Bentley Turbo R

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WO Bentley did not approve of the supercharging of his 41/2-litre models - that is until they started to dominate long-distance races, cleaning up at Le Mans, putting the revered marque back at the top of the tree.

It was with much symbolism that Bentley introduced their next ‘forced-induction’ model in the form of the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo some 53 years later at the 1982 Geneva Motorshow, marking the return of the legendary 'Blower Bentley' and restoring the high performance image of the marque with its prodigious power and surprising turn of speed.

Its twin Garrett AiResearch turbochargers enabled the hitherto unstressed 6.75-litre V8 to develop 300bhp which could push the Mulsanne’s considerable bulk to 60mph in less than 8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 135mph.

Like its predecessor, this significant increase in performance came as a bit of a shock to the chassis. Pushing a heavy weight in a straight line is one thing, but when trying to shift it sideways at the same time (i.e. round a corner), the laws of physics make life much more difficult.

A major step forward arrived in 1985 when the Mulsanne platform was upgraded to Turbo R spec with stiffer damping and springing, better location for the rear subframe, more precise steering and alloy wheels with lower profile tyres. This made the car much less of a handful to drive fast comapred to the previous 'brontosaurus', as Jermey Clarkson memorably dubbed it.

The Solex carburettors gave way to a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system which upped engine power to 330bhp and a staggering 480lb/ft of torque. Thankfully fuel consumption improved too – the new car managing 60mph in under 7 seconds and over 143mph flat out. In true Bentley tradition a rev counter was now fitted into the revised dashboard and quad-headlights added that sporting touch.

This nicely presented Turbo R was purchased through Brightwells in 2014 from a deceased estate. Its previous owner purchased the car in 1997 from the local Cardiff Bentley dealer, the car having now covered 123,000 miles from new. It has been particularly well cared for, the service book having no fewer that 17 stamps. A sheaf of bills detail the service work that has been undertaken, the car having been garaged for most of its life. It wears a recent set of Avon Turbospeeds and has been fitted with a new battery. Its MOT expires in December 2015 and shows no advisories.

These fabulous leviathans can devour long-distances with ease and at their current values look to us like contenders for bargain of the decade, if not the century.