a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

BentlyTurbo R (1991) – detail of engine

The Oldsmobile Jetfire, TVR Taimar Turbo, Saab 99, or was it perhaps the BMW 2002 Turbo? Let’s not have that argument about which was the first turbocharged road car – Bentley’s turbo history is quite complicated enough.

The first turbo Bentley wasn’t even produced by the Crewe-based car manufacturer, but instead by the extraordinary “automobilist” John “Jumbo” Goddard with his friend Wilton Parker, the vice-president of the Garrett Corporation, which produced turbochargers for commercial diesel engines.

A much strengthened 1924 Bentley 3-litre chassis was fitted with a Bentley 8.0-litre engine equipped with two enormous Garrett turbos that (at a pre-set boost of 12psi) helped it to produce a reputed 550bhp at 4,000rpm. Enough to give a geared top speed of 170mph, which was beyond impressive in 1954 when Goddard produced this extraordinary machine.

I drove this behemoth in 2008 and emerged from the vestigial cockpit shaken and stirred. By all accounts, in his last years Bentley founder Walter Owen Bentley saw the car and – while he had never agreed with the idea of the supercharging that made the famous Bentley “Blower” of the Twenties – was moved to tell Goddard: “You know, this is just the course of development that would have taken place if only we had stayed in business.”

To give you some idea how unbelievably raw that machine was, at only 70mph the offside rear wheel tread was grabbing at my elbow on right-hand bends. My waxed-cotton jacket still bears the scars…

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Andrew English in the first turbocharged Bentley. It was a 1924 chassis, but was was created in 1954 – Martin Pope

Exciting and perilous as this undoubtedly is, it isn’t the kind of experience that Bentley wishes on the majority of its customers. Swift and silent peregrination is more like it, but don’t try turning a corner…

This was also the biggest problem with the Mulsanne, which in 1982 became the first production turbocharged Bentley and marked the return of the famed “blower” engines.

Before that, in the 1970s David Plaistow – then head of Rolls-Royce Motors (the owner of Bentley at the time) – had encouraged his chief engineer, John Hollings, saying: “Let’s have some fun.” With engineering entrusted to Broadspeed and mounted in a Camargue coupé, the 6.75-litre V8 engine responded to forced induction well, but it didn’t have the refinement expected of a Bentley and suffered from turbo lag, which is when you press the accelerator pedal but nothing happens until the turbine wheels have spooled up. And then a lot happens, all at once.

It took a while for Bentley engineers to take up forced induction again until the 1982 Mulsanne Turbo, which cost £61,744 and with almost 300bhp had plenty of go, but absolutely zero handling. It was also darned expensive for what it was, especially against the rather wonderful Daimler Double-Six. Tested by The Motor magazine in 1983, the handling received a scant two stars and the comment: “Throw the Turbo into even a smooth, constant-radius bend with enthusiasm and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”

Enter engineer Mike Dunn, appointed from Ford in 1983 as Rolls-Royce engineering director. An illustration of Dunn’s no-nonsense style came when he first drove a Mulsanne Turbo. When he arrived back at the Crewe factory a team of engineers had gathered, expecting superlatives to flow about this car, which was entrusted with single-handedly reviving the fortunes of Bentley. Dunn climbed out, listed everything he found wanting and ended saying: “Gentlemen, this just isn’t good enough…”

1985 – the improved Turbo R is born

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Bentley Turbo R – 1991 model (it was launched in 1985) – Alex Lawrence

The result was the Turbo R (R standing for roadholding), at its launch in 1985, £68,421’s worth of wonderful, swift and sybaritic fun…

Dunn had appreciated the basically sound underpinnings of the Silver Spirit/Mulsanne platform, and had specified a fairly straightforward job of tying the chassis down to suit its power output, with stiffer springs and dampers, stronger anti-roll bars, grippier tyres (275mm wide Pirelli P7s on cast Ronal wheels) and a Panhard rod for lateral location.

This was to be the harshest-riding  Bentley by some degree, but the reaction was extraordinary.

“Remarkable! Where was the scrubby understeer, the keeling body roll, the wet-blancmange wallow?” asked former racing driver Roger Bell in The Motor, which had so panned its predecessor.

“Opulence with afterburners,” said Autocar.

“The chauffeur can be sent home,” commented Performance Car.

“It may not be the best car in the world, but it is certainly one of the most fun to drive,” said Peter Dron at Fast Lane magazine. On the cover, associate editor and racing driver Mark Hales was pictured flat out – and very sideways – in the press demeonstrator example. Officially, Bentley disapproved. Unofficially, they loved it. This was certainly good enough, and for many this was the first “proper” turbocharged Bentley.

