The Turbocharged Bentley four door models that emerged in the 1980s were the first moves towards giving the marque a separate identity from Rolls Royce, something it hadn’t enjoyed since the days of the R type Continental in the 1950s. The original Mulsanne Turbo of 1983 slightly misjudged the mood of the market, however, with 50 percent more power and torque from the big, all alloy pushrod V8, it was certainly fast, but Crewe’s engineers had decided that the soft, under damped suspension of the standard Mulsanne was adequate for this two ton (2036 kg) gentleman’s hot rod. The result was a car that could be an ungainly handful out on the road, especially when driven in the wet. They followed it up three years later with the Turbo R. This model, lowered and stiffened and fitted with wider tyres, showed that the Crewe company could build a cat that really handled. The top speed was limited to 140 mph (224 km/h) because there were no tyres available that could handle such a combination of weight and speed, but it was the car’s magnificent acceleration that really impressed, with 0-60 mph (96 km/h) taking just seven seconds. It has an engine of V8, 6750cc, equipped with Monocoque chassis and disc brakes, three speed automatic transmissions.
All the Bentley qualities of refinement and high class appointments remained, of course, and it wasn’t long before the Turbo R was out selling its Rolls Royce sisters models. It certainly be a classic super saloon of the future.
