40 Years Of Turbocharged Excellence Rejoiced, Bentley At The Goodwood Festival Of Speed

Since the first iteration, the immense reserves of power and effortless torque that characterize Bentley engines have become inseparably linked with turbocharging.

As such, four decades of handcrafting turbocharged grand tourers were celebrated. Bentley Motors at the Goodwood Festival Of Speed with a ten-car spectacle.

Showcased were seven turbocharged Bentleys from its Heritage Collection, alongside key models from the current range, e.g., the Continental GT Mulliner and three of the latest ‘S’ models.

1991 Turbo R - A New Chapter

The Turbo R was a major sales success for Bentley and only 4,111 examples were built during its 9-year production run. Paraded at FOS was one from Bentley’s Heritage Collection.

A 1991 Turbo R model, it came in Brooklands Green with a yellow coachline, and an interior trimmed in Magnolia hide with Spruce piping and Burr Walnut veneer. 

Its specification includes anti-lock brakes and fuel injection that were both introduced in 1987, slimmer sports seats and a higher final drive ratio.

2001 Arnage Red Label - Re-Introducing Crewe’s V8

First launched in 1998, the Arnage was powered by a 4.4-litre BMW V8, but after further review that led to Bentley becoming part of the VW Group, out came a new ‘Red Label’ Arnage. 

Re-packing the Jack Phillips-derived 6.75-litre V8, it produced 399 hp and 835 Nm, restoring the ‘wave of torque’ character to the Arnage that had been such a distinctive feature of the Turbo R. 

Remarkably, the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h took just 6.3 seconds, with a governed top speed of 249 km/h.

2003 Continental R Mulliner Final Series – The Grand Touring

Debuted at Geneva in 1991, the Continental R was a true high-performance grand tourer and the first Bentley with its own unique body since the 1952 R Type Continental.

Under the hood, its turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine developed 350 hp and punched out a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 6.6 seconds. 

While it was no lighter than the Turbo R, the sleeker, more aerodynamic shape gave it a 14 km/h higher top speed, at 245 km/h. 

Notably, the Heritage Collection’s example is the very last Continental R Final Series off the production line, finished in Silver Pearl with a Black hide interior.

2010 Brooklands – A Timeless Style

An enduring demand for hand-built craftsmanship at the highest level, inspired Bentley to offer a limited-edition coupe of this model based on the Arnage platform.

Further revisions to Bentley’s twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 raised the power output to 528 hp with 1,050 Nm of torque. 

Top speed was 296 km/h and the 0 to 100 km/h sprint took 5.3 seconds. These are significantly remarkable figures for a 2,700 kg luxury coupe. 

This particular Brooklands in the Heritage Collection was the final example produced, leaving the production line in January 2010. 

Featuring an exterior finished in Anthracite Grey, while the interior’s main hide color is Newmarket Tan with Anthracite secondary hide.

2010 Mulsanne - Last Of The ‘Jack Phillips’ V8

By the time of the new Mulsanne in 2010, every component of the engine had evolved, and the 6.75-litre V8 only shared its key internal dimensions and layout with its forebears. 

Variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation ensured that it was up to 99 percent cleaner and far more fuel-efficient than a 1950s Bentley V8. 

For the Heritage Collection’s 2010 Mulsanne, this powerplant developed 505 hp and 1,020 Nm of torque. Giving the Bentley a top speed of 296 km/h and a 0 to 10 km/h time of 5.1 seconds.

Chassis 000002, the model presented, was the second to be built. Finished in Imperial Blue with an interior in Shortbread as the main hide and Imperial Blue as secondary. The veneer is Burr Walnut.    

Unfortunately, the year 2020 saw the last-ever Mulsanne, the 6.75 Edition, and thus the last iteration of the ‘Jack Phillips’ 6.75-litre V8 after more than sixty years of production.

2011 Continental Supersports - The W12 Era Begins

Premiered in 2003, the Continental GT was the first all-new Bentley since the original 3-litre of 1919, with no components carried over from a previous generation. 

Specifically, the new Bentley featured a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged 48-valve W12 engine. In essence two narrow V6 engines on a common crankshaft.

Its design had many advantages. It was compact, immensely smooth and gave the new Bentley the high torque power characteristics of a natural grand tourer. Packed 552 hp and 650 Nm of torque.

What’s more, the W12 became the flagship engine of the Bentley range through to the present day, with constant evolution in each generation to improve power, fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. 

The first-generation Continental GT Supersports, launched in 2009, became the first Flex-Fuel Bentley, capable of running on any combination of gasoline and bio-ethanol with no drop in power. 

Then, a revised engine management system and improved airflow management increased the power output to 612 hp. 

These changes, combined with a new Quickshift transmission, gave a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 3.7 seconds. Bentley’s Heritage Collection Supersports is also the last car built.

2014 Continental GT V8 S - A More Efficient Bentley V8

Debuted in 2012, the Continental GT V8 was the first new Bentley V8 engine in over 50 years. Sporting under the hood a 4.0-litre V8. 

Innovatively, it featured cylinder deactivation technology, ‘hot side inside’ turbo mounting, power recuperation via the alternator and engine management by 32-bit TriCore microprocessor.

Together with a new eight-speed automatic transmission the new V8 delivered 40 percent better fuel efficiency compared with the 6.0-litre W12, while producing 493 hp and 660 Nm of torque.

One of the popular second-generation Continental GTs was the V8 S, with a slight increase of power to 514 hp and 680 Nm of torque. The example represented at the event was in Jetstream.

2022 Continental GT Mulliner - Unprecedented Build

Positioned at the pinnacle of the brand’s line-up, the Continental GT Mulliner is the ultimate Bentley to date. An embodiment of the GT Speed’s performance and the Azure’s luxury.

Lurking in its chassis is a tuned-up version of Bentley’s renowned 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine, boosting 650 hp and 900 Nm of torque. A four percent increase of 24 hp over the standard W12 model.

Its setup brags a top speed of 335 km/h (208 mph) and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. A reduction of 0.1 seconds.

Next, with a merging of four chassis technologies, the new Mulliner model sports a level of agility, performance and ride quality that has been stretched to new levels.

Inside, the Continental GT Mulliner W12’s cabin is one defined by luxury, and showcases a level of choice and customization that only Mulliner can provide.

Featured was a unique color split exclusive to the car, with a new combination of primary and secondary hide joined by a third color through a harmonious design line.

Overall, the Mulliner Driving Specification applies the ‘Diamond in Diamond’ quilting complete with contrasting stitching, to the seats, doors trims and rear quarter panels.

2022 Continental GTC S And Flying Spur S - The Excellence Extended

At this year’s Festival of Speed, Bentley’s new S range of models will make their global debut. The Continental GT S, the Continental GTC S and the Flying Spur S.

All are powered by the latest 4.0-litre V8 and represent a sharper edge, with a focus on driving performance and visual presence.

Forty Years of Bentley Turbocharging

Outstandingly, Bentley’s W12, V8 and V6 engines all benefit from turbocharging to deliver astonishing levels of performance and efficiency.

Today, the advantages of turbocharging have seen its universal adoption from city cars to supercars. But it was a bold step in 1982 for Bentley to adopt the technology and one that paid off handsomely.