Bentley: Arnage news **Next Generation Teaser Released (page 2)**
#1
__
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Pa
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bentley: Arnage news **Next Generation Teaser Released (page 2)**
![](http://car.kak.net/bilder/bentley/bentley_arnage_limousine08s.jpg)
More pics here: http://car.kak.net/modules.php?op=mo...rder=0&thold=0
Reinforcing its position as the only manufacturer to offer genuine coach built commissions, and following a year of significant growth, Bentley Mulliner is proud to reveal a new Arnage Limousine, built in direct response to the wishes of Bentley customers around the world. Unlike cars such as the State Limousine or Bentley's popular high roof Arnage which are intended to present their occupants for ceremonial purposes, the new limousine has been designed for those who value their privacy above all else. Instantly recognisable from other Bentley limousines by its broad D-pillar aft of the rear doors, the new limousine allows its rear seat passengers to sit deeply recessed within a unique and luxurious interior, well away from prying eyes's natural sight-line. Not only does this afford a considerable degree of security and seclusion, it also provides passengers with a beautifully cosseting environment, reminiscent of the great Bentley Speed Six and 8-litre limousines of the 1920s and early '30s.
One look at the limousine in profile shows how the styling changes have transformed the visual feel of the Arnage. The first and most important modification is the addition of a 450mm (18 inches) section of bodywork within the wheelbase and, of course, fully engineered chassis modifications to accommodate its extra weight. As customers for such a car will almost invariably travel in the back, all this extra wheelbase has been given over to enhancing room in the rear with 200mm (8 inches) of the extra length alone located in the D-pillar.
Creating such a car is a considerable challenge in terms of engineering, styling and craftsmanship but the commissioning and execution of precisely such vehicles Bentley Mulliner thrives on. By having a team of world class experts operating as a dedicated department within Bentley Motors, Bentley Mulliner can respond with extraordinary speed to satisfy its customers' desires. For this reason, creating a car of the new limousine's complexity - which might take another manufacturer three years or more- has been done from scratch by Mulliner in little more than six months.
The result is a car that not only offers peerless comfort and a sumptuous, spacious rear cabin; it is also aesthetically pleasing from every angle, inside and out. For while others may be able to make cars as large as the new limousine, the real skill comes from how the finished article appears, the ambience it achieves and the way it is perceived. The limousine is a large and majestic car but it is also subtle, discreet and avoids ostentation and vulgarity. It is the kind of car that cannot be conjured out of nowhere: it is the result not only of painstaking design and engineering, but also the innate understanding of such cars that has been handed down the generations at Crewe. This personalisation is the commodity that cannot be bought or acquired and, among the world's luxury car makers, it exists only at Bentley.
Inside, the cabin of the limousine has been kept deliberately restrained, discreet and, it is fair to say, minimalist in execution. It would, of course, have been possible to fill the car with all manner of wonderful examples of Bentley Mulliner's unique skills but even the most comprehensively equipped car could only give a glimpse of Bentley Mulliner's capabilities. Instead, the idea that inspired the limousine's interior was that it should appear as a blank canvas to illustrate the fact that, within the bounds of legality and unlike any other car company, the interior of the car is the choice of the customer alone. Once it has finished its public duties, it will return to Bentley Mulliner to be equipped according to its new owner's specification.
In the meantime, twin, 12in DVD screens fitted into the rear of the front seats will provide prospective customers with the information and inspiration needed to whet the imagination's appetite and Bentley Mulliner specialists will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice.
"In the main," says Bentley Mulliner director Richard Charlesworth, "we are here to listen and respond. Our relationship with the customer is not like those of other car companies where you are told what you can have and you make your colour and materials selection accordingly. That approach puts a very definite limit on what can be achieved - convenient for the car company but less satisfactory for the customer. We have no limits - if it can be done, within all normal bounds, we will do it."
Some luxury car companies are fond of quoting statistics concerning how many option permutations it is possible to choose from, a number Bentley Mulliner is delighted to be unable to provide as it is, effectively infinite. With a car like the new limousine, Bentley Mulliner will provide the chassis, engine and body (though even these can all also be modified to suit customer choice) but the look and feel of the interior can be as personal to the customer's wishes as he or she likes. "When specifying a limousine," says Charlesworth, "it would be quite typical for a customer to come to Crewe and spend two days talking to our designers and engineers about their requirements. Many also choose to see our cabinet makers, seamstresses and metal workers going about their business with a dedication, care and love for their work that has all but disappeared from an increasingly time-hungry industry."
Other features of the new limousine include an unusually small rear windscreen to enhance the feeling of privacy inside and electric footrests that slide back and up to provide perfect support for your calves when relaxing.
