30 Aug 06
That such an ancient engine can work in the modern world is intriguing, and is down to happy coincidences. Originally designed to replace the previous straight-six, it had to be much more powerful than its predecessor but take up no more space and fit behind the same radiator. These constraints led to design features which were to prove very useful in today's world: compact wedge-shaped combustion chambers, which allow narrow cylinder heads, and very short exhaust ports so a minimum of heat escapes into the cooling water, thus easing the load on that restricted-size radiator.
Today, the wedge chamber is known to be very good for exhaust emissions, and the short ports keep the exhaust gases hot which gets the catalytic converter working more quickly after a cold start. And the fact it's a low-revving engine with just two pushrod-operated valves per cylinder doesn't matter at all in an engine created expressly for low-speed pulling ability. Especially when 60mph comes up after just 5.2 seconds and there's enough energy to force the bluff nose through the air at up to 179mph. If you're a fly, for Arnage read Carnage.
The blend of bulk and zero-effort pace is almost surreal, although the brake pedal's underfoot mushiness can bring you back to reality quickly enough. Then there's the haughty driving position, the leather acreage, the opulence of piano-black wood and turned aluminium, the unbelievable toolkit complete with gloves and wheel-chocks. And there's the knowledge that the engine took 16 hours to build, and that the Arnage continues to be a fully-British Bentley despite Volkswagen's ownership.
Next to the ultra-modern Continental models, the Arnage is an anachronism, of course. The new cars are more capable, less profligate (the Arnage T's official average fuel consumption is a tragic 14.5mpg), easier to live with; they don't require you to use a remote control to set the sat-nav, for example.
But they are not as imperious, nor, surprisingly, do they ride as well as the 2585kg Arnage. It remains a colossus among cars, with a price - £175,000 - to match. There's no compellingly logical reason to own one, but that's hardly the point. Most Arnage owners also have a Mercedes in the garage anyway.
