2005 Bentley Arnage - Review

HI-RES GALLERY: 2005 Bentley Arnage

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Shopping for a new Bentley Arnage?

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Spy Shots: ‘06 Bentley Sedan by Hans Lehmann/Hidden Image (3/29/2004)
A convertible, too, for VW’s most British of brands.

With its Continental GT now in full production and all the groundwork in place for a four-door version that will be unveiled in 2005, Bentley is putting the spotlight back on its big sedan, the Arnage. The 2005 model year, which we have just sampled, has a new face, a redesigned interior and technical changes that will keep it emissions-legal for the next few years. These are coupled with specialist body-building facilities that will help it face up to the monster limousines from Rolls-Royce and Maybach.

Announced as a semi-clone of the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph back in 1998, when the two companies were under the same management, the BMW-engined Bentley Arnage was not a car that the new VW management was going to keep after it bought the company. One of the first jobs handed to Bentley engineers was to resuscitate the company’s old 6.75-liter V-8, making it comply with current emissions legislation and adapting it for the Arnage.

That task was achieved for the 2000 model year, and the twin-turbo powerplant has been further tweaked for the 2005 model to make it compliant with standards that come into force next year, giving it a clean bill of emissions health until a replacement is needed, probably around 2010.

With 400 horsepower for the standard Arnage and 450 for the performance ‘T’ version, the V-8, which has a bloodline that goes back over fifty years to a GM design, is still fully capable of providing power worthy of Bentley’s reputation. In addition to the upgrading of the engine, the Arnage also has a number of minor chassis modifications that improve its handling and comfort.

On the outside, the main change is a modified face, with twin circular headlamps replacing the rather awkward oblong units of the original. They give the car a look that fits in with that of the Continental GT and thus establish a ‘family’ style. The grille and hood now integrate more smoothly into the front wings, and the designers have paid special attention to a natural dividing line formed there. This will make many customers opt for a duotone paint scheme similar to those used on Bentleys of the 1950s and ’60s.