The same needs to be said for Bentley's new cars. Just consider for a moment that the Arnage T, which weighs a considerable 2,585 kg (5,699 lbs), sprints away from the blocks with the jump of Kim Collins, reaching 100 km/h in a stimulating 5.8 seconds (0 to 60 mph takes only 5.5), before dancing circles around much smaller sport sedans.
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| In the qualified hands of 5-times Le Mans winner Derek Bell, the Arnage showed what it was truly capable of. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
To prove the latter point I asked my amiable co-driver, 5-times Le Mans winner Derek Bell, to take the wheel during a particularly sinuous stretch of tarmac. After all, while I was there to experience as much personal time as possible behind the wheel in order to compare it to its peers, only a person of Derek's skills can expose what the big Bentley is truly capable of.
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| The large Arnage T's composure at high speeds on twisty, imperfect roads defies reason. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
From the passenger's seat the rushing scenery was hypnotic, a mesmerizing blur of eucalyptus trees, golden fields and abbreviated rocky crags that suddenly dropped off to the crashing waves and deep blue seascape hundreds of feet below. At such speeds the prospect of hurtling off the precarious roadway would have normally been a little unsettling, but with Derek's seasoned hands guiding the wheel I was allowed the opportunity to sit back and take in the moment.
From this perspective the Arnage T defies reason, snaking us through the tight two-lane highway as if in the parlor car of a high-speed locomotive, but with the grace and composure of ride that steel wheels can't produce. The car is wonderfully smooth despite its aggressive damping, a more purposefully firm setup when compared to the softer sprung Arnage R. It annihilates intimidating road imperfections to the point where I occasionally found myself wondering what all my worry was about, but fortunately found face in the realization that we would have probably been airborne in a lesser car.
