A classic Bentley Turbo R faces off against a new Mulsanne Speed in the Brecon Beacons
For decades Bentley motor cars were overshadowed by the models of the Rolls-Royce marque. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, they were made using the finest materials by skilled craftspeople, as were Rolls-Royces.
But they were effectively badge-engineered vehicles, slightly less ostentatious versions of the luxury cars regarded as the best in the world.
It was much the same when the Silver Spirit and Mulsanne replaced the Silver Shadow and T Series in 1980. At the time of their launch around 90 per cent of the models produced in Crewe wore the Spirit of Ecstasy as a radiator grille mascot with the remainder sporting the flying B.
In 1982 we began to witness a shift in how the company wanted both brands to be perceived with the launch of the Mulsanne Turbo. It produced around 50 per cent more power than a Mulsanne or Silver Spirit, and perhaps the pivotal moment that defined the start of the delineation of both brands arrived in 1985 with the launch of the Turbo R.
For decades Bentley motor cars were overshadowed by the models of the Rolls-Royce marque. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, they were made using the finest materials by skilled craftspeople, as were Rolls-Royces.
But they were effectively badge-engineered vehicles, slightly less ostentatious versions of the luxury cars regarded as the best in the world.
It was much the same when the Silver Spirit and Mulsanne replaced the Silver Shadow and T Series in 1980. At the time of their launch around 90 per cent of the models produced in Crewe wore the Spirit of Ecstasy as a radiator grille mascot with the remainder sporting the flying B.
In 1982 we began to witness a shift in how the company wanted both brands to be perceived with the launch of the Mulsanne Turbo. It produced around 50 per cent more power than a Mulsanne or Silver Spirit, and perhaps the pivotal moment that defined the start of the delineation of both brands arrived in 1985 with the launch of the Turbo R.
Unlike the Mulsanne Turbo, the Turbo R had a much stiffer suspension set-up and had an enviable degree of wieldiness for a saloon weighing more than two tonnes to go with all that power.
I took ownership of a 1988 Turbo R in 2012, and, 30 years after the first Turbo R was launched, decided to pit it against the modern equivalent on the roads of the Brecon Beacons.
Obviously, the more modern car would be the victor when it comes to measuring dynamics over the conventional benchmarks.
But perhaps a more pertinent comparison would be whether the Bentley flagship of today under almost 20 years of Volkswagen ownership, has anything in common with its ancestor, perhaps the first truly high-performance Bentley since the 1950s.
The Mulsanne Speed – while not the quickest Bentley saloon – certainly matches the Turbo R’s position as the top model in the Bentley range.
I took ownership of a 1988 Turbo R in 2012, and, 30 years after the first Turbo R was launched, decided to pit it against the modern equivalent on the roads of the Brecon Beacons.
Obviously, the more modern car would be the victor when it comes to measuring dynamics over the conventional benchmarks.
But perhaps a more pertinent comparison would be whether the Bentley flagship of today under almost 20 years of Volkswagen ownership, has anything in common with its ancestor, perhaps the first truly high-performance Bentley since the 1950s.
The Mulsanne Speed – while not the quickest Bentley saloon – certainly matches the Turbo R’s position as the top model in the Bentley range.
Larger and heavier than the all-wheel drive Flying Spur, it comes with a bespoke V8 engine designed for the Mulsanne in 2010, replacing the earlier Crewe-built V8 that had been powering Rolls-Royces and Bentley’s in some form or other since 1958. At six-and-three-quarter litres, it has the same displacement as the Turbo R, although with two turbos it packs a rather firmer punch.
Setting both cars alongside each other, most observers would suggest an aesthetic victory for the Turbo R. It has a more modern look than the T Series it replaced, and lacks the curves that were a hangover from the days when most Rolls-Royces and Bentleys were sent to coachbuilders for bodies.
And I’m glad my car has the Rolls-Royce grille rather than the mesh introduced in 1984 with the Bentley Eight and became commonplace with the Brooklands of 1993. The Chrysler 300C has certainly damaged any exclusivity attached to the mesh arrangement, even though it’s part of Bentley’s racing heritage.
Setting both cars alongside each other, most observers would suggest an aesthetic victory for the Turbo R. It has a more modern look than the T Series it replaced, and lacks the curves that were a hangover from the days when most Rolls-Royces and Bentleys were sent to coachbuilders for bodies.
And I’m glad my car has the Rolls-Royce grille rather than the mesh introduced in 1984 with the Bentley Eight and became commonplace with the Brooklands of 1993. The Chrysler 300C has certainly damaged any exclusivity attached to the mesh arrangement, even though it’s part of Bentley’s racing heritage.
The Mulsanne Speed on the other hand looks like it’s trying to hard for aping those lines from the 1950s and 1960s, in the way mock-Tudor architecture does. However, from some angles, it’s possible to trace the lineage of the modern Bentley back to the Turbo R.
We headed to South Wales in convoy from the East Midlands on a hot August afternoon, the air conditioning in both cars working hard to keep the cabins cool.
The first major difference between them was shown on the relaxed motorway run. The Mulsanne Speed, with its eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox was showing 25mpg on the trip computer. I know from experience that the Turbo R is capable of 20mpg in these conditions when driven gently, with 2,200rpm at 70mph in top (third) gear.
