Foundations are important. Stephen Hawking tells the anecdote of a scientist who had given a lecture on the orbits of the planets when he was approached by an old woman. "What you have told us is rubbish," she said to him. "The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." When asked what the turtle was standing on, she replied, "It's turtles all the way down!"
For Bentley, the "turtle" is its mighty alloy V-8 engine. Drawing heavily on Crewe's aircraft experience, the engine was introduced in 1959 as a 6.23-liter powerplant with a power rating of, simply, "adequate." Through various incarnations, Bentley's aluminum V-8 has been refined, retuned, resized, and exists to this day as the 6 3/4-liter V-8 in the Arnage and Brooklands. Thanks to twin turbochargers, the V-8's output has risen from "adequate" to 500 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque, but unlike the mega-powered German sedans, the sense of heritage — of driving something with a history longer than yours — prevents the power from seeming vulgar. There's a roaring dinner party going on under the hood, but everyone is speaking in library whispers.
As for the Arnage itself, the Final Edition includes most of the desirable "Mulliner" options, including a rear cocktail cabinet; picnic trays finished in your choice of veneer; "waistrails" with an inset chrome strip and recessed Bentley badges; four Bentley umbrellas; and "Final Series" shot glasses to accompany a "Final Series" stainless steel flask.
This marks the tenth year of production for the Arnage and the 50th of the Bentley V-8, so it's fitting that this should be Arnage's final send-off. A bittersweet one, to be sure, but one driven by demands for emissions and mileage and CO2 offsets. The new, VW Phaeton-based Continentals are superior cars in every way and somehow lesser, in our minds, than the Britons they're replacing. There is undoubtedly a program within Bentley to replace the Arnage in both price and prestige, but something doesn't sit right. Something that tells us the new car will be Volkswagens all the way down. Read Bentley's full press release HERE.
One of my better-equipped clients just purchased a Mulliner Brooklands Coupe... essentially a 2 door Arnage. What an automobile!
Bentley still knows how to hand build a proper auto and equip it with just the right blend of luxury and class... with just a bit of flair. Stuff that would look gaudy on anything else (the quilted seats for example) are so exquisitely made that they can pull it off brilliantly.
I've loved the Arnage from day one. Classic Bentley at it's best.
How many times can you rebuild a complex automotive component before you have two of them?
Foundations are important. Stephen Hawking tells the anecdote of a scientist who had given a lecture on the orbits of the planets when he was approached by an old woman. "What you have told us is rubbish," she said to him. "The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." When asked what the turtle was standing on, she replied, "It's turtles all the way down!"
She left out the 4 elephants.
Ron a.k.a. Arsigi - Spokane's Most Posted Go Cowboys! BPCDubs» - A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.
And no, I haven't seen any equipment of that sort!!
the arnage looks great
Quote, originally posted by kraut_pauer79 »
But that would only happen in my magical dreamworld, where VW dealers were a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-like experience, everything had 4Motion and only cost $12K, and the ORLY owls were my co-pilots.
Does final stand for "we will never have to see this outdated POS design again"???
jesus christ is there anything you do like? the arnage's design is classy and timeless. wtf are you smoking...
Quote, originally posted by kraut_pauer79 »
But that would only happen in my magical dreamworld, where VW dealers were a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-like experience, everything had 4Motion and only cost $12K, and the ORLY owls were my co-pilots.
I'd still rather have (another) Silver Shadow. The Arnage/Seraph and I just never hit it off. Starting with the Silver Spur, Crewe started the same magic trick as Jaguar - building huge luxury cars that somehow get smaller inside with every generation.
I'm saddened that the V8's finally going out - it was ingenius how long they were able to keep it going. That was out of necessity though - before BMW and VW took over, Rolls-Royce/Bentley couldn't afford to develop another new engine.
Does final stand for "we will never have to see this outdated POS design again"???
I wish Vortex banned people for being prats. Do you even like cars? I mean seriously, I don't think I've ever seen you make a post that was remotely positive about anything related to automobiles ever.
For the most part. If memory serves, it's also the cucumber capital of Japan. Hence the home-market ads for the FT-86 featuring Takeichi-kun, the cartoon cucumber whose meteoric rise through the underground drift world has shamed him in the eyes of his school-master.
So the moral of the story is: foundations are BS? Or are turtles important?
The question is, why do people think its evidence of discerning taste to praise the old and condemn the new. You do know that the Arnage is nothing but a rebadged old Rolls Royce, which looks nice on the surface, but is as sofisticated as a GM pick up when you get under its skin. If Walter Owen saw what was being still being labeled a Bentley in 2008, he'd use a swear word to express his displeasure. From Le Mans winning racing cars, being the Ferrari of its day, to a rebadged Glam Rock accessory which was rubbish when it was new. Thank God that the plebians at Volkswagen couldn't care less about the freaking turtles.
I love these cars... one of my dreams is an Arnage T. But can't they source their dash equipment from somewhere besides the VW parts bin? I spend a couple hundred thousand dollars on a car I don't want to be looking down at MkIV GLI ****. Seriously.
Regarding the Scirocco being brought to the US market:
Quote, originally posted by Big Morgan »
Set for release in 2009... in the month of Nevuary
For advertising information Click Here
- Spokane's Most Posted 
