Merc1

I still can't believe it had that all these years when VW puts modern ZF 6-speeders in everything from Golf/Rabbits on up!

M

Curb Zone

 

Merc1

Another review of the old girl:



What’s new
Bentley has reworked its range-topping Arnage for 2007. Perhaps ‘reworked’ doesn’t cover it: ‘transformed’ might be nearer. For this T version, there’s now 500bhp and an enormous 700lb ft of torque. That’s twice as much as a Ferrari F430.

The lesser R model steps up to 450bhp and 645lb ft. To transmit such totals gracefully to the road, the GM four-speed automatic gearbox has finally given way to modernity. Replacing it is the ZF six-speed unit from many a luxury saloon.


What’s it like?
It’s 48 years since the pushrod V8 engine was first used in the Bentley S2 and Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, but there’s nothing antique about the way the Bentley reaches 60mph in 5.2sec or hits 179mph flat out.....

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M

The Emperor

Unbelievable!

Ok, i didn't say that you've said it's crappy, it was my PO that 4spd tranny in such exclusive car with so much power and torque is a bad thing.

Anyway, two more questions: This cars was released when? And any specs about that tranny? I mean, it should have been something really special since they've decided to put it in such car...

The Emperor

That's the point! Man, i can't tell you how (unpleasently) surprised i am...

Merc1

Wait a min, it gets worse.....lol. That 4-speed that they had been using was just a plain old a GM transmission, nothing even remotely special about it. The Arnage and its sister car the Rolls Silver Seraph came out in 1997.

M

The Emperor

Whoever is responsible for that should be b***hslapped!

Seriously, i still can't believe that... Was there ever any complaints about that tranny?

Merc1

In looking at some old roadtests of the Arnage, nope not a one. GM transmissions are among the best though as far as smoothness and plenty of GM cars still use them, but I agree a Bentley should have had better. Heck the Chevy Corvette just got a 6-speed automatic a few months ago, before that it was a 4-speeds. Certain Cadillacs as a matter of fact all of them except the V-Series models still have 4-speed automatics and they wonder why they can't come close to beating BMW/Audi/Mercedes.

Anyway I guess the overall presentation of the car made folks forget that a tiny little man with only four rudders was doing the paddling beneath the car!

M

Merc1

An excerpt from Edmunds 2003 roadtest of the Arnage R:

So what's all this mean in practical terms? Simply that this massive saloon (Brit-speak for four-door automobile) can hustle to 60 mph in under six seconds and will run all the way up to 155 mph until an electronic governer says, "That's enough, Lead Foot." Step into it from almost any speed and the twin-turbo V8 sends a swift kick to your Armani-clad butt, adding heaps of velocity faster than you can say "signing bonus." A couple of editors who drove the car briefly thought that the throttle response was a bit abrupt in traffic. This driver, who spent a week with the car, didn't really notice a problem, though the Arnage's nine miles per gallon average may have been an indication that yours truly enjoyed the prodigious thrust. Like a good butler, the transmission did its job perfectly without calling attention to itself, furnishing liquid-smooth gear changes and dutifully holding gears and stepping down promptly when the Sport mode was selected (done via a button atop the gear selector).

They seemed to like it.

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M

The Emperor

Of course. Take yourself for example; i know you love this car so much, but honestly, did you ever think about it's tranny? I'm 100% sure you didn't give a damn about it, since it's the real Bentley for you (for me too) if we compare it with i.e. Conty GT, right?

Hypersonic

True.

I just assumed this would have been upgraded when VAG facelifted the Arnage in 2004.

Curb Zone