Motoring
The feel of quality
Alan Judd
It shrinks around you,' the Rolls-Royce 'man said as I manoeuvred £137,000 worth of Bentley Turbo R out of the showroom, taking care not to knock the shop painters off their ladders. He was right: this big, powerful comfortable motor soon fits like a glove and feels as nimble as a mongoose. More surprisingly, the price also shrinks. I thought I would never pay £137,000 for a car, even if I could, but after 50 miles found myself making adjustments along the lines of 'If £137,000 meant what £1,370 means now . . . '
Its success is to combine the best of the traditional with the contemporary. The upright Rolls inheritance can be traced in its elegant lines and the dashboard and fur- nishings are clear, uncluttered and luxuri- ous. Its height and lack of sills make stepping in and out almost as much a plea- sure as driving, and easing yourself into the wood and leather is, I imagine, like slipping into a very good fur. It has all the electron- ic wizardry of other luxury cars, though less obtrusively. You are not pestered by buzzes and flashes but the steering-wheel politely lifts itself out of the way when you embark and disembark, you are warned when there's ice about, the seats remember you and the gearbox adapts to your style. You can have fridge, computer, television, lap- top and modem and so on if you want, but this was the base model: no frills, just luxu- ry, breeding and performance.
And performance. Beneath that gleam- ing bonnet is a 6.75 litre V8 generating 385 bhp and 550 ft/lbs of torque. This means effortless, untiring power and acceleration, like being catapulted from the deck of a carrier (0-60 in about 5.9 seconds, top speed about 155 mph and it weighs well over two tons). It can also move as gently and quietly as a cat.
The pleasing paradox of driving cars of this size and power is that they generally compel good behaviour, as if imparting something of their own breeding. Audience reaction was also largely favourable; I had feared resentment or abuse, or worse, but in 600 miles perceived only courtesy and admiring gestures (I think), so I persuaded myself I was giving pleasure to others, too. The one exception was an angry Cavalier that tried to mount the Bentley's boot, with much aggressive revving. Normally the least competitive of drivers, content to be overtaken by milk-floats, I sensed a ripple of irritation cross my cloudless brow, and opened the taps. There was a prolonged whoosh, and within seconds the pest had dwindled to a speck in the mirror. The point made, I later slowed to let him catch up and pass, which took some time.
Many cars go fast, of course, but what makes this different is the feel of quality, beginning with the weight of the doors and proceeding through the smell of the interi- or and the whole sensual surround, to the sheer aptness of the driving position and thoughtful simplicity of operation. Every- thing feels and looks right, from the solid switches to the sliding mahogany panels placed considerately over the vanity mir- rors. My wife, who despairs of modern car interiors, felt that this was exactly what a car should be; why weren't they all built like it?
A 24,000-mile service costs £549.21 including parts but plus VAT, while the smaller 'summer' service cost less than half. The radio is too modern for my taste, packed with buttons too small to fiddle with easily when you're driving. There's less room in the back than you'd expect, though this was the short wheelbase ver- sion (the turning circle, however, is excel- lent). In deference to its high performance, Bentley have added an exhaust note and hardened the suspension so that you can feel the road.
When lent the BMW 75011 (Motoring, 30 December 1995) I counted 121 knobs and switches. In this there are 70. BMW regarded their competition as Bentley, Mercedes and Jaguar. You could buy two 750i1s for the price of the Turbo R, but Bentley reckon their competition is not so much other cars as people choosing to do other things with their money.
My final question of a luxury car is, would I recommend it to Conrad Black, proprietor of The Spectator? I've yet to try top-of-the-range Mercedes and Jaguars, but on this showing the Bentley has to be a definite yes, though he's tall and if he's going to sit in the back, he might prefer the more popular long wheelbase. This, I would assure him, is a motor-car; all else is a compromise. It's built to be driven for life, and it would make economic sense to do just that.
When I tried to return it, the showroom was locked. 'She', the painters told me, was getting a sandwich. There was a Jaguar owner on the doorstep, pondering defec- tion. I tried to sell him mine, sat him in it, opened the bonnet and so on, but he escaped, clearly thinking there was some- thing funny going on. The painters offered to give 'her' the keys when she returned. I considered my £137,000 responsibility; my own lunch was waiting.
`Got an 86 Silver Spirit meself,' the first painter confided. 'In settlement of a debt, like. 'Ad to get rid of me yacht to pay for the 50,000 service. But I really like it.'
So would I. I gave him the keys.
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