Bentley Mulliner has also made use of the space inside the extended D-pillar. By carefully choosing softly padded but supportive substrates behind the pillar's upholstery, Mulliner has created the perfect resting place for a sleepy head. Specially extended rear headrests also help cradle the cranium. New illuminated vanity mirrors have also been designed into the D-pillar, providing passengers with the perfect way to check their appearance before leaving the privacy of the car.
To enhance further comfort, the rear door has been redesigned too, to reflect the fact that the passengers will now be somewhat further away thanks to the 200mm (8 inches) extension to the body between the rear door and wheel. In particular the armrest has been reworked and extended rearward while a further rest acts as a continuation of the armrest inside the D-pillar.
Naturally, the limousine also benefits from all the modifications announced for the 2005 model year Arnage. These enhancements are designed to supplement the extensive mechanical changes introduced with the Series Two Arnage in 2002 and improve the appearance, comfort and ease of use of all Arnages.
Most notable from the outside is the revised frontal treatment of the car which gives the Arnage a much stronger visual identity within the Bentley family, a styling direction evolved for the Continental GT Coupe. Twin individual headlamps are fitted and the bonnet line raised to give a more purposeful appearance. New bumpers are fitted and telescopic headlamp washer units replace the previous bumper mounted items. The radiator grille has a more integrated appearance and straight grille vanes are once more available.
Inside the centre console has been completely revised with new, unique switchgear for the air-conditioning controls, repositioned controls for the window winders, seats and mirror adjusters. The satellite navigation system has been re-engineered to give a more integrated, attractive appearance on top of the dashboard.
Powering the limousine is of course Bentley's legendary 6.75-litre turbocharged V8. Recently re-engineered from the ground up, the 400bhp powerplant offers performance aplenty and mighty low down torque, the hallmark of all Bentleys.
This new Bentley Arnage limousine is proof positive that the company remains unique in the way it listens and responds to its customers and in its ability to provide them with limousines with an unrivalled blend of luxury, elegance, technology and coachbuilding. It is a tradition that has survived since Bentley's earliest days and has been in practice at Crewe since its very first car, a Bentley MkVI, was produced 58 years ago. No other car manufacturer can approach this wealth of tradition, nor match the skills that result. Crewe is the home of handcraftsmanship, and Bentley Mulliner's new Limousine, its latest extraordinary creation.
#6
Moderator Alumnus
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Communist, NY
Posts: 9,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe News **Into production early next year (page 1)**
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1909.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1914.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1907.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1916.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1915.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1893.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1899.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1898.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1895.jpg)
![](http://www.dubspeedracing.com/photopost/data/636/1896.jpg)
Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe - the world's most elegant convertible
From Bentley's very earliest days, open-top cars have been an intrinsic part of the company's heritage. Over the decades that followed many revered convertible or 'drophead' models were created, both by notable Bentley coachbuilders such as Mulliner, Park Ward, and later 'in-house' at the company's Crewe headquarters.
From the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupe, through the later Corniche and Continental eras, up to the magnificent Azure of 1995, an entire portfolio of unashamedly glamorous and wonderfully desirable cars meant that Bentley retained its reputation as the creator of the world's most elegant convertibles.
Now that reputation has grown once more with the unveiling of the new Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe show car at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. It is a true four-seater convertible for the 21st century: a unique blend of classic Bentley design and craftsmanship married to a high-technology platform sourced from the 2005 Model Year Arnage. As such, it is the perfect natural successor to the Bentley Azure, whose eight-year lifespan cemented the marque's status as the prime provider of four-seater convertibles to this sector of the market.
First and foremost, the design is unmistakeably Bentley - it shares the same front end as the current Arnage range and its platform ensures it seats four adults in complete comfort. But it is also unmistakeably unique. The entire cabin and rear section of the car are newly designed, with a stunning new interior that has been influenced by contemporary furniture design; the objective being to create an opulent and inviting seating area that reflects its status as a car that is at home in Palm Springs or the Riviera.
The Arnage Drophead Coupe show car is more than just a conceptual design study, however. Its unveiling in Los Angeles represents the culmination of a truly innovative development programme that means the car is entirely production viable, as Bentley's chairman Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen explains:
"The 2005 Arnage range has been extensively re-engineered at significant cost and is a very modern, high-technology saloon. It is natural, therefore, that we would use this base to further our reputation as the pre-eminent builder of large, luxury convertibles in the world.
"We had such amazing success with the Bentley Azure, which has developed a cult following although production stopped in 2003. There's no reason why this new Arnage derivative couldn't fill the gap left by the Azure. If customer demand is there, it could go into production within a very short space of time - as early as Spring 2006."