Turbo R on the road

So here we are in a 1991 example Turbo R recently acquired by the factory for a rumoured £48,000 and a spritely 35,000 miles old. You need to pull the heavy doors shut like you mean it and they clang home with a deep, sonorous sound like a leather suitcase full of money dropped out of a stately home window.

The beautiful burr walnut facia matches the more complex, almost marquetry, finish on the door tops and there’s cream upholstery, which could do with a clean. It’s a mix of the 1980s, 1970s and 1930s, but all done well and tastefully, unlike many other old/new cars from the time. You sit high in the body yet sunk into a leather armchair, the neat, thin-rimmed leather steering wheel has no adjustment so your arms are slightly more outstretched than you’d initially want.

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

The Turbo R – Alex Lawrence

Turn the key (still in a facsimile of the old Lucas charging panel) and the short-stroke 6.75-litre V8 wheezily wakes. These days a power output of 298bhp at 3,800rpm seems mild at best. And in these days of three-tonne electric cars, a kerb weight of 2.2 tonnes seems almost feather-light. Performance was a quoted top speed of 135mph (most testers coaxed out more), with 0-60mph in 6.9sec and 0-100mph in 18.3sec. You’d be lucky to eke out more than 17mpg, while a heavy right foot would barely exceed 13mpg.

The woofly engine gives a palpable sense of unstoppable force and there is such pulling power that the General Motors three-speed gearbox (controlled by a steering column stalk) seems rarely to change ratios. Pulling down on the shift lever makes the engine almost seem angry that you’ve chosen to so rudely awaken it.

With Bentley’s home at Pym Lane in Crewe undergoing yet another expansion, the roads around the factory are congested. But, farther out in the Cheshire countryside, this 17ft-long, 6ft 2in-wide monster stretches its legs and the ride on sophisticated high-pressure hydraulics evens out. The seat springing is out of phase with the road springing, though, so there is a slight runaway train sensation on undulating roads.

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Andrew English drives a 1991 Bentley Turbo R – Alex Lawrence

While the steering feels like a precision instrument, weight and bulk give a set-course-and-wait aspect to the handling (this isn’t a car you simply throw into a corner and sort things out halfway through). But, once turned in, the Turbo has refreshingly positive body control; it rolls yes, but not excessively, and with lots of feedback. If you owned one, only the fuel consumption would stop you driving it every day. Still, for those thinking of taking the plunge, the words “service history” and “preventative maintenance” should be uppermost in their minds.

The brakes are also powered by the hydraulics and, while certainly powerful, are a bit all or nothing throughout the pedal travel. With these cars that’s often a sign that a bit of attention is required.

As for owning one, well, many have tried. “Bentley for Mondeo money” is a much-used headline but never, ever true. You’d be owning an icon, certainly, which paved the way for a series of remarkable, new generation blower Bentleys as well as the realisation at then-owner, Vickers, that there was just as much equity and promise in the Bentley name as there was in Rolls-Royce. That faith, in turn, spawned the way for cars like the Project 90, Project Java and eventually (under Volkswagen), the Continental GT.

Condition and a comprehensive service history are the watchwords but, even then, you need a strong stomach for the fuel bills.

2003 Continental T

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

The Continental T – Alex Lawrence

This remarkable car was unveiled at the Geneva motor show in 1996. The company expected to produce just 40 cars a year, with a price of £220,313. This was the ultimate expression of the Turbo R bodyshell, designed for the apogee of high-speed continental touring and also to take it to the Germans, who were starting to muscle in on the act. Expensive, then, although production of this 17ft-long, 2.5-tonne two-door coupé reached 321 units before it was shelved in 2003.

Based, of course, on the 1991 Continental R (which was the first Bentley-only bodyshell since the 1965 S3 Continental S) the Continental T was a short-wheelbase version of the R with more power and torque, wider wheel arches and bigger brakes and more roll stiffness, which resulted in better handling at the expense of rear-seat leg room and ride quality. This series of cars was, as Eric Dymock puts it in The Complete Bentley: “A signal of growing confidence in the make, and the first of such a separate character since 1965.”

Did I also say that both R and T were damn good-looking cars? The John Heffernan and Ken Greenley-designed body, with its fabulous greenhouse, is perhaps one of the best-ever looking Bentleys. Big, though; even the short-wheelbase T is 17ft long and just over 6ft wide and an absolute masterpiece of reverse packaging, a tiny cabin atop a sizeable boat. Not that the rear seats aren’t comfortable, it’s just that getting into them isn’t, and it takes time as the electric front seats move forward and tilt at the speed of Dracula’s coffin lid.

