The name was inspired by Bentley Brothers' competition successes on the Brooklands racetrack in the 1920s.

The Brooklands is powered by a 530bhp, twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine, which is the most powerful V8 the company has ever produced. It delivers 1050Nm of torque.

As with the latest Arnage, the V8 engine is mated to a six-speed transmission with a semi-automatic function which allows manual gear selection.

Electronic controls include a locking torque converter and ESP system.

Each Brooklands coupe will be hand-assembled, employing traditional coach-building techniques and craftsmanship skills in wood veneer and leather hide.

Overall production will be limited to just 550 cars, with deliveries scheduled for the first half of 2008.

From the official Press Release:

Exterior Design

Bentley’s rich coupe heritage provided the stimulus for Director of Styling, Dirk van Braeckel and his design team. For van Braeckel, the task was very clear: “To create a powerful, muscular and rakish grand touring coupe with classic British proportions, in the finest Bentley tradition.”

While the new Brooklands is influenced by Bentley’s fine coupe lineage, its design and engineering are thoroughly contemporary.

The proportions of long bonnet, short front overhang and long rear overhang achieve the design objective perfectly, while the low roofline, steeply raked screens and pillarless side glass convey both power and movement.

As the Brooklands will be built in very limited volume, the designers were able to introduce unique features that necessitate specialist coach-building techniques, asProgramme Director, Ashley Wickham, reveals:

“The Brooklands’ beautiful flowing lines are testament to the traditional coach-building skills and craftsmanship of Crewe’s highly talented workforce.”

The ‘floating’ rear screen, for example, is a contemporary take on traditional coachbuilt Bentleys.

The lower edge of the screen sits well above the upper edge of the boot lid to provide a flowing, flawless line to the back of the car. This can only be achieved by individually hand-welding the rear wings to the C-pillars.

The fitment of 20-inch wheels as standard, signalling the surefooted, robust and dynamic character of the new model, reaffirms the powerful stance of the new Bentley coupe.

Interior Design

Dirk van Braeckel describes the mission for the Bentley interior design team: “To create the perfect Bentley coupe: sumptuous hand-crafted luxury with a distinctly sporting character.”

Peerless craftsmanship is enhanced by the warmth and richness of the materials. To tailor for their individual requirements, customers may choose from an extensive palette of hides, veneers, carpet tones and seat belt colours.

Its four-seat architecture and deeply bolstered seats lend the Brooklands’ interior a sporting atmosphere, complemented by design accents such as aluminium foot pedals and footrest.

A new, single-piece, hide-trimmed roof lining flows uninterrupted from the front windscreen all the way to the rear of the car, mirroring the long, sleek profile of the exterior.

The Brooklands’ cabin is wider both front and rear than the previous Bentley Continental R coupe – the rear by 10 percent – and it easily exceeds the interior leg, knee and headroom of any luxury coupe on sale today.

In addition to this, the pillarless window design enhances the feeling of space.

Individual rear seats with electrically operated sliding cushions, set further back than on the Azure, are separated by a new centre console, incorporating both storage and cup holders.

The Engine

Beneath its muscular, rakish, coach-built body lies the most powerful Crewe-builtV8 engine ever produced, developing 530bhp. Maximum torque is 1050Nm, the highest ever developed by a production V8 engine.

Launched in the Bentley S2 saloon in 1959 with a capacity of 6.23 litres, the legendary, Crewe-built V8 engine has continually evolved.

The first V8 was very advanced for its time with an all-aluminium construction and produced nearly 200bhp and 400Nm of torque at low engine speeds, the hallmark of every Bentley ever produced.

1969 saw the capacity grow to 6.75 litres, where it remains to this day, but by far the most significant change came in 1982, with the introduction of a turbocharger to create the near-300bhp Mulsanne Turbo, a car that transformed the image of Bentley.

Twin turbos Arrived in 2002, developing up to 450bhp.

For the 2007 model Arnage, the V8 engine saw a step-change in performance and refinement which became the starting point for the new Bentley Brooklands.

About Brooklands racetrack

Brooklands racetrack map (1938)

The Brooklands racetrack, located in Surrey, England, this year celebrates its centenary.

It was completed in 1907 and at the time it was the first purpose-built racing circuit. Many other racetracks, including Indianapolis and Daytona, were based on the Brooklands design.

During the 1920s and early thirties, the 3.25 miles long Brooklands was the scene of some of Bentley’s greatest racing triumphs, forging an inextricable link between the company’s motorsport heritage and this historic race circuit.

Brooklands was closed in 1939. It was restored to its original status by DaimlerChrysler: the "Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands", which opened in summer 2006, contains the largest UK-based Mercedes-Benz showroom.

Interesting links

• Arri.com website hosts a very interesting video about Brooklands racetrack history.
• For additional information visit brooklands.org.uk.

(Source: Bentley)