OVERVIEW
- The world's most elegant four-seater convertible that provides a powerful and refined open-top driving experience.
- Accommodation for four adults in complete comfort. The interior cabin is wider in the front and rear than the previous Bentley Azure convertible - the rear by 20%.
- New streamlined convertible body style with raked windscreen and fully automated canvas roof that stows perfectly flush in 25 seconds.
- Shares the Bentley Arnage's state-of-the-art platform, wheelbase and powertrain with 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 450bhp (336Kw) and 875Nm (645lb ft) torque.
- Benefits from the comfort suspension recently introduced on the Bentley
Arnage R.
- Pop-up rollover protection system for occupant safety in the event of over-turning.
- Unique interior styling with new seats, 'floating' armrests and mood lighting. Show car trimmed in Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather and Burr Oak veneer with a Boxwood inlay.
- Full production capability by Spring 2006 depending on market reaction.
Design
Bentley's design team cites the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupe and 1995 Azure as its main influences for the Arnage Drophead Coupe show car. Like the '50s convertible, the car has a deep body with a single feature line that runs along both flanks and rises at the powerful rear haunches before spearing off at the rear of the car. Similarly, the Azure's fast and flowing roofline is echoed in the show car's stunning seven-bow canvas roof that gives the car such a visible sporting profile when raised.
"The Arnage Drophead Coupe is the latest in a long line of much-admired Bentley convertibles and we wanted to reflect that heritage as directly as possible," says Dirk van Braeckel, director of design, Bentley Motors. "The key to a four-seater convertible is that its grace and elegance is on display when the roof is down but it shouldn't lose any of that beauty when it is raised. We think we have struck that balance with the beautiful lines of the roof."
That objective was achieved, explains Bentley's head of exterior design Raul Pires by inclining the windscreen as far back as possible - the car is 35mm lower than an Arnage. "We have tried to make the roof look as 'fast' as we can," he says. "The result is a design that combines fluidity, sportiness and elegance."
A new rear boot section also helps to accentuate the contemporary feel of the new convertible. Prominent wheel arches grace a slender, narrowing boot that results in a 'horse shoe' trailing edge. This graceful shape is reminiscent of the first Crewe-built Bentley, the 1946 MK6, and the overall effect is a subtle nod to the power and performance that lies beneath the stunning Meteor Blue bodywork.
New LED rear tail-lamps use technology borrowed from the Continental GT coupe range; while a chrome surround echoes the Arnage front head-lamp units. Further brightwork is found in the form of chrome exhaust finishers and handcrafted chrome bumpers and sills that extend around the entire car and sit alongside unique, six-spoke, 19-inch chrome-finished alloy wheels.
Of course, the nature of a convertible means that its interior is often on display as much as its exterior and the design team knew that the car's spacious cabin would need to make as big a statement as its stunning body. The decision was taken early on in the programme to design a rear-seat compartment that captures some of the exquisite feel and look of earlier Bentley convertibles.
"The S1 Drophead Coupe from 1955 had a wonderfully understated but luxurious interior," says Robin Page, head of interior design, Bentley Motors. "For example, the doors had simple armrests with a leather pad on them and we have reflected that in this car's hide-trimmed armrests that run the length of the cabin sides and appear to be suspended away from the door's actual surface.
"Similarly, we admired the fluted leather in earlier drophead Continentals and echoed that with the vast amounts of warm and inviting leather hide that extends past the seats and onto the parcel shelf, thereby emphasising the impressive dimensions of the rear compartment."
It's not only heritage that influenced the Arnage Drophead Coupe's look and feel. The interior design team appreciated the simplicity of the contemporary Peel chair created by Norwegian Olav Eldoy, who recognised that the swirling curve of a slice of orange peel could be the concept for a body-hugging seat. Those same principles are reflected in the curving rear seat and arm rest. For added atmosphere, indirect lighting casts a warm glow of light behind the door arm rests.
As in every Bentley, peerless craftsmanship is to the fore in the cabin. Beautiful Burr Oak veneers with a Boxwood inlay act as a counterpoint to the Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather while a wooden steering wheel with inlayed chrome rim is unique to the car.
Engineering and specification
Work on the Arnage Drophead Coupe started in January 2004 and only the introduction of new technologies and advanced production techniques meant it could be produced in such a short timescale, as Ashley Wickham, chief engineer, explains:
"The real challenge of this programme was to develop a car that had such stylish lines in the timescale we had available. With good planning and close teamwork we were able to combine simultaneous engineering and design with the latest 'fast-track' technologies - it was a great mix of conventional and new thinking.
