Bentley Turbo R Classic Cars for Sale

The Bentley Turbo R was designed as a high performance replacement for the Mulsanne Turbo. It inherited its predecessors V8 power plant, though the Turbo R version was tuned and included a fuel injection system.

Bentley Turbo R history

The R in the name stood for ‘road holding’ and the Bentley was given this denotation to differentiate it from the previous model. The Turbo R, although cosmetically almost identical, was a far more performance orientated vehicle under the skin. The American motor magazine - Motor Trend - suggested that the Turbo R was the first Bentley in decades that deserved the name. The newly appointed engineering director of the time, Mike Dunn, demanded a 50% increase in roll stiffness for the new Turbo R, which was achieved by increasing the anti-roll bar ratings by 100% in the front and 60% in the rear. The fitting of a panhard rod to anchor the rear sub-frame, reduced the side to side movement. Rolls Royce Motors did not release official figures but the uprated Turbo R motor was thought to produce around 296 hp.

Advancements for the Bentley Turbo R

Production of the Mulsanne was stopped in 1985, though it was sold next to the Turbo R for a short while. 1986 saw major advancements for the new Bentley, in the form of anti-lock brakes, the Bosch MK-Tronic fuel injection system. Cosmetically, the Bentley Turbo R received slimmer sports seats, twin round headlamps and a deeper front spoiler. Later improvements included the uprating of the transmission system from the long running three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400 to the more advanced, four-speed GM 4L80 system. The new auto transmission was used across the Roll Royce and Bentley range.

The last Bentley Turbo R

The last variation of the Turbo R was introduced in 1995 and advancements included a new Zytek fuel injection system along with appearance changes. A limited edition of the Bentley Turbo R, denoted the Turbo R Sport, was produced for the German market. Its upgrades included alloy wheels from the Continental and carbon fibre replaced the walnut dash panels. All versions of the Turbo R had ceased production by 1998.