Bentley Arnage

These are amazing automobiles! For a long time I thought these were ridiculously expensive, underpowered, overly ostentatious and unnecessarily expensive to maintain. Why spend all these $$ for just image? Why not buy a BMW or Mercedes and get reliability, performance and at a much lower price point. On an impulse, purchased a 2002 Bentley Arnage that was a one owner car with very low mileage with all original paintwork, no accidnets and all parts/books/keys. It allowed me to check out the car up close and personal and my experience really made me change my mind abot what these cars. Fortunately did not have to replace any of these. Parts and accessories are expensive but not that much more than a comparable Mercedes or Porsche. A car that was 12 years old at the time we had it still looked new. The chrome on the wheels was shiny. Paint had no scratches and had a deep rich lustre. Engine ran quiet and smooth and A/C blew real cold. All switchgear, with exception of one light switch, worked perfectly. Yes they are expensive to buy and maintaina and depreciate very quickly. However, and particularly the older cars represent a whole different type of car that, if one has the means, surely should posses one. Buying a good used and well cared for exotic such as a Bentley or Rolls will provide you with a driving experience that the other mainstream luxury brands just can provide. At the time we had the car in our possesion, it was the lowest priced car but garnered the most attention. Talk about a halo car. People I know who are not particularly into cars would ask me about it. When briefly driving it, it would get the most attention and usually very positive. Cars like these are truly aspirational cars and invoke emotions in people. I also came away very impressed with the reliability of the drive-train and overall build quality. The 6.75 liter turbo V8 while putting out only 400 hp for a car of this weight was supremely complemented by over 600+ lb of torque. The car cruised effortlessly and very quietly. The transmission, a 4 speed sourced from GM provide rugged dependability. Of course, the interior was made of up leather and wood. Everything was wood or leather. Very opulent and incredibly comfortable. A real old world type of interior that we just don't see today. I had a chance to speak with other owners and service techs. All complimented the model and told me that they best thing owners can do with their cars is drive them. Most of the problems develop when cars are not operated but "preserved". My conclusion came to be that cars like this, when purchased, maintained and operated properly, can be lifetime cars while offering unique driving exhilaration everytime one is behind the wheel. We will buy many more cars like this and hopefully get them to folks who will be first time owners and will come around to appreciating the quality of these automobiles.