"For example, right up to the point of engineering, digital data was taken from the clay model's surfaces on a day-by-day basis, even while some parts of the clay were still evolving. This ensured we could transfer the right design feeling directly to the CAD surfaces which are used to make the tooling. And to ensure that the designers could continue to make quick revisions to the car, new technologies were adopted as the programme progressed. The body panels, for example, were actually pressed from special resin-based tools which could be machined in a matter of days."
The twin-turbocharged V8 engine, double-wishbone suspension and extremely rigid body structure of the 2005 Model Year Arnage R provide a state-of-the-art basis for the Drophead Coupe. The show car is powered by a 450bhp (336Kw) version of the Arnage R's 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged intercooled V8 engine and produces 875Nm (645lb ft) of torque.
The Arnage's impressive ventilated brakes with Electronic Stability Programme, Antilock Braking System and Electronic Brake pressure Distribution work in conjunction with the independent double wishbone suspension and a computer-controlled adaptive electro-hydraulic damping system to ensure optimum stability and handling at all times. The Arnage Drophead Coupe also benefits from the introduction of the new comfort suspension system used on the Arnage R.
To guarantee the Drophead Coupe met aggressive body stiffness targets set at the start of the project, significant stiffening members have been added to the underlying Arnage chassis. These strengthened steel parts lie in the sill section of the car and extend into the A-pillars that form the windshield frame. Beneath the car, cross-bracing members reinforce the whole body shell. The result is a car that displays remarkable body stiffness.
Strengthening has also been applied to the body structure behind the rear seats where an advanced rollover protection system has been fitted. This immediately detects if the car is in danger of inverting and deploys two hoops that are integrated within the rear headrests. In conjunction with the strengthened front windshield frame, these are capable of supporting the entire weight of an over-turned car.
Not surprisingly, significant time and effort has gone into making the folding roof both beautiful as well as highly functional. Operated hydraulically at the touch of a switch, the impressive, three-layer canvas roof is elegantly stowed beneath the rear parcel shelf in a matter of 25 seconds. Because the roof is held in a separate well area, there is no impact on the generous boot space which was designed to be able to hold two sets of golf clubs and hand luggage.
Conclusion
The Arnage Drophead Coupe show car demonstrates that Bentley continues to lead the world when it comes to creating superlative cars that combine classic craftsmanship with contemporary design and unrivalled opulence. Indeed, Bentley is uniquely positioned to be able to offer cars of this quality in small production volumes, as Ashley Wickham, chief engineer, explains:
"There is clearly nothing quite like this car in the world - it is in a niche of its own. By the spring of 2006 we expect to be able to start production if there is sufficient interest from potential customers. It truly is the world's most elegant convertible."
The Arnage Drophead Coupe is that most admired of motor cars - a classic Bentley convertible based upon a tried and tested engineering platform that can fulfil the dreams of customers looking for exclusivity and indulgence in a car that evokes the Riviera lifestyle like no other.
"The launch of this car highlights the amazing flexibility of Bentley's engineering processes, demonstrating yet again that Bentley is the leader when it comes to bespoke cars," says Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, member of the board, engineering. "Some of the skills we have at Bentley don't exist anywhere else in the world and it shows in this car."
From Bentley's very earliest days, open-top cars have been an intrinsic part of the company's heritage. Over the decades that followed many revered convertible or 'drophead' models were created, both by notable Bentley coachbuilders such as Mulliner, Park Ward, and later 'in-house' at the company's Crewe headquarters.
From the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupe, through the later Corniche and Continental eras, up to the magnificent Azure of 1995, an entire portfolio of unashamedly glamorous and wonderfully desirable cars meant that Bentley retained its reputation as the creator of the world's most elegant convertibles.
Now that reputation has grown once more with the unveiling of the new Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe show car at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. It is a true four-seater convertible for the 21st century: a unique blend of classic Bentley design and craftsmanship married to a high-technology platform sourced from the 2005 Model Year Arnage. As such, it is the perfect natural successor to the Bentley Azure, whose eight-year lifespan cemented the marque's status as the prime provider of four-seater convertibles to this sector of the market.
First and foremost, the design is unmistakeably Bentley - it shares the same front end as the current Arnage range and its platform ensures it seats four adults in complete comfort. But it is also unmistakeably unique. The entire cabin and rear section of the car are newly designed, with a stunning new interior that has been influenced by contemporary furniture design; the objective being to create an opulent and inviting seating area that reflects its status as a car that is at home in Palm Springs or the Riviera.
The Arnage Drophead Coupe show car is more than just a conceptual design study, however. Its unveiling in Los Angeles represents the culmination of a truly innovative development programme that means the car is entirely production viable, as Bentley's chairman Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen explains:
"The 2005 Arnage range has been extensively re-engineered at significant cost and is a very modern, high-technology saloon. It is natural, therefore, that we would use this base to further our reputation as the pre-eminent builder of large, luxury convertibles in the world.
