"Ben"
1993 Bentley Brooklands LWB (Long Wheel Base) "Limo" in British racing green, with tightly tailored tan leather, lambs wool carpet, rare walnut wood burl and rare wood inlay throughout create an opulent environment. The longer wheel base can be observed by the longer rear door and window, and allows additional room for the passengers, more luxurious personal amenities, and additional high tech toys for full comfort traveling (mounted in the trunk). The LWB was introduced in 1993, and named after the legendary racetrack in England, only three (3) were produced for the American market (left hand drive) that year.
Bentleys are manufactured by Rolls Royce, in Rolls Royce factories, in England. Bentleys are designed for highest in luxury and quality while meeting the European taste for driving performance. Bentleys typically have tighter tailoring in the leather, more responsive suspension, quicker steering, and more power than the equivalent Rolls Royce.
One can see me (photographer) in the reflection of the hood. It is like no other vehicle I have ever owned or driven. It is pure magic.
In September 1992 the Bentley Brooklands was introduced, priced at £91,489 (USD$165,680) and the Brooklands LWB was introduced in 1993 (USD$190,000). The Brooklands and Brooklands LWB replaced the Eight and the Mulsanne S and featured a new bonnet and green badge harking back to the vintage Green Label Bentley, new air dam alloy 16" wheels, new interior fascia and center console design and the electric column mounted gear change was moved to the console.
The Bentley Brooklands and LWB were successors to Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Mulsanne was successor to the Bentley T. Many changes thoughout production were made to ensure all demands from clients and legislation were dealt with accordingly. Many enhancements were made in the period between 1980 and 1998 each establishing new parameters of excellence. The revival of the Bentley marque includes the Bentley Mulsanne and Mulsanne Turbo with its awesome performance to Bentley Brooklands, Brooklands LWB and Bentley Turbo R. The latter being mainly responsible for more Bentley motor cars outselling Rolls-Royce by three to one during the late 90ies. A similar Bentley was recently gifted to the Queen of England with a value estimated at USD$750,000.
Exterior changes for the new Brooklands are striking. The restyled grille carries the traditional lines of fine automobiles, aerodynamic door mirrors and the new body-color bumpers and new air dam give the entire motor car a smooth and integrated look. The new 16" alloy wheels are shod with low profile, low rolling resistance tires which combine improved handling and economy with lower wear rates.
Distincitve Bentley grill and classic Rolls bonnet (photographs taken at the Parsonage, my home at the time).
Long carriage provides luxury, performance and stately elegance.
Andrew took his first driving lesson in the Foxwoods Casino parking lot and experienced the smooth power and pleasure of driving a Bentley as well as the incredible power, particularly on braking ...
TECHNOLOGY
Automatic ride control provides computer control of the suspension dampers to optimize ride comfort and handling. Transmission shift energy management and adaptive shift control provide computer control of the gearbox to produce smooth gear changes under all conditions. Electric gear actuation provides lightness of control. CFC-free air conditioning system.
STYLE
Modern, evolutionary, contoured body style. New wrap-around and color-matched bumpers flow into the body. The re-proportioned radiator shell, integral front airdam, new exterior mirror system and spare wheel mounted within the luggage compartment all contribute to the integrated styling. Swept-through console with touch-opening burr walnut veneer panels to reveal the in-car entertainment system and smoker's accessories.
PERFORMANCE
6.75 litre naturally aspirated V8 engine. Unique new aluminum alloy wheels 7Jx16, together with new 235/65VR16 tyres provide responsive steering and sure-footed road holding without compromise to ride comfort. Four speed electronically controlled automatic gearbox with torque converter lock-up. New final drive ratio delivers greater economy and refined cruising.
DURABILITY
Underside of the bodyshell is zinc-coated and undergoes a ten-stage metal pre-treatment process prior to cathodic electro-priming. Multi-stage painting process with the latest ‘clear over base' paint technology. Flexibilised polymer clearcoat lacquer applied to the front surfaces of the motor car provides increased stone chip protection, yet is almost invisible to the eye. Elastomeric stone-chip protective coating is applied to the sill and wheel arch areas prior to painting.
