IDRIVEACLASSIC is sponsored and insured by Adrian Flux - check them out for your insurance quote on the link below: https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/influenc...

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Interested in buying this vehicle? Contact TJ Dolan at Dolan Classics - [email protected]
Vehicle priced at £16,500

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Bentley Turbo R

There’s never brand snobbery on IDRIVEACLASSIC and I’m a firm believer that more modern cars can be just as a much of a classic as say an MGB or a model T and the Turbo R is a car which changed the course of history for Bentley and therefore deserves a place in the IDRIVEACLASSIC back catalogue.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank my friend Sam Skelton, a far more knowledgable man on the Bentleys of this era than I’ll ever be, for his additional supplied knowledge to help make this video.

Now anyway, back to the Turbo R back story!

The Turbo R, with the R standing for road holding is the car known as the car which saved Bentley.

The car came to market in 1985 and was produced until 1997 with over just shy of 7,500 made during the entire production run including the Turbo RT.

The story of the Turbo R began with the first iteration which was the 1982 Mulsanne turbo which had the engine in Corniche spec with a solex 4 barrel carb instead of twin SUs with a Garrett Alresearch TO4 turbo, with no suspension changes and a main cosmetic difference of colour coded grille.

In 1985, we got the Turbo R and this changed the game completely for the Mulsanne. The Turbo R was created with thicker anti roll bars and other suspension changes and unlike the Mulsanne turbo, had the alloys as standard.

The work on improving the handling had begun in 1983 when the roll stiffness was increased 50% and the anti roll bar rates upped 100% in front and 60% to rear and increasing the damping and with amendments to the rear subframe, the car justified the R in its name.

The engine is this is the 6.75l turbo Bentley V8 and being an earlier car, we’ve got the three speed TH400 automatic box which as you’ll see on drive, isn’t sluggish and really works with the pace you’re driving at and feels very modern for the era of the car.

The Turbo R quickly took the shine off the Mulsanne turbo, which was quietly brought to a close production wise in 1986.

Like all good cars, Bentley didn’t rest on their laurels and various changes were made throughout the production including gaining EFI in 1987 and active ride for 1989 alongside the revised dash.

You’ll note when we look inside this, it’s the cusp of change and sports the older dash and doesn’t have active ride. A lot of modern owners in the current age choose to pick the older vehicles to avoid the active ride, but should you purchase one with this, please note it can be retrospectively changed to the earlier spec and all reputable garages specialising in Bentleys seem to be quite comfortable undertaking this work.

You’ll also note on this example we’ve got the column change but this was dropped in 1992 and the car gained a 4 speed box to boot. Specialists will also advise it was around this time that Bentley invested in the new Zytec engine management which is shared with continental and these cars are apparently more suspectible to head gasket failure.

There were other facelifts throughout production lifetime including one in 1996 with the shallower grille and the Turbo RT launched in 1996, but the car was eventually replaced with The Arnage in 1997.

Fun fact for those of you at home who aren’t as geeky as me, Arnage is part of the Le Mans track.

Now we’ve talked a little about this lovely car, but what’s it like in more detail? Well, let me show you!