Bentley Brooklands: Is This The Finest Bentley Ever Made?
BENTLEY BROOKLANDS
Words Andrea Balti / Photos Bentley Media
Monumental. This is the word that better than any other probably sums up the majesty and the exaggerated search for luxury used for the creation of one of the most aesthetically beautiful cars ever produced. The Brooklands is a point of reference due to the purity of the lines that characterize a gigantic coupe that comes in a time when, even if Bentley has already been absorbed by the VW group, it represents what is considered by most to be the last proper Bentley produced by the British company, since the project on which it is based already had a few years on its shoulders.
The first generation Brooklands is in fact introduced in 1992, replacing the Mulsanne, but always presenting itself as a luxury four-door sedan. Production was interrupted in 1997 and then restarted with a clearly different model in 2007, having not only softened the edges, but also losing two doors, thus giving life to a generously sized coupe that aspired to become a point of reference in the ultra-luxury segment. Based on the Arnage/Azure chassis, the Brooklands presents itself as the perfect generational bridge between the glorious past of the brand and a future that intends to see it as the ultimate machine in terms of comfort, refinement of materials and driving pleasure.
Powered by a mighty 6,761 cc twin-turbo V8, the 537 horsepower available are mainly used to move the enormous mass of the Brooklands, which with its 5.4 meters in length and 2.655 kg of weight, does not lose the traditional aplomb that you may expect from a € 500,000 car. Produced in just 600 units, it provided almost infinite customization possibilities, but this is not surprising given that we are still talking about an object that required 19 hours of craftsmanship only for the stitching on the steering wheel. As this is a coupe and in order to make it more comfortable for the rear occupants to get out, there are two handles in the internal door panel and also a padded cushion placed on the pillar, so as to allow an extra nap during longest trips.
Travels are in fact the ideal situation for a car of this type, a gigantic living room in leather and wood which, despite being perfectly capable of moving fast, prefers more suitable movements thanks to a chassis that filters any type of roughness of the ground, leaving the driver concentrated only in enjoying the drive, discreetly intervening with traction control when in the most complete soundproofing it can happen that the power under the hood takes over. 1,050 Nm of torque are available at 3,250 rpm, a reserve that would be enough to move a continent. Yet the Brooklands never loses its focus and continues to keep its masterful on road composure.
The line is immortal and although beauty is a subjective matter, it is undeniable that the dimensions and features of the Brooklands are the most harmonious one can find on four wheels. Starting from the front immediately distinguishable thanks to the four round headlights around the huge grille, passing through a side profile that accentuates the coupe body, joining the front windows with the rear ones and pointing towards a tail that rises just before the wheel arch and then descends towards a not so spacious trunk. But does it really matter? Absolutely not, because the Brooklands not only offers one of the most beautiful shapes ever made, but a driving approach that makes you feel at peace with yourself and with the world around you. Sitting in its excessively comfortable and refined cockpit, the only flaw is that in that precise moment you will not be able to admire the eternal beauty of its exterior forms.