SAFETY
Commanding view of the road ahead. Fully powered braking system with four channel electronic anti-lock system and anti-dive geometry. Full-sized driver and front seat passenger airbags. Double anti-side intrusion beams to doors. Dual level air conditioning designed to maintain driver alertness. Orthopaedically designed seating system helps to reduce occupant stress levels. Careful attention to weight distribution under all loading cases, together with full-length lever arm front suspension and semi-trailing arm rear suspension provide a safe and progressive handling characteristic at all times.
LUXURY
Interior changes for the new Brooklands are luxurious and high tech. The redesigned interior includes a tilt steering wheel, linked to the seating position memory, enables the driver to set the ideal driving position and automatically raises to permit easy entry and exit. The in-car entertainment system in the centre console has a new walnut veneer cover panel and the CD autochanger is now easily accessible within the console armrest, while rear passengers now have their own air conditioning outlets with directional and volume control of the rear cabin airflow.
Luxury tea tables, foot rests, blanket, pillows, arm rest cabinet, reclining rear seats, power connections, two Sony Flat Screen TVs, VCR, DVD, X-Box connections, quality sound 6 CD player, full comfort while traveling. Also a fully functional office for working or keeping up to date while traveling.
APPOINTMENTS
Four door saloon with accommodation for up to five adults. Tilt-adjustable steering column enables the ideal driving position to be reached, improves instrument visibility and has ‘easy entry-exit' feature. Memory facility allows the positions of the seat, exterior mirrors and steering wheel of four different drivers to be recalled. Front passenger seat fitted with four memories for seat position. Air conditioning outlets for rear seat passengers permit individual control of the rear cabin environment. 4x30 Watt tuner-cassette audio system, with 6 CD autochanger mounted in centre console armrest for ease of access, playing through a ten speaker system. Remote control of in-car entertainment system for rear seat passengers. Full hide upholstery, Wilton carpet and lambswool rugs provide a unique interior ambience. Burl walnut veneer with straight grained walnut cross-banding. Two stage front seat heating. Bi-level lumbar support system to front seats.
And still room enough for Jonathan to open his Birthday gifts.
A friend of mine, a double base player, who played during the Sunday Brunch at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, could fit her double base in the hard airline case easily in the back seat.
Often I would go out for a drive with a friend for the weekend, to a show or wherever, and never arrive at our destination. We often instead found ourselves at the beach (E.g. Compo) enjoying the evening watching a movie, listening to music in the car. There was always plenty of room for anything.
One can see the tightly tailored front drivers seat. The well appointed and cavernous trunk provides enough any luggage I have ever carried. It has room for two adults to lay down (photo courtesy). One can see the carpeted panel and latches that cover the wooden board that hangs vertically behind the rear passenger seats on which all electronics (DVD, VCR. etc.) are mounted.
MOTIVATION
Under the bonnet, the 6.75 liter V8 engine of the new Bentley Brooklands is now more fuel efficient with no loss of performance, adding to its credentials as a long-distance express.
Starting the engine (with the left hand key ignition) produces a low and satisfying growl. The engine idles silently. The engine's nearly 412 cubic inches (6.75 L) will respond immediately to the throttle. The engine will respond smoothly with a distant roar but with no other sensation other than being steadily pulled forward.
New cylinder heads, throttle body, low-loss intake system, high final drive ratio and a new engine management system provide an improvement in fuel economy along with a modest in performance. The engine is an 8 cylinder 90 degree V-configuration, aluminum-silicon alloy cylinder block with cast iron wet cylinder liners; bore x stroke 104.14 x 99.06 mm (4.1 x 3.9 in), capacity 6,750 cc, aluminum alloy cylinder heads; Bosch MK Motronic fuel injection and ignition control system; 4-speed automatic gearbox; hypoid bevel final drive; independent suspension front and rear, self leveling with automatic ride control; ventilated disc brakes front, plain discs rear, and anti-lock device.
Starting in 1968, the 6.2 L Rolls V8 engine was bored out to 6.75 L, known affectionately as the Six and Three-Quarter Litre, the most widely-used and well-known of all the versions, and possibly the most famous British V8 engine of all time, save for the Rover V8 engine, which was actually an American Buick design purchased from General Motors. Except for the Chevrolet Small-block V8, the Rolls-Royce/Bentley V8 is the longest-lived engine currently in production today. From a standpoint of usage in currently sold vehicles, the 6.75 L engine is the oldest engine produced, given that the production of Chevrolet small-block engines is relegated to sale as crate engines, and the replacement GM LS engine is dynamically unrelated to the classic Chevy engine.