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Andrew English drives a 2003 Bentley Continental T – Alex Lawrence

This car is one of the further-modified Mulliner versions available from 1998; in fact it’s the last Continental T ever made. The steering-rack ratio was quickened, the single exhaust pipe looked like the town drain, and the 18-inch wheels were shod with low-profile Pirelli tyres.

By this time, Bentley had launched the Arnage with its bi-turbo V8 BMW engine, and the whole battle over ownership between Volkswagen and BMW had begun, so this enormous coupé with its dipsomaniac motor looked increasingly out of the past. Not that anyone appears to have told it so…

Open one of the enormous, heavy doors (rear passengers get their own door catches) and you enter a quilted-leather lined cabin with a dashboard out of a Royal Navy destroyer. While the traditional chrome-on-brass “jewellery” still bespotted the dash, they couldn’t resist fiddling around. So, the powered mirror adjusters were virtually unfindable and while the Lucas charging panel still activated the electrics, you had to find the unmarked chromium plate starter button in the middle of the nine-dial facia to get the engine turning. Oh and it had a gear lever, heaven forfend…

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

2003 Bentley Continental T – Alex Lawrence

By now, the blown 6.75-litre V8 was producing 420bhp and 645lb ft of torque, which when channelled through a four-speed non-lockup automatic gearbox gave this 2.45-tonne version a top speed of 168mph and 0-62mph acceleration in six seconds – the red line was at 4,500rpm.

Average fuel consumption was, gulp, 13.7mpg. They built 158 examples of the Mulliner and the price was £225,000, which was simply fabulously expensive for its day. When you see them for sale these days, they all seem to command prices around £100,000 – and all seem to have remarkably low mileage, which proves that even plutocrats don’t get out as much as they’d like.

What’s it like? Well, an occasion for a start, more anticipated than an eight-year-old’s birthday. It’s big and heavy and you feel every mm and kg on narrow country roads when you encounter roadhog SUV drivers. The turning circle feels larger than a Victorian carousel and it has the same firm lowspeed ride as the Turbo R on which it is based. There’s a feeling of bodywork unseen as you manoeuvre around the crowded roads, while you can sense the enormous prow just longing for the ferry ports and a Route Nationale down to the Cote d’Azur.

These are stand-out cars and they leave a mark on your memory when you see one on the road, but the more discreet Turbo R is a better car for rapid peregrination in the traditional Bentley manner.

2019 Flying Spur W12

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Bentley Flying Spur W12 (2019) – Alex Lawrence

Bentley launched its first Flying Spur in 1957 – the name came from the family crest of Arthur Talbot Johnstone, managing director of coachbuilder HJ Mulliner. It was a handsome and more upright version of the fabulous S1 Continental coupé.

Volkswagen’s W12 engine was launched at the 1997 Tokyo motor show. With four banks of cylinders made up of two narrow-angle V6 engines, the twin-turbo W12 was launched under the bonnet of the Continental GT coupé in 2003. It didn’t feature in the Flying Spur saloon until 2005 with a launch in Venice, of all places. As Evelyn Waugh once telegraphed: “Streets full of water, please advise.”

Through three generations (and the option of an Audi V8-engined model), the Flying Spur ended up here with the Mk3 version, which was restyled and re-engineered into a sort of four-door hot rod. Perhaps the ultimate Flying Spur, then? Well, certainly for the W12 version, since production of this remarkable engine ceased in 2021.

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Bentley W12 engine in 2019 Flying Spur – Alex Lawrence

By that time more than 100,000 examples of this twin-turbo 6.0-litre unit had been built in Crewe and in its apotheosis fitted to the 650bhp/667lb ft Bentley Bentayga SUV, it was producing 27 per cent more power and 38 per cent more torque than it had in the 2003 Continental GT.

Climbing behind the wheel you’re immediately aware of differences between this and the earlier cars. No DIN-sized Alpine radio cassette (replaced with a rotating touchscreen affair that is one of the wonders of modern automotive interior design), no slamming, clanking doors, no armchair-like seats, no lamb’s-hide rugs and, as you might expect, a completely different driving experience.