"We had such amazing success with the Bentley Azure, which has developed a cult following although production stopped in 2003. There's no reason why this new Arnage derivative couldn't fill the gap left by the Azure. If customer demand is there, it could go into production within a very short space of time - as early as Spring 2006."
OVERVIEW
- The world's most elegant four-seater convertible that provides a powerful and refined open-top driving experience.
- Accommodation for four adults in complete comfort. The interior cabin is wider in the front and rear than the previous Bentley Azure convertible - the rear by 20%.
- New streamlined convertible body style with raked windscreen and fully automated canvas roof that stows perfectly flush in 25 seconds.
- Shares the Bentley Arnage's state-of-the-art platform, wheelbase and powertrain with 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 450bhp (336Kw) and 875Nm (645lb ft) torque.
- Benefits from the comfort suspension recently introduced on the Bentley
Arnage R.
- Pop-up rollover protection system for occupant safety in the event of over-turning.
- Unique interior styling with new seats, 'floating' armrests and mood lighting. Show car trimmed in Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather and Burr Oak veneer with a Boxwood inlay.
- Full production capability by Spring 2006 depending on market reaction.
Design
Bentley's design team cites the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupe and 1995 Azure as its main influences for the Arnage Drophead Coupe show car. Like the '50s convertible, the car has a deep body with a single feature line that runs along both flanks and rises at the powerful rear haunches before spearing off at the rear of the car. Similarly, the Azure's fast and flowing roofline is echoed in the show car's stunning seven-bow canvas roof that gives the car such a visible sporting profile when raised.
"The Arnage Drophead Coupe is the latest in a long line of much-admired Bentley convertibles and we wanted to reflect that heritage as directly as possible," says Dirk van Braeckel, director of design, Bentley Motors. "The key to a four-seater convertible is that its grace and elegance is on display when the roof is down but it shouldn't lose any of that beauty when it is raised. We think we have struck that balance with the beautiful lines of the roof."
That objective was achieved, explains Bentley's head of exterior design Raul Pires by inclining the windscreen as far back as possible - the car is 35mm lower than an Arnage. "We have tried to make the roof look as 'fast' as we can," he says. "The result is a design that combines fluidity, sportiness and elegance."
A new rear boot section also helps to accentuate the contemporary feel of the new convertible. Prominent wheel arches grace a slender, narrowing boot that results in a 'horse shoe' trailing edge. This graceful shape is reminiscent of the first Crewe-built Bentley, the 1946 MK6, and the overall effect is a subtle nod to the power and performance that lies beneath the stunning Meteor Blue bodywork.
New LED rear tail-lamps use technology borrowed from the Continental GT coupe range; while a chrome surround echoes the Arnage front head-lamp units. Further brightwork is found in the form of chrome exhaust finishers and handcrafted chrome bumpers and sills that extend around the entire car and sit alongside unique, six-spoke, 19-inch chrome-finished alloy wheels.
Of course, the nature of a convertible means that its interior is often on display as much as its exterior and the design team knew that the car's spacious cabin would need to make as big a statement as its stunning body. The decision was taken early on in the programme to design a rear-seat compartment that captures some of the exquisite feel and look of earlier Bentley convertibles.
"The S1 Drophead Coupe from 1955 had a wonderfully understated but luxurious interior," says Robin Page, head of interior design, Bentley Motors. "For example, the doors had simple armrests with a leather pad on them and we have reflected that in this car's hide-trimmed armrests that run the length of the cabin sides and appear to be suspended away from the door's actual surface.
"Similarly, we admired the fluted leather in earlier drophead Continentals and echoed that with the vast amounts of warm and inviting leather hide that extends past the seats and onto the parcel shelf, thereby emphasising the impressive dimensions of the rear compartment."
It's not only heritage that influenced the Arnage Drophead Coupe's look and feel. The interior design team appreciated the simplicity of the contemporary Peel chair created by Norwegian Olav Eldoy, who recognised that the swirling curve of a slice of orange peel could be the concept for a body-hugging seat. Those same principles are reflected in the curving rear seat and arm rest. For added atmosphere, indirect lighting casts a warm glow of light behind the door arm rests.
As in every Bentley, peerless craftsmanship is to the fore in the cabin. Beautiful Burr Oak veneers with a Boxwood inlay act as a counterpoint to the Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather while a wooden steering wheel with inlayed chrome rim is unique to the car.