Starting in 1996 an exhaust driven Garrett AiResearch turbocharger was added and produced almost 300 hp (297 hp (221 kW) of power) and an amazing ~500 ft-lbf (487 ft·lbf (660 N·m)) of torque. Notice the torque is more than the horse power (most American cars have less torque then horse power). Torque is the power that makes cars move, the more torque, the easier it is for the engine to move the mass of the car. Also Anti-roll bar rates were increased 60% front and 80% rear and tuned dampers were added, and a Panhard rod was also introduced, reducing side-to-side movement in corners. For the model year 1998, i.e. with deliveries commencing from the second half of 1997 onward, some of the features of the Bentley Continental T became available on the new Bentley Turbo RT, which replaced the Bentley Turbo R. With an engine achieving 400 bhp and a maximum torque of 590 lb/ft (800 Nm), attained between 2000 and 3450 rpm, the experience of driving a Bentley RT was almost outside the normal frame of reference.
SUMMATION
As with every Bentley, the presence, performance and craftsmanship of this luxury sporting motor car create a driving experience unequalled by more commonplace machines. Spacious, luxurious, refined and exhilarating, the new Bentley Brooklands is equally accomplished as a business express or sporting companion.
Perhaps sometime in the future I will post photographs of the front driving area. Although I enjoy driving it, and it is a marvelous automobile to be driven in. It is not about driving, riding, nor carrying things. It is about traveling well and arriving at the highest level.
SPECIFICATIONS
Numerous detail changes give the new Brooklands a smoother exterior profile, better handling, improved interior comfort and driver control.
1993 Bentley Brooklands LWB "Limo"
Manufacturer: Rolls Royce
Assembly: Rolls Royce, Crewe, England
Model: Brooklands
Production: 1992–1998 (First Generation)
Body: 4-door Saloon
Models: Standard Wheel Base (SWB), Long Wheel Base (LWB), Brooklands R, Brooklands R Mulliner, Brooklands Trophy (Bespoke), Turbo, Turbo S, Turbo R, Turbo R Sport (Euro only), Turbo RT
Maximum Speeds for model years:
from 1985 max. speed 130.0 mph (214 km/h)
from 1988 max. speed 136.7 mph (220 km/h)
from 1992 max. speed 146.0 mph (235 km/h)
from 1995 max. speed 154.7 mph (249 km/h)
from 1997 max. speed 155.3 mph (250 km/h)
(American market configuration. The increae in max speed is due to technical changes including the addition of fuel injection (2 types), electronic engine control, turbo chargers (2 types, different pressures), etc. and resulting in increased engine power and thus producing higher max. speeds.)
Engine: 6.75 L (412 cubic inches) Rolls-Royce V8
Power: 300 hp (297 hp (221 kW)) of power and 500 ft-lbf (487 ft·lbf (660 N·m)) of torque
Power: Turbo versions: 400 bhp and 590 lb/ft (800 Nm) of torque
Power: Performance turbo versions: 530 bhp
Transmission: 4-speed 4L80-E automatic
Drivetrain: rear wheel drive
Fuel Consumption
Urban: 11.1 Mpg (8 mpg actual)
Highway: 23.0 Mpg
Combined: 16.5 Mpg
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 124.5 in (10.4 feet)(3162 mm)
Overall Length: 211.4 in (17.6 feet)(5370 mm) (18 feet long)
Overall Height: 58.5 in (4.9 feet)(1486 mm)
Overall Width: 79.0 in (6.6 feet)(2007 mm)
Overall Weight: 6,460 lbs. GVWR (3.3 tons)
Turning Circle: 39 ft 10.7 ins (40 feet)
REFERENCES (Links):
Bentley Owners Club USA
Bentley Owners Club UK
Bentley Factory
Bentley History
I am sad to report someone has broken in and stolen the televisions and entertainment equipment so I locked "Ben" away in the warehouse for now. 4/30/06
View other cars in the "twombly" garage (click upper left).
