There is something deeply impressive about watching something very large moving at speed. Just ask Rory Underwood about Jonah Lomu. And it’s the same with the Bentley Arnage — weighing in at nearly 3 tons, the Arnage T can hit 60mph in just 5.5sec. But when the Arnage was first launched in the summer of 1998 it was hardly the rippling athlete it is today. The bastard child of the BMW/Bentley years, it came with a hefty price tag but a less impressive 4.4 litre BMW V8 engine.

Okay, so 4.4 litres and 350bhp isn’t small by most standards, but for dyed-in-the-wool Bentley buyers it was hardly enough. Knowing that the Bentley brand was soon to fall under Volkswagen ownership, BMW hardly pushed the boat out when developing the car and that lack of enthusiasm soon rubbed off on buyers.

Costing around £150,000, the Arnage struggled to sell and by the time VW took over, the car had a reputation for heavy depreciation and limited street cred.

Lesser companies might have walked away but VW had faith in the Arnage and planned big changes. In September 1999 VW introduced a 6.75 litre turbocharged V8. With 50bhp more and a huge leap in torque, the series II Arnage saw Bentley returning to its sporting roots. Almost at once, sales of the 4.4 litre V8 dried up. Bentley also returned to using a four-speed auto box, which despite having one ratio fewer than the BMW-powered cars was perfectly suited to the larger engine’s massive torque.

An Arnage is impressive from the outside, but get inside and it just gets better. In a single chrome dial it manages to exhibit more character than a forecourt full of Lexuses. You touch, smell and sit on Connolly hide, your feet nestle in Wilton carpets and your dashboard is adorned with rich veneer. A Bentley Arnage is like Blenheim Palace on four wheels.

But buyers of second-hand vehicles may have to live with some of the rather rash trim and colour combinations occasionally specified by the original owners. With the ability to specify the colour and texture of virtually every surface inside the car, some customers lose the plot. I’ve seen gold cars with green seats and cream carpets, and it really isn’t pretty. The best bet for a used car is to find one in a classic colour with a sensible interior: silver, blue and green are best, while magnolia, black or grey interiors are unlikely to offend.

Bentley was quick to build on the success of the series II Arnage with the introduction of the Arnage T in 2002. The fastest and most powerful Bentley ever, its twin turbochargers boosted the 6.75 litre V8’s power to 450bhp. With a top speed of 168mph it soon became every Porsche driver’s rear-view nightmare.

Today the Bentley Arnage has started to achieve almost legendary status. Carrying a price tag of more than £160,000 when new, it has few direct competitors. But take a look at the classifieds and you’ll find series I cars changing hands for as little as £45,000. My advice would be to dig a little deeper. Another £15,000 gets you into a series II with that glorious 6.75 litre V8, more power and sharper handling. After all, if you really want to know what it’s like to be Jonah Lomu, it’s worth spending a few quid extra.

Interior Sumptuous leather and wood interiors are difficult to fault but accommodation is a little cramped for front-seat passengers

Boot space Big car but small boot with only 348 litres available

Suspension Electronically controlled sports suspension transformed the handling on series II models

Wheels 18in rims standard on series II Arnage but T model gets 19in split-rim alloys

Dealers Only 21 franchised dealers nationwide, but getting them to collect your car for service wonÕt be a problem

Fuel consumption Don't even ask - you'll be lucky to better 10mpg

Gearbox Four-speed automatic transmission adopted in series II Arnage

Engine Prices for series I cars with BMW 4.4 litre V8 engine may look attractive but purists dismiss this model

ESP Electronic Stability Program is standard on Series II cars

Servicing Every 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever is the sooner

Vital statistics

Model Bentley Arnage T
Engine V8, 6750cc twin-turbo
Power 450bhp
Transmission Four-speed automatic
Fuel n/a
Acceleration 0-60mph: 5.5sec
Top speed 168mph

The one to buy

Bentley Arnage T 2002 02-reg with 20,000 miles. Pay £108,750 from a main dealer or £105,000 privately


Or for similar money...

2004 04-reg Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph
2002 52-reg Aston Martin Vanquish V12
2003 53-reg Lamborghini Gallardo
2002 52-reg Ferrari 575 Maranello
New Beneteau 1080 motor boat



Source: estimates based on confidential CAP black book prices. 'Trade' is what a dealer would pay to buy your car; 'Retail' is what you would pay a dealer