One thing they both have in common is a red line at a remarkably low 4,500rpm. Many diesel cars now have higher rev limits. But a major part of the appeal of these leviathans is the relaxed way in which they deliver their substantial power. But while the Speed has maximum torque from 1,750rpm, the turbo in the older car doesn’t really spool up until around 3,000rpm. It means the Turbo R needs to be worked a bit harder to get the best response.
A few sharp showers hit as we reached South Wales. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise knowing that the lush green countryside wouldn’t be like that without a lot of rain. By the following morning, the showers had turned to persistent rain falling from leaden skies.
The Bentleys headed up the Afan Valley along the A4017 as the road rose into the hillside next to the river. A tight hairpin gave the Mulsanne’s stability control a work-out, before catapulting the 2.6-tonne saloon along the serpentine road as it stretched relentlessly toward the clouds. The Turbo R had no such luxury – a sensitive right foot and a relatively fresh set of Avon Turbospeed rubber to help disperse the surface water.
We headed to South Wales in convoy from the East Midlands on a hot August afternoon, the air conditioning in both cars working hard to keep the cabins cool.
The first major difference between them was shown on the relaxed motorway run. The Mulsanne Speed, with its eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox was showing 25mpg on the trip computer. I know from experience that the Turbo R is capable of 20mpg in these conditions when driven gently, with 2,200rpm at 70mph in top (third) gear.
One thing they both have in common is a red line at a remarkably low 4,500rpm. Many diesel cars now have higher rev limits. But a major part of the appeal of these leviathans is the relaxed way in which they deliver their substantial power. But while the Speed has maximum torque from 1,750rpm, the turbo in the older car doesn’t really spool up until around 3,000rpm. It means the Turbo R needs to be worked a bit harder to get the best response.
A few sharp showers hit as we reached South Wales. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise knowing that the lush green countryside wouldn’t be like that without a lot of rain. By the following morning, the showers had turned to persistent rain falling from leaden skies.
The Bentleys headed up the Afan Valley along the A4017 as the road rose into the hillside next to the river. A tight hairpin gave the Mulsanne’s stability control a work-out, before catapulting the 2.6-tonne saloon along the serpentine road as it stretched relentlessly toward the clouds. The Turbo R had no such luxury – a sensitive right foot and a relatively fresh set of Avon Turbospeed rubber to help disperse the surface water.
After losing height toward Treorchy, we headed through the town to pick up the A4061 toward Rhigos and Hirwaun. With a few more open hairpins, space allowed the roads to be tackled with a little more gusto, although, unsurprisingly, the younger Bentley maintained the upper hand for responses.
But that’s not really what we’re here to find out. The latest Mulsanne differs somewhat from the ‘smaller’ Bentleys that share a platform with other models in the Volkswagen Group. The wood door cappings are made from a solid piece of timber, machined to fit snugly against the corresponding dashboard panel. On a Continental GT, Flying Spur or Bentayga, fine wood veneers are fixed to an aluminium backing before they are lacquered and polished. Although all are assembled in Crewe, the new Mulsanne is more in keeping with traditional methods.
But that’s not really what we’re here to find out. The latest Mulsanne differs somewhat from the ‘smaller’ Bentleys that share a platform with other models in the Volkswagen Group. The wood door cappings are made from a solid piece of timber, machined to fit snugly against the corresponding dashboard panel. On a Continental GT, Flying Spur or Bentayga, fine wood veneers are fixed to an aluminium backing before they are lacquered and polished. Although all are assembled in Crewe, the new Mulsanne is more in keeping with traditional methods.
Up to nineteen hides are used in creating a full leather interior in the latest Mulsanne, depending on exact specification. The Turbo R’s used 17 Connolly hides to craft its interior.
It also has four deep-pile lambs wool rugs as standard. The Mulsanne Speed had been specified with optional Wilton carpet rugs, which gives it a more modern feel, although lambs wool can be chosen as a higher option.
I’d suggest the seats in the old Turbo R offer better comfort on a long journey too, for all the multiple adjustment offered in the Mulsanne speed.
Of course, the Mulsanne of today is still built by highly skilled craftspeople at the Crewe factory, and the investment in the site as a result of Volkswagen Group ownership has been invaluable in maintaining Bentley’s status as one of the best known luxury brands in the world.
And the Mulsanne Speed does capture the ethos of some of the best-remembered Bentley models of the previous 90 years. Would I buy one? Well if I was in the category of wealth where I could afford to put a Bentley on my shopping list (as part of a collection of maybe half a dozen expensive cars, as would be the case with most owners), I probably would.
As things stand, maybe I’ll wait a couple of decades until these models depreciate to within my budget . . .
By Simon Harris
It also has four deep-pile lambs wool rugs as standard. The Mulsanne Speed had been specified with optional Wilton carpet rugs, which gives it a more modern feel, although lambs wool can be chosen as a higher option.
I’d suggest the seats in the old Turbo R offer better comfort on a long journey too, for all the multiple adjustment offered in the Mulsanne speed.
Of course, the Mulsanne of today is still built by highly skilled craftspeople at the Crewe factory, and the investment in the site as a result of Volkswagen Group ownership has been invaluable in maintaining Bentley’s status as one of the best known luxury brands in the world.
And the Mulsanne Speed does capture the ethos of some of the best-remembered Bentley models of the previous 90 years. Would I buy one? Well if I was in the category of wealth where I could afford to put a Bentley on my shopping list (as part of a collection of maybe half a dozen expensive cars, as would be the case with most owners), I probably would.
As things stand, maybe I’ll wait a couple of decades until these models depreciate to within my budget . . .
By Simon Harris
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