Bentley Brooklands
Encyclopedia
The Bentley Brooklands is a full-size luxury car introduced for 1992 as a replacement for the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight
models. It was intended as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Bentley Turbo R
, featuring the same styling, underpinnings and the Rolls-Royce 6.75 litre V8 engine
, but without the more powerful model's turbocharger.
The Brooklands was replaced by the Bentley Arnage
in 1998. At the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, Bentley resurrected the Brooklands nameplate for a two-door, four-seat coupé to be built for the 2008 model year.
's relatively angular design theme, which was also used on contemporary Rolls-Royce vehicles, throughout the 1980s
and early 1990s
. The exterior design featured the classic Bentley waterfall grille as well as dual headlights with wrap-around parking lights. As in many Bentley and Rolls-Royce
vehicles, the Brooklands also featured the trademark descending bootlid and chrome B-pillars.
The interior remained relatively unchanged from previous Bentley models with a more curvaceous design elements surrounding the leather wrapped centre console. The steering wheel and interior door panels remained unchanged. The interior continued to be surrounded by ample woodgrain which featured engraved, lighter-colored outlines on the door panels.
In the U.S. prices for the Brooklands started at around $
156,500.
V8 engine
with a four-speed automatic transmission
. The vehicle was rear-wheel drive, and featured independent front and rear suspension
. While not as large as some other ultra-luxury cars, the Brooklands remained quite large with an overall length of 5370 millimetres (211.4 in) and wheelbase
of 3162 millimetres (124.5 in) (5268 millimetres (207.4 in) and respectively 3061 millimetres (120.5 in) in SWB trim).
that is hand-assembled, employing traditional coach-building techniques and craftsmanship skills in wood veneer and leather hide. Lifetime production is planned for 550 cars, with deliveries expected to start in the first half of 2008.
The Brooklands is powered by a 6.75 litre Rolls-Royce
twin-turbocharged V8 engine
, producing 530 hp and 1050 newton metres (774 ft·lbf), the highest torque
ever developed by a production V8 engine. It featured on Top Gear in series 11 by Jeremy Clarkson, but due to the car having so much torque, one of the car's tyres blew out during a powerslide. It can achieve 0 to 60 mph (0 to 26.8 ) in around 5.0 seconds, and a top speed in the region of 296 kilometres per hour (183.9 mph). With an optional Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite braking system with 14 inches (35.6 cm) SGL Carbon
brake discs (only with 20 inch roadwheels), the new Brooklands offers more stopping power than any other passenger vehicle currently available for purchase.
This new coupé lacks a "B" pillar.
Specifications:
Bentley Eight
The Eight was Bentley's "entry-level" offering from 1984 until 1992. Distinguished mainly by a wire-mesh grille radiator instead of vertical slats, the Eight also had somewhat less equipment than the similar Mulsanne on which it was based. A firmer suspension offered slight handling improvements...
models. It was intended as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Bentley Turbo R
Bentley Turbo R
The Bentley Turbo R was a high-performance model produced by Bentley Motors Limited. The "R" stood for "roadholding", to set it apart from its predecessor. It initially inherited the turbocharged engine from the Mulsanne Turbo and also sported a retuned suspension and wider tires on alloy wheels, a...
, featuring the same styling, underpinnings and the Rolls-Royce 6.75 litre V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, but without the more powerful model's turbocharger.
The Brooklands was replaced by the Bentley Arnage
Bentley Arnage
The Bentley Arnage is a large luxury car produced by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage, and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the Spring of 1998, and were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.Another break...
in 1998. At the 2007 Geneva Auto Show, Bentley resurrected the Brooklands nameplate for a two-door, four-seat coupé to be built for the 2008 model year.
1992-1997 Brooklands
The Brooklands continued BentleyBentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
's relatively angular design theme, which was also used on contemporary Rolls-Royce vehicles, throughout the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and early 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. The exterior design featured the classic Bentley waterfall grille as well as dual headlights with wrap-around parking lights. As in many Bentley and Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
vehicles, the Brooklands also featured the trademark descending bootlid and chrome B-pillars.
The interior remained relatively unchanged from previous Bentley models with a more curvaceous design elements surrounding the leather wrapped centre console. The steering wheel and interior door panels remained unchanged. The interior continued to be surrounded by ample woodgrain which featured engraved, lighter-colored outlines on the door panels.
In the U.S. prices for the Brooklands started at around $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
156,500.
Technical specifications (1992-1997)
The 1992-1997 Brooklands was driven by a 6.75 litre Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce V8 engine
In the history of Rolls-Royce automobiles, only two distinct series of V8 engines have been produced. The first powered the 1905 "V-8" model and was made in very small numbers. The second was developed in the 1950s and was known internally as the "L Series" of engines...
V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
with a four-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. The vehicle was rear-wheel drive, and featured independent front and rear suspension
Independent suspension
Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other. This is contrasted with a beam axle, live axle or deDion axle system in which the wheels are linked – movement on one side affects...
. While not as large as some other ultra-luxury cars, the Brooklands remained quite large with an overall length of 5370 millimetres (211.4 in) and wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
of 3162 millimetres (124.5 in) (5268 millimetres (207.4 in) and respectively 3061 millimetres (120.5 in) in SWB trim).
2008 Brooklands Coupé
The Bentley Brooklands Coupé is a coupe version of the Bentley ArnageBentley Arnage
The Bentley Arnage is a large luxury car produced by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage, and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the Spring of 1998, and were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.Another break...
that is hand-assembled, employing traditional coach-building techniques and craftsmanship skills in wood veneer and leather hide. Lifetime production is planned for 550 cars, with deliveries expected to start in the first half of 2008.
The Brooklands is powered by a 6.75 litre Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce V8 engine
In the history of Rolls-Royce automobiles, only two distinct series of V8 engines have been produced. The first powered the 1905 "V-8" model and was made in very small numbers. The second was developed in the 1950s and was known internally as the "L Series" of engines...
twin-turbocharged V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, producing 530 hp and 1050 newton metres (774 ft·lbf), the highest torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
ever developed by a production V8 engine. It featured on Top Gear in series 11 by Jeremy Clarkson, but due to the car having so much torque, one of the car's tyres blew out during a powerslide. It can achieve 0 to 60 mph (0 to 26.8 ) in around 5.0 seconds, and a top speed in the region of 296 kilometres per hour (183.9 mph). With an optional Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite braking system with 14 inches (35.6 cm) SGL Carbon
SGL Carbon
SGL Carbon is one of the world's leading manufacturers of products from carbon. The company portfolio ranges from carbon and graphite materials to carbon fibers and composites...
brake discs (only with 20 inch roadwheels), the new Brooklands offers more stopping power than any other passenger vehicle currently available for purchase.
This new coupé lacks a "B" pillar.
Specifications:
- maximum rated motiveMotive powerIn thermodynamics, motive power is an agency, as water or steam, used to impart motion. Generally, motive power is defined as a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a mover. The term may also define something, as a locomotive or a...
powerPower (physics)In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
: 530 hp at 4,000 rpm - maximum torqueTorqueTorque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
: 1050 newton metres (774 ft·lbf) at 3,250 rpm: 5.0 seconds: 5.3 seconds - Top speed: 296 kilometres per hour (183.9 mph): 11.7 seconds
External links
- BentleyMotors.com official international portal
- Bentley Brooklands Image Gallery