Sure I expected it to drive well, after all the car costs close to a third of a million. But I didn't expect it to perform to supercar levels, especially being that it's far from all-new architecturally. Nevertheless, the 2,585 kg (5,699 lbs) heavyweight dashes to 100 km/h in no more than 5.9 seconds before
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| Sure I expected a luxurious ride, but the supercar-like performance from the 400-hp twin-turbocharged 6.75-L V8 was something I hadn't factored on. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
attaining its speed limited maximum velocity of 249 km/h (155 mph), all the while displaying the sophisticated unruffled composure befitting of a car in this league. There's nothing particularly inventive under the hood, just good old big block displacement combined with twin-turbochargers. Just the same the precision built 6.75-L V8 in the Arnage R makes 400-hp at 4,000 rpm and 616 lb-ft of torque at 3,250 rpm, the latter spec being the motivation that moves the mountain. While the term "4-speed automatic" doesn't evoke the same high-tech sound as it did a decade or so ago, the engine's generous torque makes the extra cog of a 5-speed hardly necessary. The gearbox is equipped with Adaptive Shift Control, however, making notable adjustments to shift points in the rev range
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| Considering the car's substantial size and weight, it accelerated and handled curves with ideal balance. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
depending on how aggressively or passively I was driving. The best thing about the system is its seamlessness. I only noticed the computer controlled shift energy management system working away in the background because I was looking for differences in shift patterns. Don't get me wrong, it gets racy when called upon, but the process is so velvety smooth that its shift intervals are barely perceptible. It takes to the corners with the same ease as it accelerates, again a surprising feat considering the car's substantial heft. I took the opportunity to snake the big Bentley through a particularly serpentine stretch of coastal highway, up over crests and down into deeply descending dales, around long sweeping arcs and then switching back through sharp curves. No matter what roadway, the Arnage charged forward relentlessly, showing an ideal balance of breathtaking speed and resolute grace.
