You Can Buy A Baller Bentley Arnage For The Price Of A New Accord

It feels cliched to say that luxury cars don’t represent what they used to, but by and large, it’s true. After Lexus scared the living daylights out of Mercedes-Benz, almost every luxury automaker decided to hide down the cost-cutting and gadget-adding rabbit holes, resulting in a change in definition from materials and refinement to toys and performance. You can get into a brand new Mercedes-Benz GLS and chances are, it’ll still creak. Likewise, the current Lexus LS will let you do a bewildering array of things from a tablet in the rear console, but the admittedly potent twin-turbocharged V6 can’t quite be described as buttery. So, if something like a used Mercedes-Benz S-Class just doesn’t float your boat, might I suggest turning back the clock even further with a Bentley Arnage?

Early examples of the Bentley Arnage are still relatively cheap, with a choice of Cosworth or Bentley power for less than the price of a new Honda Accord LX. That’s an awful lot of wood, leather, and absurdly soft floor mats for your money, even if some of the bills on the back-end can make Freddy Krueger look like Mister Rogers. [Editor’s Note: I’m not really sure I follow this analogy; the bills are so expensive they make a notorious horror movie character seem like one of the kindest, most thoughtful humans ever to wield an owl puppet and roam the planet? But I’m going to leave it, in case I’m missing something. – JT]

However, let’s back up a second, because I’m sure you have a few good questions. Namely, what makes the Arnage cool, what sort of example can you get for new Accord money, and what goes wrong on them? Buckle up, because we’re about to find out.

What Are We Looking At?

Historically, the Bentley Arnage is a big deal. It’s the last Bentley sedan designed before Volkswagen bought the iconic British firm, and while that may raise some stereotype-based red flags, may I remind you of German engineering’s current reputation. The Arnage was the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph’s sporty sibling, and Vickers’ vision of a mainline Bentley for the new millennium. We’re talking about a beautiful Crewe-built executive sedan resplendent in leather, metal, and wood, a beautiful stately sedan that was once the chariot of the rich and famous. Everything you touch and look at doesn’t just seem both real and absurdly expensive, it is both real and absurdly expensive, relying on substance above flash in ye olde luxury tradition.

Named after the corner at the end of the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans, it seems a bit ridiculous that such a large, extravagant sedan could ever be pitched as engaging. However, don’t let the looks fool you. The Arnage may look positively classic, but it doesn’t drive like the old Turbo R. As Motor Trend reported from the press launch:

Importantly, the Arnage has stood the test of time. Today, while a Maybach 57 looks a bit tacky and a third-hand Rolls-Royce Phantom has a whiff of Instagram influencer to it, the Arnage still does the business. It’s regal without being pompous, grand but not obnoxious, a refined, stately cruiser that flies under the radar. Oh, and it’s assembled using some of the finest materials available to mankind. How nice is that?

How Much Are We Talking?

First, let’s establish a benchmark. A base-model 2024 Honda Accord starts at $28,990, so anything under that is fair game. Back in December, this 1999 Bentley Arnage Green Label sold on Bring A Trailer for $25,500. With just 50,000 miles on the clock and the classic color combination of green over tan, it looks absolutely lovely, features Cosworth power, and cost its new owner less than a new base-model Accord.

Then again, maybe green-on-tan isn’t your jam. Maybe you’re looking to stay low-key, with something black-on-black. Perhaps the phrase “six-and-three-quarter-liter V8” stokes a fire deep inside you. Well, this gleaming 2001 Bentley Arnage Red Label sold on Cars & Bids in December for just $15,000. At that sort of price, it’s easy to excuse the piano black wood as whoever bought this now has considerable headroom for maintenance before they catch up to new midsize Honda money.

If you’re exceptionally patient, you can even find exceptionally special Arnage models for borderline sensible money. Bentley only made 31 left-hand-drive Mulliner models in 2004, and this one sold on Bring A Trailer last year for $27,300. From the inlaid veneers to the fluted grille, there’s something truly special about this fine British automobile.

What Goes Wrong?

The first thing you need to know is that in the beginning, there were two Bentley Arnage models: The Red Label and the Green Label. The latter used a Cosworth-fettled twin-turbocharged version of BMW’s M62 V8. Surprisingly, this is considered the more reliable of the early engines, having a reputation for feeling ordinary but returning decent economy. It’s worth noting that in BMWs, the M62 is known for timing guide wear, but this doesn’t seem to be an issue in the revised Arnage engine. Unfortunately, the Green Label is exceptionally rare, so it might take some time to find one.

The Red Label cars, along with the Arnage R, Arnage T, and Arnage RL, came with a 6.75-liter Bentley V8, and while this turbocharged engine provides extra shove, there are a few issues worth noting. Pre-2002 examples of these engines can suffer from head gasket failure when not treated with care, and British car specialist JE Robison Service has a theory as to why:

When the car is new the head bolts are torqued to around 50 foot-pounds.  With 20 bolts per side, this adds up to many tons of clamping force on the gasket surface. This force is increased every time the engine gets hot, and it’s relaxed when the motor cools down. When the motor is overheated the pressures skyrocket.

After a few such cycles the gasket gets squeezed a tiny bit thinner, and the torque on the bolts starts to drop.  The result – lower clamping force on a cold engine.   When the motor heats up, all is still well because the thermal expansion tightens everything up.  But on a cold engine we have an incipient disaster.  When the low clamping forces of a cold engine with relaxed torque come up against the high cylinder pressures of a turbo engine under throttle the result may be a blowout.

Another potential issue is camshaft wear, which has been reported on pre-2007 6.75-liter engines. Fixing this can get quite expensive, as replacement camshafts and lifters are hard to come by. On the plus side, this is one of those issues that will be blatantly obvious in a pre-purchase inspection, as worn valvetrain components create a horrendous racket.

Thankfully, other than issues with the 6.75-liter V8 which may be mitigated with proper warm-up and heavier oil, the Arnage is a rather robust car. It doesn’t use the same hideously expensive oleopneumatic braking and suspension system found in the older Turbo R, most vehicle systems seem fairly robust, and the rear suspension spheres are remarkably easy to replace when they wear out, requiring just 1.1 hours of book labor.

Should You Buy A Bentley Arnage?

In case it wasn’t blatantly obvious, buying a Bentley Arnage instead of a new Honda Accord is a bad idea. From fuel to parts costs to oil changes, everything for the Bentley will be substantially more expensive, and trustworthy service specialists for these hand-built British cars aren’t on every corner.

However, if you can afford to buy the car outright and budget $5,000 a year in maintenance and repairs, absolutely go for it. These are spectacular, beautifully crafted cars that are certainly worth experiencing. They’re right at the intersection between charmingly antiquated and surprisingly modern, and carry a roguish charm and a sense of solidity that’s enough to fall in love. The Bentley Boys may have left Le Mans, but the hum goes on forever.

(Photo credits: Bring A Trailer, Cars & Bids, Rolls-Royce Forum)

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