1989 Bentley Turbo R

1989 Bentley Turbo R 4 Door Sedan After decades of being little more than re-badged Rolls-Royces, Bentleys-real W.O.-style, genuine performance luxury motorcars were back in a big way when the Turbo R made its debut at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show. It wouldn't be until 1989 that exceedingly well heeled Americans could purchase their own Turbo Rs, but those who did got a taste of what the brand had promised in its earliest days, and what it would evolve back to in the decades to come. While the Turbo R sold here in its original form through 1994 was appropriately expensive, its current values are surprisingly reasonable, especially considering what a Bentley costs today.  Hemmings.com  For consignment, a 1989 Bentley Turbo R 4 door sedan showing 68,384 miles, but the true miles are unknown. Bentley's are the epitome of luxury in the automotive world, the top dog, and when they mounted a turbo V8 under the hood, the attraction of performance enthusiasts was...boosted. Exterior Big and immediately recognizable, the Bentley presents a stately profile here dressed in formal, two stage Beluga Black and fronted by the iconic large grille and on the R model, its distinctly mesh style. Large dual headlights light the way and reside in black bezel over a black bumper. You get the idea here, the luxury car has sporty exterior tendencies with its monochromatic coverage, which is augmented by touches of bright red including subtle but coveted Turbo R badges, the B on the 15-inch chrome wheels and as it appears on the nose and decklid. Wide tail lights contrast with the black also and the twin chrome exhaust tips are housed in an extended valance. Imperfections include scrapes on the lower edge of the valance, scuffs on the side, a few, long linear scratches, scuffs along a wheel opening, and blistering by a handle.  Interior The black interior begins with door panels with robust hardware and burlwood headers with inlay and all are in great shape other than some delamination noted on one of the wooden tops. Throne-like black leather bucket seats live up front with some wear noted on the driver's side and slight patina wrinkling elsewhere. There's ample space everywhere and deep pile black carpet practically begging rear passengers to remove their shoes. The pilot's seat begins with a sporty steering wheel which leads to a trip to Muir Woods with acres of burlwood framing a vast array of gauges, warning lights, and vents. An aftermarket AM/FM/CD radio is ahead of the center console with numerous switches. We note some loose leather on the dash pad while the trunk is finished in black carpet and houses an amplifier and CD changer. Drivetrain The busy engine bay houses the 6.75 liter turbocharged V8, rated at 308 horsepower, fuel injected and mated to a GM TH400 3-speed automatic transmission routing power to the rear axle with 2.69 gears. The engine presents in clean, driver quality.  Undercarriage The underside is busy as well and presenting in driver quality condition with some road grime, areas of oil presence, clear knuckles, and an overall lack of rust. Four wheel power disc brakes are here along with dual exhaust that traverses a stock style muffler.  Suspension consists of Macpherson struts in front and coil springs in back.  Drive-Ability There's no denying the special place that the cabin presents as we start the big V8 and roll onto the test loop where the car provides nice acceleration and of course, a smooth ride. But it's not without some notable items. The power seats and right rear window are not working. The Check Mineral Fluid light is on and the brake light comes on when the brakes are pressed. The heater/AC blower does not turn off. There are dozens of functions, however, that work as they should and we float this British icon back to the mall. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be workin