13phil]

Must be like driving a Gentlemans Club around.

Funny you say that.

One of my old Uni mates worked for Royce's at Crewe back in the 1980's and told me of a review published in America by a well-respected motoring writer who described the then current Mulsanne Turbo as "like driving a jet-propelled English drawing room"

RR reckoned at the time that that one sentence accounted for 10's of extra sales in the USA.

 

[Red C220]

I wonder how much the warranty will cost, you'd have to have a warranty on a motor like that.

 

[Charles Morgan]

The Turbo R I owned certainly sounded like a rocket propelled wood-panelled room. All it did was creak and groan!