Engineering and specification
Work on the Arnage Drophead Coupe started in January 2004 and only the introduction of new technologies and advanced production techniques meant it could be produced in such a short timescale, as Ashley Wickham, chief engineer, explains:
"The real challenge of this programme was to develop a car that had such stylish lines in the timescale we had available. With good planning and close teamwork we were able to combine simultaneous engineering and design with the latest 'fast-track' technologies - it was a great mix of conventional and new thinking.
"For example, right up to the point of engineering, digital data was taken from the clay model's surfaces on a day-by-day basis, even while some parts of the clay were still evolving. This ensured we could transfer the right design feeling directly to the CAD surfaces which are used to make the tooling. And to ensure that the designers could continue to make quick revisions to the car, new technologies were adopted as the programme progressed. The body panels, for example, were actually pressed from special resin-based tools which could be machined in a matter of days."
The twin-turbocharged V8 engine, double-wishbone suspension and extremely rigid body structure of the 2005 Model Year Arnage R provide a state-of-the-art basis for the Drophead Coupe. The show car is powered by a 450bhp (336Kw) version of the Arnage R's 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged intercooled V8 engine and produces 875Nm (645lb ft) of torque.
The Arnage's impressive ventilated brakes with Electronic Stability Programme, Antilock Braking System and Electronic Brake pressure Distribution work in conjunction with the independent double wishbone suspension and a computer-controlled adaptive electro-hydraulic damping system to ensure optimum stability and handling at all times. The Arnage Drophead Coupe also benefits from the introduction of the new comfort suspension system used on the Arnage R.
To guarantee the Drophead Coupe met aggressive body stiffness targets set at the start of the project, significant stiffening members have been added to the underlying Arnage chassis. These strengthened steel parts lie in the sill section of the car and extend into the A-pillars that form the windshield frame. Beneath the car, cross-bracing members reinforce the whole body shell. The result is a car that displays remarkable body stiffness.
Strengthening has also been applied to the body structure behind the rear seats where an advanced rollover protection system has been fitted. This immediately detects if the car is in danger of inverting and deploys two hoops that are integrated within the rear headrests. In conjunction with the strengthened front windshield frame, these are capable of supporting the entire weight of an over-turned car.
Not surprisingly, significant time and effort has gone into making the folding roof both beautiful as well as highly functional. Operated hydraulically at the touch of a switch, the impressive, three-layer canvas roof is elegantly stowed beneath the rear parcel shelf in a matter of 25 seconds. Because the roof is held in a separate well area, there is no impact on the generous boot space which was designed to be able to hold two sets of golf clubs and hand luggage.
Conclusion
The Arnage Drophead Coupe show car demonstrates that Bentley continues to lead the world when it comes to creating superlative cars that combine classic craftsmanship with contemporary design and unrivalled opulence. Indeed, Bentley is uniquely positioned to be able to offer cars of this quality in small production volumes, as Ashley Wickham, chief engineer, explains:
"There is clearly nothing quite like this car in the world - it is in a niche of its own. By the spring of 2006 we expect to be able to start production if there is sufficient interest from potential customers. It truly is the world's most elegant convertible."
The Arnage Drophead Coupe is that most admired of motor cars - a classic Bentley convertible based upon a tried and tested engineering platform that can fulfil the dreams of customers looking for exclusivity and indulgence in a car that evokes the Riviera lifestyle like no other.
"The launch of this car highlights the amazing flexibility of Bentley's engineering processes, demonstrating yet again that Bentley is the leader when it comes to bespoke cars," says Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, member of the board, engineering. "Some of the skills we have at Bentley don't exist anywhere else in the world and it shows in this car."
Trending Topics
#9
Safety Car
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This car is named wrong. It should be Drop-dead Goregeous. It's absolutely classic Bently, with updated touches like the headlamps being updated and the wheels getting bigger. They must have slayed a whole rainforest for that interior. It's interesting the went with the traditional hood ornament (which looks great), as opposed to the "B" emblem they've been using on the hood lately.
#10
The sizzle in the Steak
Elegant.
#12
I don't see anything pretty or elegant about it. It should've been the GT that turned into a convertible.
#13
Moderator Alumnus
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Communist, NY
Posts: 9,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by phile
I don't see anything pretty or elegant about it. It should've been the GT that turned into a convertible.
This car is a true Bentley, the GT to me really isn't and its obvious after looking at one.
#16
on to the next one...
Originally Posted by HellaShookOne
That is awesome. Takes droptop to a new level
Im picking one of these up from the dealer soon![J/K](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/jk.gif)
![Ecstatic](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/ecstatic.gif)
Im picking one of these up from the dealer soon
![J/K](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/jk.gif)
![Ponder](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/ponder.gif)
I am glad to see an Arnage drop as opposed to a GT drop...much more elegant, I love the GT, but to me it doesn't have those TRUE Bentley lines to it like this one...