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

2019 Bentley Flying Spur W12 – Alex Lawrence

While it would be hard to hide away in the Flying Spur, all 5,316mm and 2.44 tonnes of it, to drive it feels about two times lighter than the other two: solid, more convenient, easier to place on the road, easier to steer and with a ride quality that maintains its composure at low and high speeds. Computerised management of ignition and fuelling means it gathers speed more quickly, with better throttle progression and hardly discernible turbo lag. There’s less whooshing of air, smoother aerodynamics, it’s all very modern and plush.

The Telegraph verdict

Yet… and you can see this coming a mile off, yet it doesn’t quite have the presence of the old cars with their wheezing turbos, harsh low-speed ride and weird high-pressure hydraulic brakes. They’re just, well, more of an occasion.

a potted history of bentley’s turbocharged cars

Andrew English with 3 turbocharged Bentleys: from left, 2003 Continental T, 2019 Flying Spur W12 and 1991 Turbo R – Alex Lawrence

It’s funny how Alfred Buchi’s invention of the turbocharger helped to reinvent and save the Bentley marque. Now, it’s off in another direction with the Crewe-based firm stepping in line with current owner Volkswagen’s avowed aim of becoming an all-electric marque, despite the obvious appeal of hydrogen fuel cells in such large and heavy cars.

It’ll be a sad day when the discreet purring from behind the famed “flying winged” Bentley badge is gone and I’ll miss these old and not-so-old things. Mind you, if you forced me to take just one, the choice is obvious (or am I that predictable?)… Make mine a Turbo R. Utterly flawed yet utterly lovely.

Keyword: A potted history of Bentley’s turbocharged cars

CAR'S NEWS RELATED

Bentley Malaysia: The Final Bentayga Speed With W12 Engine

Bentley Kuala Lumpur bids farewell to the iconic W12 petrol powertrain with the delivery of its final Bentayga Speed, marking the last Bentayga model in Malaysia to include the W12 engine. This move follows Bentley Motor’s global announcement to discontinue the W12 engine as part of its Beyond 100 ...

View more: Bentley Malaysia: The Final Bentayga Speed With W12 Engine

Bentley’s ‘Belonging Bentayga’ Is A Tribute To Diversity And Artistry

The Artistic Endeavor A Celebration of Diversity Connecting Through Art and Automobiles A Remarkable Journey of Diverse Experiences A Lasting Commitment Bentley, renowned for its luxury vehicles, has taken a significant step forward in its mission to be the epitome of diversity among luxury car manufacturers worldwide. The company ...

View more: Bentley’s ‘Belonging Bentayga’ Is A Tribute To Diversity And Artistry

Bentley Bentayga Art Car Wears Hand-Painted Mural Of 29 World Landmarks

This is the brand's third piece showcasing its commitment to diversity and inclusion.

View more: Bentley Bentayga Art Car Wears Hand-Painted Mural Of 29 World Landmarks

Bentley Bentayga Gets Auto Climate Rear Seats, Sustainable Carpets

There's also an expanded range of customization options.

View more: Bentley Bentayga Gets Auto Climate Rear Seats, Sustainable Carpets

Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid launched at Rs. 5.25 crore

The Flying Spur Hybrid is also the most fuel-efficient Bentley, with an estimated range of over 800 km. Bentley has launched the Flying Spur Hybrid in the Indian market. The luxury limousine is priced at Rs. 5.25 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Flying Spur Hybrid is offered with extensive customization ...

View more: Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid launched at Rs. 5.25 crore

1947 Bentley Mark VI Cabriolet

1947 Bentley Mark VI Cabriolet. One of the most flamboyant of the British sports car.

View more: 1947 Bentley Mark VI Cabriolet

Finally, A Convertible Bentley You Can Actually Afford

An affordable convertible Bentley, how could it be? Photo: Bentley The dream of zipping along a coastal road at sunset in a pristine convertible Bentley is a pretty lush one to have, if you ask me. But sadly, as the going rate for a new convertible Continental is north ...

