Bentley · 1998–2009

Bentley Arnage

The Bentley Arnage is a full-size luxury car manufactured by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England, and marketed from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the spring of 1998. They were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980. In September 2008, Bentley announced that production of the model would end during 2009. A replacement model, the Bentley Mulsanne was launched in August 2009 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Bentley Brooklands · Successor: Bentley Mulsanne

All Bentley Arnage data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Development

Following an uplift in sales for all of Rolls-Royce, and a resurgence of the Bentley marque, the then-owner, Vickers, set about developing a new model to replace the derivatives of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Bentley Mulsanne which it had been selling since 1980. In a complete switch from tradition, these new cars would have engines provided by a third-party vendor, and bodies built at the Crewe factory. A number of potential engines were examined, including the Cadillac Northstar engine and the Mercedes-Benz M119 engine. By late 1994, Vickers had selected a pair of BMW power plants. It was decided that the Rolls-Royce model, to be called the Silver Seraph, would use BMW's M73 V12 engine while the more-sporty Bentley model would use a twin-turbocharged version of the 4.4-litre M62 V8 engine developed by Vickers subsidiary Cosworth Engineering. It produced 354 PS (260 kW; 349 hp) and 420 lb⋅ft (569 N⋅m) Red Label and Green Label. During the takeover battle in 1998 between BMW and Volkswagen Group for ownership of Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors, BMW had threatened to stop supply of their engines if Volkswagen Group won. While the threat was later withdrawn in conjunction with BMW acquiring the right to manufacture Rolls-Royce automobiles at a new location, it was clear that Volkswagen could not accept the business and reputation risks associated with having their rival as a long-term business partner. Furthermore, customers were uncertain about engine and part availability (of which there turned out to be no issue) and orders for new cars dropped precipitously. Volkswagen's response was to adapt the drivetrain from the preceding Turbo R for the Arnage body, which had been designed for the smaller and lighter BMW 32-valve V8. The 6.75 litre Rolls-Royce L410 V8 engine,

Model year updates

=== Le Mans series === In 2001, Bentley launched a limited-production Le Mans edition to celebrate the occasion of Bentley's return after 71 years to racing at Le Mans. A specially enhanced edition of the Arnage Red label, 150 copies of the Bentley Arnage Le Mans were planned to be produced, but 153 units were produced instead. Exterior Le Mans Series Options Exclusive quad exhaust pipes. Ducting vents in the front wing. Wide wheel arches and sports bumpers. Red brake calipers. "Le Mans Series" badges on the front quarter panel. 5-spoke sport wheels with red brake calipers. Interior Le Mans Series Options Unique instruments with a dark Racing Green background colour. "Le Mans Series" lettering on the speedometer and rev counter. Dark finished burr walnut with the Bentley wings etched in intricate detail and inlaid into the waist rails of the doors as well as into the dashboard. Winged B motifs embroidered into the headrests of the two-tone, perforated hide upholstery. Exclusive chrome and leather design of the gear lever. Drilled pedals. Unique door sill plaques. Three unique colours: Silver Storm, Black Oriole, and Le Mans Racing Green, although any Arnage colour may have been selected. Identification of the chassis number The Bentley Arnage Le Mans chassis number follows the same identification as the Bentley Arnage Red label model: the letter L on the fourth position, the letter C on the fifth position, and a number between 6341 and 8375. Arnage LWB and RL. In 2001, the Arnage LWB (renamed the RL from MY 2003) was launched at the North American International Auto Show. A long-wheelbase model, the extra length is added to the car at both its front and rear doors (and for ~20 units its C-pillar) to maintain its proportions with the standard Arnage model. Available o

Reception

The Arnage was well received by the motoring press, with most critics admiring the unimpeachable image but criticising the price and running cost. The AA 'The Arnage is hard to judge in the terms of ordinary cars due to its expense, but despite the price tag it offers a huge amount for the money. It has the image, the grace, performance, luxury and comfort in equal measure, yet it is a class apart from more modern rivals.' Auto Express 'For: Huge performance, classic British luxury, modern safety aids''Against: Whopping price tag, hefty weight, [new Continental] Flying Spur' Evo 'Positives – Improved dynamics, power delivery''Negatives – Fussy interior, almost too much power' Parker's Car Guides 'Pros: Impressive agility for such a big car, sheer road presence, classy image''Cons: Size and running costs' RAC (7.6/10)'The Bentley Arnage is the finest product ever to come out of the Crewe. Bang up to date where it needs to be and reassuringly anachronistic in other areas, it's mightily impressive' Top Gear 'Imperious, untouchable, gilt-edged yet raw-powered motoring. When the cloud of dust settles this had better be the car you step from, or you're no gentleman' What Car? 'For – The Arnage has lightning-quick acceleration, a luxury interior, and bags of standard kit''Against – It suffers from poor fuel consumption, it lacks practicality, and depreciation will be a huge cost' Yahoo! Cars 'For potential owners of this car, it's not how fast you get there but how you get there that counts'

Successor

The Bentley Arnage was replaced by the Bentley Mulsanne. The design of the car is now completely independent from Rolls-Royce cars, because of separate parent companies, Bentley being held by the Volkswagen Group, Rolls-Royce by BMW.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Bentley Arnage
Manufacturer: Bentley Motors
Designer: Steve Harper under Graham Hull (1991)
Production: 1998–2009
Model years: 1999–2010 (according to late Final Series VINs)
Assembly: United Kingdom: Crewe (Bentley Crewe)
Predecessor: Bentley Brooklands, Bentley Turbo RT
Successor: Bentley Mulsanne (for Arnage R/T (SWB) / Arnage R/L (EWB) and Arnage "Final Series"), Bentley Flying Spur
Class: Full-size luxury car (F)
Body style: 4-door saloon/sedan
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Engine: 4.4 L BMW M62 twin-turbo V8 (1998–2000), 6.75 L L-series turbo/twin-turbo V8 (1999–2006), 6.75 L L-series twin-turbo V8 (2006–2010)
Transmission: 1999–2006: 4-speed GM 4L80-E automatic, 1998–2000: 5-speed ZF 5HP30 automatic, 2006–2010: 6-speed ZF 6HP-26 automatic
Wheelbase: 3116 mm (Pre-facelift models), 3116 - (Post-facelift models)
Length: 5394 mm (Pre-facelift models), 5400 - (Post-facelift models)
Width: 1932 mm (Pre-facelift models), 1900 mm (Post-facelift models)
Height: 1516 mm (Pre-facelift models), 1515 mm (Post-facelift models)
Kerb weight: Green Label: 5120 lb, Arnage R: 5699 lb, 2007 facelift models: 2585 -
Related: Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, Bentley Azure, Bentley Brooklands Coupé, Bentley State Limousine
sp: uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q818285CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_ArnageCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373856578 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2007_Bentley_Arnage_T_01.JPGPublic domain · Photo: Hatsukari715 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.