B
#19
goldmemberererer
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: West Hills, CA
Posts: 1,736
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The interior is fucking garish. I don't like the interior one bit. Also, for as elegant as the exterior shape is, that color sucks and those tailpipes are out of place.
#21
Moderator Alumnus
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Communist, NY
Posts: 9,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by goldmemberer
The interior is fucking garish. I don't like the interior one bit. Also, for as elegant as the exterior shape is, that color sucks and those tailpipes are out of place.
And garish is not the word I would use to describe the interior, its very well layed out and clean. The wood is of top quality and there is really only one color, beige.
Not sure what you mean by the tailpipes.
#22
Moderator Alumnus
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Washington DC (NOVA)
Age: 52
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
Drop the ‘concept’ - - Source: Autoweek
As we predicted, that Arnage Drophead Coupe concept Bentley revealed at the Los Angeles auto show in January (Jan. 17) is going into production early next year. The range-topping four-seat convertible, successor to the Azure, gets a 6.75-liter, 450-hp, 645-lb-ft twin-turbo V8 under the hood, and a roof that drops in less than 30 seconds. Just how big of a hole this will burn in your checkbook will be announced closer to delivery next spring.
#26
Originally Posted by goldmemberer
The interior is fucking garish. I don't like the interior one bit. Also, for as elegant as the exterior shape is, that color sucks and those tailpipes are out of place.
![No](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/no.gif)
![No](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/no.gif)
![No](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/no.gif)
gorgeous car. absolutely awesome.
#29
^^^ Looks way better than the wood interior.
#30
on to the next one...
Love or hate the interior, it's a Bentley, wood is what they do.
Don't get me wrong, I love the interior of the Arnage T, but the wood isn't that bad either. I do like the wood interior better with black leather, but I'd still take the tan![Wink](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif)
B
Don't get me wrong, I love the interior of the Arnage T, but the wood isn't that bad either. I do like the wood interior better with black leather, but I'd still take the tan
![Wink](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif)
B
#31
Moderator Alumnus
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Communist, NY
Posts: 9,574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bentley Arnage Blue Train Series
![](http://www.netcarshow.com/bentley/2005-arnage_blue_train_series/800x600/wallpaper_07.jpg)
http://www.netcarshow.com
![](http://www.netcarshow.com/bentley/2005-arnage_blue_train_series/800x600/wallpaper_01.jpg)
![](http://www.netcarshow.com/bentley/2005-arnage_blue_train_series/800x600/wallpaper_05.jpg)
![](http://www.netcarshow.com/bentley/2005-arnage_blue_train_series/800x600/wallpaper_09.jpg)
![](http://www.netcarshow.com/bentley/2005-arnage_blue_train_series/800x600/wallpaper_07.jpg)
![](http://www.netcarshow.com/bentley/2005-arnage_blue_train_series/800x600/wallpaper_08.jpg)
Bentley celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Blue Train Race
Crewe, 31st October 2005 - Some 75 years since the adventurer and Le Mans winner Woolf Barnato raced and beat the famous Blue Train on its journey across France, Bentley Motors and its coach building division Mulliner are celebrating his achievement with a powerful, distinctive and luxurious grand tourer based on its flagship four-door saloon: the Arnage Blue Train Series.
In specification, the Blue Train Series Arnage features the 450bhp version of Bentley's remarkable 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, allied to the chassis and suspension set-up of the refined and supple Arnage R. With a 0-60mph acceleration of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 168mph the Blue Train Series Arnage has the performance to satisfy the most demanding of drivers. A mountainous 645lb ft of torque (875Nm) available at 3250rpm means that the Bentley's performance is instantly accessible.
Externally, the Arnage Blue Train Series is distinguished by its 19" seven-spoke alloy wheels, sunroof, chrome radiator shell, chrome mirror caps and quadruple exhaust tailpipes. Both front and rear bumpers are designed specifically for the Arnage Blue Train Series, with stainless steel matrix mesh to the front bumper cooling ducts. In homage to the slatted bonnet of the original 'Blue Train' Bentley Speed Six, Bentley's design team has specified vertical slatted vents, painted in body colour, behind the trailing edge of the front wheel arches. The Blue Train Arnage will carry the black winged 'B' inside and out, as the distinguishing mark of the most powerful and performance-focused Bentleys, and will also have Blue Train badging on the front wing and door aperture treadplates. A 'privacy' rear backlight may also be specified, another feature which echoes the coachwork of Barnato's 1930s coupé.
