1995 Bentley Continental

Bentley revived the Continental nameplate in 1984, a designation that harkens back to 1921 and would become synonymous with performance, luxury, and prestige. In the post-World War II era, the R-Type Continental of 1952 to 1965 was a high-performance version of the R-Type and the fastest four-seat car in production at the time.

Enjoying a distinguished history, including victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930 (and 2003), the company's existence was in jeopardy by the close of the 1970s, accounting for just 3% of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' production. The company's survival was found in its history, with names that evoked memories of the company's past achievements at Le Mans and models that were high-performance luxury machines. This formula worked, with the motoring press impressed by the arrival of the Mulsanne Turbo at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1982, declaring - the 'Silent Sprot Car' was back.

During the 1980s, Bentley models shared their architecture with other Rolls-Royce products, but in 1985, the company shifted gears when it displayed a mocked-up coupe at the Geneva Auto Show. Dubbed 'Project 90,' it was intended to gauge public response of a high-performance car unique to Bentley. Six years later, the production version arrived - the Bentley Continental R.

The Bentley Continental R

The Bentley Continental R was styled with the assistance of consultants International Automotive Design and benefitted from computer-aided design and wind tunnel testing. Its shape, stance and style were every bit a Bentley, despite its non-traditional features which included doors recessed into the roof. The four-speed automatic with an 'overdrive' top ratio was another new feature for Bentley, and was paired with the Turbo R engine to give the new wind-cheating model a zero-to-sixty mph time of under 6 seconds and a top speed in excess of 150 mph.

Saloon
Chassis #: SCBZB03C5SCX52319
Auction entries : 3

The Bentley Continental R was produced from 1991 to 2003 with 1,854 examples built during that time at the factory in Crewe, England. This luxury coupe was the first Bentley to not share a body with a Rolls-Royce model since the 1965 Series III Continental.

Styling
The aerodynamically shaped two-door coupé was designed with assistance from John Heffernan and Ken Greenley, and the first prototypes were engineered by International Automotive Design (IAD), based in Worthing, Southern England. Graham Hull and the small in-house styling team at Rolls-Royce created the interior.

The Continental R had a lower roofline than its four-door saloon contemporaries, roof-cut door frames, a coefficient of drag of Cd=0.37, and a subtle spoiler effect at the rear.

Saloon
Chassis #: SCBZB03C5SCX52319
Auction entries : 3

In 1998, small mesh vents were added to the front, below the headlights, and the grille now had a laser-cut mesh design. Additionally, the alloy wheels and the bumpers were revised.

Dimensions

The Bentley Continental R rested on a 120.5-inch wheelbase, had a length of 210.3 inches, a width of 80.5 inches, and stood 57.6 inches tall.

Saloon
Chassis #: SCBZB03C5SCX52319
Auction entries : 3

Engine
The 6.75 L Garrett-turbocharged V8 engine initially produced 325 horsepower at 4,000 RPM and a peak torque output of 450 lb-ft at 2,000 RPM. It used an MK-Motronic digital fuel injection system with a fully mapped ignition control system. It had a top speed of 145 mph (233 km/h) and 0-100 km/h (60 mph) took 6.6 seconds. In 1994, the engine received several modifications including revisions to the cylinder heads by Cosworth. Output rose to 360 hp at 4,000 PRM and peak torque at 500 lbs-ft at 2,000 RPM.

Significant updates for 1996 resulted in a boost of power to 385 hp at 4,000 RPM and 550 lb-ft of torque at 2,0000 RPM. At the time, no other car had reached these levels of torque. The modifications were the result of an improved Zytek EMS3 engine management system, improved throttle response, a liquid-cooled charge-cooler, and a digitally controlled turbo over-boost.

Mechanical Specifications
The Bentley Continental R had a new 4-speed GM 4L80-E automatic transmission controlled by a center console-mounted electronic gear selector. The suspension was comprised of a self-leveling hydraulic setup with adaptive ride/Automatic Ride Control. The stopping power was courtesy of ventilated disc brakes with twin calipers at the front. A Sport button adjusted gearbox mapping and stiffened the suspension for more aggressive driving and handling.

Convertible Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis #: SCBZC03C4SCX50140
Auction entries : 1

Revisions for 1996 included 17-inch alloy wheels and a tilt adjustment for the steering wheel. Later in the model year, an Electronic Traction Assistance System became part of the options list, later moved to the 'standard' amenities list in 1998.

Body Styles
The Bentley Continental R, S, and T were 2-door 2+2 Coupes while the Continental SC was a 2-door 2+2 Targa Top.

Pricing
At launch, the Continental R listed for $271,780 in the U.S. and £178,000 in the UK. By 1994, the price had risen to £180,120, and by 1996, it was £187,354.

Personal Commission Programme
Special customized versions of the Continental R were offered by Bentley between 1999 and the end of production in 2003. A total of these 194 of these bespoke creations were fitted with the 420 horsepower engine.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2025