1998 Bentley Arnage

Bentley Arnage (Saloon), 1998-2009

The Bentley Arnage was in production from 1998 until 2009. Styled in house by Steve Harper, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive saloon range seating five adults.

The Arnage and its sister Silver Seraph were the first wholly new models from Crewe since 1965. Developed to replace the Silver Spirit and Turbo ranges, they used new powerplants chosen to replace the outgoing L series V8. Rolls Royce used a BMW V12, whereas Bentley stuck a Cosworth-tuned twin turbo 4.4 litre BMW V8 into the Arnage. The body showed clear links with the past though softened into a shape rather more fitting of the 21st century.

Mechanically Arnages differ. Pre 2000 Arnages and the subsequent Green Label use the 4.4 litre BMW V8 as mentioned earlier, hooked up to a five speed ZF automatic gearbox. However, the Volkswagen buyout of Bentley led to fallout with BMW, which said it was going to stop supplying engines to what was now a competitor for its own Rolls-Royces. Volkswagen was therefore in something of a pickle. Rather than adapt one of its Audi V8 units, it deemed the fastest and most sensible option was to dig out the old pushrod V8 from the Turbo R, which dated back to the mid Fifties. Hooked to a four speed GM box, this became the new Red Label model of 1999, and set the tone for all subsequent models. The Arnage T of 2002 offered 50bhp more than the Red Label, by now renamed the Arnage R. Long wheelbase variants were also introduced using the Arnage RL name - a replacement for the Red Label LWB, and before it the Arnage Park Ward.

The range received a facelift in 2005, with twin round lamps replacing those behind covers. The three model range continued as before, notwithstanding special editions such as the Blue Train, the Diamond Series, and the Final Series.

The Arnage is a vastly different car to drive to the old Turbo R - it feels decades newer, as indeed it should given that its predecessor can trace lineage back to the Bentley T1 of 1965. The 4.4 litre twin turbocharged V8 in the Green Label is brisk enough, but the old pushrod unit in the Red Label and subsequent models takes that to another level. If you could imagine an Elgar symphony with number plates, this would be it.

Check everything when looking to buy, and make sure there's a full specialist service history. Bentleys aren't as tolerant of neglect as more mainstream models and it's entirely possible that as they've become more affordable, skinflint owners have neglected the servicing routine. In particular, check all the toys in the cabin work, and be suspicious of anything with a substandard or recent paint job. Sills, rear arches and suspension mountings can rust, too, so be vigilant when viewing and we'd advise you keep a specialist on hand at all times.

Undoubtedly the best value comes from the Green Label cars with the BMW V8 - this is a known reliable unit, and because Bentley aficionados all want the 6.75 litre engine they can be had for considerably less than you'd think. The problem will be at resale time, when that lack of desirability and consequent good value will come back to bite you. An early Red Label car is barely any more to buy and will be far more desirable come resale. Most desirable of the bunch is the powerful Arnage T, though you're less likely to use the additional power in the real world and running costs will be higher.

As blisteringly quick sports saloons, there are a few rivals to the Bentley - though only the Bristol Blenheim retains the same hand built charm. If you're willing to sacrifice that, a Jaguar XJR makes the perfect alternative - British, brutish and full of heritage. An E55 AMG or a Brabus tuned S Class offers the same speed with a Germanic twist, as do the BMW M5 and equivalents by Alpina. A Toyota Century would deliver luxury in a different way, while an Aston Martin Vantage might bring you more bang for more buck if you wanted to compromise on space. Finally, you could go Italian - a Ferrari 456GT may well appeal if you only need two seats.