2005 Bentley Arnage Preview

Colors aside, customers who regularly opt for the Mulliner treatment will find the 2005 car more comfortable to begin with mind you, with improved ergonomics due to hidden secondary controls, updated instruments and

Customers who opt for the custom Mulliner treatment will find the 2005 Arnage even more comfortable. (Photo: Bentley Motors)

switchgear, a new DVD-based navigation system, and completely upgraded dashboard top. This makes for a more integrated design, with a much more powerful nav system that now includes coverage of entire continents on a single DVD disc.

The centre console features upgraded climate control and heating, ventilation and air conditioning switchgear, while switches for the power windows are now said to be more "intuitively arranged." Those hidden secondary controls spoken of in the previous paragraph include actuators for the power seats, memory functions and seat heater,

Known as a driver's brand, Bentley has upgraded the 2005 Arnage's rear suspension to further improve ride quality and handling. (Photo: Bentley Motors)

now located beneath a sliding panel behind the gear lever.

The concealment process doesn't stop there, with Bentley's quest to simplify the cabin's appearance incorporating sliding wood panels that hide the audio system interface, ancillary ventilation controls, and ashtray.

Bentley's have always been driver's cars first, at least when it comes to the company's non-royalty cars. To that end, the already nimble Arnage has been upgraded for 2005 with a modified rear suspension layout designed to improve ride quality while making the car's handling more responsive - and I thought the previous model was good.