Thoughts on a Bentley Turbo R

I'm looking to get a mit 1990 Bentley Turbo R. Anyone care to share their experiences?

 

Great solid cars, only issues, dodgy pommie electrics, no LSD or traction control and brakes whilst great, work very hard in spirited driving. Many times I stopped only to have smoke literally pouring from the calipers. The Avon Turbospeed tyres they run, don't make much noise when they spin either. I still remember wondering why a cap wearing Merc SL driver had an incredulous look on his face as I pulled out of a side street listening to loud music, until I looked in my side mirror and saw a wall of smoke eminanting from the tyres. Great burnout machine!
Its easy to bump the pressure on the turbo and add an intercooler from a big hike in power too. They are the best handloing out of Merc 5/600, BMW 7, or Jag XJ from that generation, but not upto the current generation cars.
In summary one of the best Q cars on the road.

 

Spent 5 days in France alongside two of these cars in my 360. They are very quick, comfortable and suprisingly good round corners given the size and weight. I was impressed, very impressed

 

/it looks to me like a very nice car. I've heard its a "living room on wheels"

 

What kind of turbo pressure do they run stock? And what can you reliably bump it up to?

They look fantastic, good luck on your purchase/ownership.

 

From memory they are running around 8 PSI, but with an upgraded intercooler we bumped mine to 1 bar. I'd need to check the details though, it was almost 10 years ago. Before anyone makes any smart comments, yes I know it is sad, but I can't leave anything stock, not even a Bentley.

 

Try not to buy one that has been sitting around......get one that was driven regularily as this will result if fewer issues with the hydraulics and other typical British engineering problems.

 

I really hope you know what your getting into
These car are serious money to own and maintain. They make Ferrari look cheap!! If you get one besure to follw the advice of the people on this forum. Speak to as many people and mechanics as you can who have experiance with these cars. Remember they are a British car..that right there should be the first clue as to what you are getting into.

I'm by no means saying stay away..but from a mechanic's perspective..I would not touch one with a 10 foot pole. I won't even check the oil in one.

Beautiful cars to drive and look at...ugly on the pocket book and your sanity.

Tom

 

Ummm...is bentley ITALIAN????


As Tbakowsky said, while they are great fun, wonderful to drive and be in, your wallet wont appreciate it. That is not to say that they arent reliable, just make sure that the one you buy is well sorted and that the previous owner took good care of it. Also, they dont get very good gas mileage, but since this is a huge sedan with an even bigger engine, this is to be expected.
Have fun!

 

Against better judgement and sound advice I went out and purchased a 1990 Bentley Turbo R today. It had a complete respray and new connelly leather interior done two years ago. Cosmetically it is flawless. Mechanical there are some leaks in brakes, shocks, valve covers, nothing unexpected or major. Being on this site typically means we're not the practical sorts. You only live once and next to owning a Ferrari, I think driving a Bentley Turbo is the second most cherish experince to do once in a lifetime. There's something special about saying "let's take the bentley"

I plan on giving it a full service, add mesh grille and 7 spoke 17" 95 and up bentley rims.

I love to post photos, anyone have any idea on how?

Thanks for the insights guys, no one said it was a crappy car, just an expensive car to keep.

 

Grats on the new car! What does it feel like to drive something that has more torque than an oil tanker?

 

It's a heavy car so it doesn't have the instant response of a Audi S4 or Ferrari 348. More like a steam locomotive that just barrels down the road picking up speed.

 

Congrats! Show pics definitely when you can.

 

Congrats on the purchase, it is a great car. I have a Mulsanne, which is the same car as the Turbo R without the Turbo. It is not a cheap car to maintain as some of the sytems such as the electric breaks and air suspension are complex and prone to failure, but overall maintaining it shouldn't be worse then you would expect in a Bentley. Not really an everyday car but a nice car to take out to dinner. I also plan on putting the updated wheels on my car, as well as the updated Brooklands bumpers. I'm by no means an expert on these cars, but I am familiar since I have had mine for a few years. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about the Bentley.

 

The (may) 2001 EVO with the GT2 on the cover had a nice write-up and purchasing guide for Turbo Rs. THey said 93+ was the way to go, but that all of the cars, so long as they were well maintained, are rock solid.

Like a ferrari, they are cheaper to keep running if you keep up with the maintenance.

Let us know how you like the car. I just happened to re-read that article last night, and the thought popped into my head.

If you like, I can scan in the whole thing fo ryou.

--Dan

 

Congrats, I like the Bentleys. BTW ... Other Italian?

 

i have also considered a turbo r. stauffer had a hot rod turbo r advertised for some time. i could not bring my self to pull the trigger though.

i had owned a 84 guattroporte for three years and drove it regularly. i had always considered it the ultimate chariot! i had no problems w/ it except for the brakes and a suspension rebuild ($$$$) as a result of the excessive weight. i suspect that you may encounter similar susp. and brake issues so consider the cost to do annual maint on these areas.

i am still considering a turbo r as i think it is the true hotrod lincoln!!!

the price of admission is crazy cheap and represents a real value. again, buy the best documented car you can afford as you will pay less later.

if you buy, please keep us updated w/ your ownership experience.

lastly, other italian is the best site on this chat...so keep it here...its italian enough for me!

cheers, pcb

 

Congrats on the purchase! I bought a Red Label a while back and love it. Post pics when you can.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I must say... Geeves, she is utterly magnificent!!! Do you have any Grey Poupon?

 

Jeff: how is the red label holding up? Give us the low-down?

--Dan

 

Haven't had any issues yet. Runs strong and a really fun car for a sedan. Very solid and no rattles of any sort. Overall, I am pretty happy with it. I checked out the new Rolls the other day and that car is light years ahead of the Arnage although price is still in the 300's so can't really compare. If you are in the market, definately go take one for a spin. If you have any questions let me know.

 

Thanks for the words. I am at the point where I don't need a 4 door, but the Arnage Red Label / Arnage T are definetly the hotness, and finding a low-mileage '01 or thereabouts will save you 200k+ from whatever the first guy paid.

Now, I'll take it in dark titanium, black leather with quilted seats and roofliner, white stitching, and machined aluminium for all of the accents, including tray tables. Perrrrrfect.

--Dan

 

Congrats on the Turbo R purchase !!

You're right about the experience too......for some reason Bentley's are a fascinating car to drive.

I had the unique experience of inadvertantly being in the right place at the right time while standing on a street corner in downtown Calgary and watching a friend of mine park his Turbo R across the street in front of a major 4 star hotel. The valets were hopping and people were staring....the car had presence !!