The interior is equally distinctive. All instrument and dial faces are black, and the centre console features a subtle Bentley Blue Train badge. Mulliner's meticulous craftsmanship is evident in the veneer waistrails, which feature chrome inlay with winged 'B' badges, and the 'Blue Train' embroidered headrests, in a coordinating thread colour. Other special elements of the interior specification are the wood and hide steering wheel, additional wood veneer panels on the doors and contrast piping on the seats.
A limited number of the Blue Train Series will be produced, the majority being intended for the USA, and all orders have already been filled.
"I am delighted with the Arnage Blue Train Series," said Derek Davies, Brand Director, Arnage and Mulliner, "The engineers and craftsmen of Bentley Mulliner have created an exceptionally desirable car, and a fitting tribute to Woolf Barnato's amazing achievement. In doing so, Bentley Mulliner has created another unique chapter to the Bentley story."
Earlier this month, the first model in the series joined the original 'Blue Train' Speed Six, now owned by Bentley enthusiasts Bruce and Jolene McCaw, along with other historically significant Bentley cars in a 75th Anniversary tour from Cannes to London, following Barnato's original route. Participants enjoyed a more leisured approach to the journey than that taken by Woolf Barnato, with attractions such as wine-tasting, overnight stops and gastronomic meals at chateaux en route.
Crewe, 31st October 2005 - Some 75 years since the adventurer and Le Mans winner Woolf Barnato raced and beat the famous Blue Train on its journey across France, Bentley Motors and its coach building division Mulliner are celebrating his achievement with a powerful, distinctive and luxurious grand tourer based on its flagship four-door saloon: the Arnage Blue Train Series.
In specification, the Blue Train Series Arnage features the 450bhp version of Bentley's remarkable 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, allied to the chassis and suspension set-up of the refined and supple Arnage R. With a 0-60mph acceleration of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 168mph the Blue Train Series Arnage has the performance to satisfy the most demanding of drivers. A mountainous 645lb ft of torque (875Nm) available at 3250rpm means that the Bentley's performance is instantly accessible.
Externally, the Arnage Blue Train Series is distinguished by its 19" seven-spoke alloy wheels, sunroof, chrome radiator shell, chrome mirror caps and quadruple exhaust tailpipes. Both front and rear bumpers are designed specifically for the Arnage Blue Train Series, with stainless steel matrix mesh to the front bumper cooling ducts. In homage to the slatted bonnet of the original 'Blue Train' Bentley Speed Six, Bentley's design team has specified vertical slatted vents, painted in body colour, behind the trailing edge of the front wheel arches. The Blue Train Arnage will carry the black winged 'B' inside and out, as the distinguishing mark of the most powerful and performance-focused Bentleys, and will also have Blue Train badging on the front wing and door aperture treadplates. A 'privacy' rear backlight may also be specified, another feature which echoes the coachwork of Barnato's 1930s coupé.
The interior is equally distinctive. All instrument and dial faces are black, and the centre console features a subtle Bentley Blue Train badge. Mulliner's meticulous craftsmanship is evident in the veneer waistrails, which feature chrome inlay with winged 'B' badges, and the 'Blue Train' embroidered headrests, in a coordinating thread colour. Other special elements of the interior specification are the wood and hide steering wheel, additional wood veneer panels on the doors and contrast piping on the seats.
A limited number of the Blue Train Series will be produced, the majority being intended for the USA, and all orders have already been filled.
"I am delighted with the Arnage Blue Train Series," said Derek Davies, Brand Director, Arnage and Mulliner, "The engineers and craftsmen of Bentley Mulliner have created an exceptionally desirable car, and a fitting tribute to Woolf Barnato's amazing achievement. In doing so, Bentley Mulliner has created another unique chapter to the Bentley story."
Earlier this month, the first model in the series joined the original 'Blue Train' Speed Six, now owned by Bentley enthusiasts Bruce and Jolene McCaw, along with other historically significant Bentley cars in a 75th Anniversary tour from Cannes to London, following Barnato's original route. Participants enjoyed a more leisured approach to the journey than that taken by Woolf Barnato, with attractions such as wine-tasting, overnight stops and gastronomic meals at chateaux en route.
#35
on to the next one...
So they are continuing with the Arnage along with the Continental Flying Spur?
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...hlight=bentley
I am assuming that the Arnage will continue to be considered their "Flagship" sedan?
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...hlight=bentley
I am assuming that the Arnage will continue to be considered their "Flagship" sedan?
#37
Originally Posted by titan
Are you serious??? That car is the shit, and it looks great doing it.
![Werd](https://acurazine.com/forums/images/smilies/werd.gif)
#39
Midnight Marauder
Originally Posted by stangg172004
still looks like shit...