Bentley Arnage – Christian Wardlaw's Opinion:
Despite several shortcomings, I thoroughly enjoyed driving the Bentley Arnage on a blazingly hot day in Newport Beach, Calif. Even in this tony seaside enclave that houses the rich and famous, people took notice of the Arnage, a car less popular car in that region than the less expensive but altogether more satisfying Continental Flying Spur. It's clear, however, that the Arnage is an aged automobile, one that was perhaps not fully baked when it first went on sale around the turn of the century. The twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine was loud, the squeaking brakes filled the cabin with a burning metallic scent after light use, the steering assist faded if the wheel was twisted too rapidly, and the structure didn't feel as rigid as many of today's midsize family cars let alone other ultra-luxury sedans. Add flawed ergonomics and a navigation system that didn't work to the mix, and it would be easy to write the Arnage off as all style, zero substance. Truth is, that's not far off the mark. Get a load of that wire mesh grille, that stately design, that luscious caramel leather, those classic gauges, and all that gleaming wood trim accented by twinkling chrome. That's what the Bentley Arnage is all about: looking good. Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed driving it on a blazingly hot day in Newport Beach, Calif.

Bentley Arnage – Thom Blackett's Opinion:
Wow. A simple mono-syllabic word that suggests that something is so incredibly magnificent that one is at a temporary loss for more eloquent verbiage. Or, in the case of the 2006 Bentley Arnage, it can mean “Wow. People actually pay a quarter mil' for this thing?"

It was an interesting week for test cars – we had a Mercedes-Benz S550, the Bentley, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom, with the $250,000 Bentley landing a notch higher than the $100,000 Benz and below the $350,000 Rolls. To say that the Bentley was overpriced would be an understatement of monumental proportions. Interior materials were admittedly top-notch, unless you noticed the carpets fraying around the door edges and the warped plastic vent panel atop the dash. However, you'll only notice those things if you're not already flustered by the loud and stiff ride, the unrefined powertrain grumble, the ponderous steering, and the unresponsive brakes. Plus, the excess sheet metal used to make the rear window appear smaller just looks odd. As if those concerns weren't enough, I was honestly dumbfounded to discover our $250,000 test car lacked a rear entertainment system, rear sound controls, rear window shades, or properly-positioned and thus usable rear trays. Yes, it has a Bentley badge, but from my perspective, that simply represents money wasted when an overall better automobile, such as the S550, can be had in duplicate with money left over for some custom rims.

Photos by Ron Perry