View more: Finally, A Convertible Bentley You Can Actually Afford

Bentley Tricycle Inspired By Mulliner Has Quilted Leather Seat, Five-Point Belt

See Bentley Continental GT Le Mans Drag Race Flying Spur In Luxury Showdown

1960 Bentley S2 Continental Drophead Coupe

Bentley Batur gets a $32,000-worth optional sound system

Bentley Bentayga EWB Mulliner, the new flagship Bentayga

1963 Bentley S3 Continental Drophead Coupé

1956 Bentley S-Type Continental Sports Saloon

1954 Bentley R-Type 4½-Litre Saloon

Most expensive car from every brand in South Africa

Bentley Batur Features New, 20-Speaker Audio System That Costs $31,000

Driving Bentley's Gorgeous $2 Million Batur Feels Pretty Normal

Driving Bentley's Gorgeous $2M Batur Feels Pretty Normal

Uniquely Colorful Bentley Continental GTC Celebrates LGBTQ+ Community

OTHER CAR NEWS

; Top List in the World https://www.pinterest.com/newstopcar/pins/
Top Best Sushi Restaurants in SeoulTop Best Caribbean HoneymoonsTop Most Beautiful Islands in PeruTop Best Outdoor Grill BrandsTop Best Global Seafood RestaurantsTop Foods to Boost Your Immune SystemTop Best Foods to Fight HemorrhoidsTop Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a BananaTop Best Healthy Foods to Gain Weight FastTop Best Cosmetic Brands in the U.STop Best Destinations for Food Lovers in EuropeTop Best Foods High in Vitamin ATop Best Foods to Lower Your Blood SugarTop Best Things to Do in LouisianaTop Best Cities to Visit in New YorkTop Best Makeup Addresses In PennsylvaniaTop Reasons to Visit NorwayTop Most Beautiful Islands In The WorldTop Best Law Universities in the WorldTop Richest Sportsmen In The WorldTop Biggest Aquariums In The WorldTop Best Peruvian Restaurants In MiamiTop Best Road Trips From MiamiTop Best Places to Visit in MarylandTop Best Places to Visit in North CarolinaTop Best Electric Cars For KidsTop Best Swedish Brands in The USTop Best Skincare Brands in AmericaTop Best American Lipstick BrandsTop Michelin-starred Restaurants in MiamiTop Best Secluded Getaways From MiamiTop Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In MiamiTop Most Instagrammable Places In MiamiTop Interesting Facts about FlorenceTop Facts About The First Roman Emperor - AugustusTop Best Japanese FoodsTop Most Beautiful Historical Sites in IsraelTop Best Places To Visit In Holy SeeTop Best Hawaiian IslandsTop Reasons to Visit PortugalTop Best Hotels In L.A. With Free Wi-FiTop Best Scenic Drives in MiamiTop Best Vegan Restaurants in BerlinTop Most Interesting Attractions In WalesTop Health Benefits of a Vegan DietTop Best Thai Restaurant in Las VegasTop Most Beautiful Forests in SwitzerlandTop Best Global Universities in GermanyTop Most Beautiful Lakes in GuyanaTop Best Things To Do in IdahoTop Things to Know Before Traveling to North MacedoniaTop Best German Sunglasses BrandsTop Highest Mountains In FranceTop Biggest Hydroelectric Plants in AmericaTop Best Spa Hotels in NYCTop The World's Scariest BridgeTop Largest Hotels In AmericaTop Most Famous Festivals in JordanTop Best European Restaurants in MunichTop Best Japanese Hiking Boot BrandsTop Best Universities in PolandTop Best Tips for Surfing the Web Safely and AnonymouslyTop Most Valuable Football Clubs in EuropeTop Highest Mountains In ColombiaTop Real-Life Characters of Texas RisingTop Best Beaches in GuatelamaTop Things About DR Congo You Should KnowTop Best Korean Reality & Variety ShowsTop Best RockstarsTop Most Beautiful Waterfalls in GermanyTop Best Fountain Pen Ink BrandsTop Best European Restaurants in ChicagoTop Best Fighter Jets in the WorldTop Best Three-Wheel MotorcyclesTop Most Beautiful Lakes in ManitobaTop Best Dive Sites in VenezuelaTop Best Websites For Art StudentsTop Best Japanese Instant Noodle BrandsTop Best Comedy Manhwa (Webtoons)Top Best Japanese Sunglasses BrandsTop Most Expensive Air Jordan SneakersTop Health Benefits of CucumberTop Famous Universities in SwedenTop Most Popular Films Starring Jo Jung-sukTop Interesting Facts about CougarsTop Best Hospitals for Hip Replacement in the USATop Most Expensive DefendersTop Health Benefits of GooseberriesTop Health Benefits of ParsnipsTop Best Foods and Drinks in LondonTop Health Benefits of Rosehip TeaTop Best Air Fryers for Low-fat CookingTop Most Asked Teacher Interview Questions with AnswersTop Best Shopping Malls in ZurichTop The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens In L.A.Top Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami for Carb-loading rightTop Best Energy Companies in GermanyTop Best Garage HeatersTop Largest Banks in IrelandTop Leading Provider - Audit and Assurance In The USTop Best Jewelry Brands in IndiaTop Prettiest Streets in the UKTop Best Lakes to Visit in TunisiaTop Highest Mountains in Israel