2008 Bentley Brooklands

British luxury carmaker Bentley launched a new flagship coupe for 2008 called the Brooklands. The big two-door coupe features unique styling thanks to its pillar-less profile and is described by the company as "the world's most exclusive coupe." Production is limited to just 550 units, featuring the most powerful engine Bentley has ever produced.

Bentley's chairman Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen describes the motivation behind the new coupé: "Bentley's proud sporting pedigree, forged by the exploits of the immortal 'Bentley Boys' on the famous Brooklands racetrack in the 1920s, was the inspiration for our new coupe, capturing all the style, power and splendour of that era."

The new Bentley Brooklands possesses the most powerful V8 the company has ever produced -- a 530 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter unit that also produces 775 pound-feet of torque. As with the latest Arnage, the V8 engine is mated to a six-speed transmission driving the rear wheels in the classic fashion. Performance thanks to the big powerplant is impressive; standstill to 60mph is dispatched in 5 seconds flat, and propels it to a top speed of 184mph. Optional carbon carbide brakes behind big 20-inch wheels bring the heavy, near-5,900lb mass.

Lifetime production will be strictly limited to just 550 cars, with deliveries starting in the first half of 2008 and the first year's run already sold out. Bentley predicts the hand-built Brooklands will be a collectors' classic.

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. Much like a custom-tailored suit, the Brooklands' interior is entirely finished in a choice of 27 shades and types of leather, while electronically adjustable seats offer a comfortable fit for each of its four occupants.

If the choices offered by Bentley aren't enough, the company's coachworks arm, Mulliner, is happy to outfit an owner's car any way he or she wishes. Mulliner is touted as the most exclusive and all-encompassing such specialist in the industry.