1994 Bentley Continental R review from UK and Ireland

Very minor leak from one of the twin pumps that power the brakes. Acording to the dealer, the engine must be lowered to fix this. Later, the engine mountings were replaced.

Very minor leak from the power steering rack. Rack replaced by the dealer (discounted part, free labour).

Slight noise from the front discs. All pads and front discs replaced.

Steering pulled to the left after hitting the curb at 60 mph. Misdiagnosed by the first dealer (adjusted tracking). Second dealer noticed and replaced near side broken rubber steering stabilizer. Fixed the problem.

Fantasic driving experience. 0-60mph in 6 secs in a car as big, as quiet and as smooth as this can only be highly enjoyable.

The brakes are truly excellent too - dual calipers on both front wheels and the best ABS going. You need them. The quietness is deceptive, you're often going a lot faster than you think and you have to hit the brakes very hard.

The hi fi system in the Continental R is fantastic. It seems better than the QUAD ELS63s at home. In fact I often drive the car just to listen to the music.

If you've ever wondered how much fuel these things use - don't worry about it, you're missing the point. The depreciation and service costs are far higher.

I rarely use mine - for every day driving (and parking) there are more suitable cars. However, whenever it's at the dealer (and services often take two or more days) I feel bereaved.