Bentley Turbo R
1985–1999 · Bentley Turbo R — Luxury Saloon, V8 Turbo, designed by Fritz Feller.
The Story
If the Mulsanne Turbo lit the fuse, the Turbo R was the explosion. Launched in 1985, it took the Turbo’s prodigious power and finally gave it somewhere to go: the ‘R’ stood for ‘roadholding,’ and the car added retuned suspension and wider tyres on alloy wheels — a first for a Bentley — turning a soft, wallowing express into a genuine performer.
It worked, commercially and spiritually. Some 7,230 were sold between 1985 and 1997, making it one of the best-selling Bentleys ever and re-establishing the marque as a driver’s brand after decades in Rolls-Royce’s shadow. When it reached America in 1989, Motor Trend called it ‘the first Bentley in decades deserving of the famous name.’ Everything modern Bentley became — the Continental R, the Arnage, the Continental GT — traces back to this car.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Luxury Saloon class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Fritz Feller
Rolls-Royce in-house stylist who designed the 1980 Silver Spirit/Bentley Mulsanne body that underpinned the Turbo R. FLAG: biographical details (birth year) not confirmed in sources.
Studio Motors POV
The car that saved the Bentley name — it turned a fading, badge-engineered marque back into a driver’s brand and seeded everything that followed. Astonishing value for something this important.
The Engine
Rolls-Royce / Bentley L-Series 6¾ V8
Lineage
Where it sits in the bloodline
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Turbo R
Worth Knowing About the Turbo R
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. The 'R' stands for 'roadholding' — the Turbo R added retuned suspension and wider tyres on alloy wheels, a Bentley first, taming the soft Mulsanne Turbo into a genuine performer.
- 2. It became one of the best-selling Bentleys ever — 7,230 in 1985–97 — and is widely credited with shaping the modern, performance-focused Bentley.
- 3. On its 1989 US launch, Motor Trend called it 'the first Bentley in decades deserving of the famous name.'
5 Fast Facts
- 1. Single-turbo 6.75 V8 (fuel-injected from 1987); the 'R' = roadholding.
- 2. 7,230 built (1985–97) — among the best-selling Bentleys ever.
- 3. The first Bentley on alloy wheels with sporting suspension.
- 4. Up to ~400 hp in late Turbo RT form (1997–98).
- 5. The direct ancestor of the Continental R, Arnage and modern Bentley.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
A period clientele; no single celebrity owner cleanly documented.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Later fuel-injected cars (post-1987) and the Turbo RT/S for performance and rarity; hydraulics, the turbo and suspension bushes are the cost centres. A hugely undervalued slice of Bentley-revival history.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley Turbo R
- Class
- Luxury Saloon
- Production years
- 1985–1999
- Units built
- ~7,230 (Turbo R family, incl. RL; 252 Turbo RT, 60 Turbo S)
- Variants
- Turbo RT; Turbo S; long-wheelbase ‘RL’
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- V8 Turbo
- Engine family
- Rolls-Royce / Bentley L-Series 6¾ V8
- Displacement
- 6,750 cc (6.75 L)
- Power
- 400 hp
- Torque
- 553 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6 s
- Top speed
- 150 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 166 hp/tonne · 13.3 lb/hp
- Transmission
- automatic (GM; 4-speed from 1992)
- Drivetrain
- RWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 5313 lb
Questions
Turbo R FAQ
What does the ‘R’ in Bentley Turbo R stand for?
The ‘R’ stands for roadholding. Launched in 1985, the Turbo R added retuned suspension, wider tyres, and alloy wheels to the Mulsanne Turbo’s powertrain — alloy wheels were a first for any Bentley — transforming the car from a powerful but softly-sprung express into a genuine high-performance saloon.
What did Motor Trend say about the Bentley Turbo R?
When the Turbo R reached the United States in 1989, Motor Trend called it ‘the first Bentley in decades deserving of the famous name.’ Bentley built 7,230 Turbo Rs between 1985 and 1997, with the related Turbo RT continuing 1997-1999 in 252 examples — making it among the best-selling Bentleys of its era.
How powerful is the Bentley Turbo R?
The Turbo R family used a turbocharged 6,750 cc V8 producing up to approximately 400 horsepower in range-topping Turbo RT and Turbo S variants. Approximately 7,230 Turbo Rs were built 1985-1997, plus 252 Turbo RTs (1997-1999) and around 60 high-output Turbo S examples.
Can you lease a Bentley Turbo R?
Yes, specialty lenders structure collector-car leases regardless of model year.
How does the Turbo R compare to the Mulsanne Turbo?
The Turbo R of 1985 took the Mulsanne Turbo’s engine and paired it with retuned suspension, wider tyres, and alloy wheels, transforming the car from a powerful but softly-sprung express into a genuine high-performance saloon. The Mulsanne Turbo provided the power; the Turbo R provided the chassis to use it.
The Bentley Lineup
Explore every Bentley
3 Litre ’216½ Litre / Speed Six ’264½ Litre ’27Blower 4½ Litre ’29
R-Type Continental ’52S1 Continental ’55S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) ’55S2/S3 Continental ’59
Mulsanne (1980) ’80Turbo R ’85
Continental R ’91Azure ’95Arnage ’98
Continental GT (1st gen) ’03Continental Flying Spur ’05Azure (2nd gen) ’06Brooklands (Coupé) ’08
Mulsanne (2010) ’10Continental GT (2nd gen) ’11Flying Spur (2nd gen) ’13Bentayga ’15Continental GT (3rd gen) ’18Flying Spur (3rd gen) ’19
Buy, sell, source or lease this Turbo R.
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