Mystery Deal in New York

Can you tell which car this grill belongs to?

I got a text from an old friend who is a very successful lawyer in Manhattan, we go back to middle school and we both share a passion for sports cars. He wanted me to go down to New York to consult him on buying his new car. This process happens many times through out a year because he is very rich and because he gets bored with his cars after two weeks. So I called him and said I was coming, mind you, he didn't tell me what make or model he had his eyes set upon, so I was in no way prepared for the shock that was followed.

Anticipation
I arrived at 12 pm on a Saturday afternoon and we went straight to the dealership. A big grin appeared on my face when I saw the sign that said "Manhattan Aston Martin". I've never driven an Aston before and I just couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. We parked in the dealership's parking lot and he told me to stay, I said why, he answered "you'll see". He disappeared inside and was back within 5 minutes with another guy, his name was Mr. Lanigan and happened to be an assistant manager with the dealership. With Mr. Lanigan giving us directions, we drove to another place that as it turned out was their warehouse where they keep their fleet of cars.

I wasn't allowed to take a close up shot of the warehouse

I was thinking to myself, okay, we're gonna get the Aston here, probably because they didn't have one at the showroom. We all got out of the car and Mr. Lanigan said he would be right back and went in. After a few minutes I heard the sound of an engine coming to life from the inside, it was the sound of a big one, probably an 8 cylinder or maybe a 12. The sound got louder as the car was coming out, David said "you're gonna love this" and then I saw her.

The Shock
A Bentley Continental GT coupe, with a twin-turbo W12 engine! A huge car. Think a small luxury yacht and you wouldn't be far from the truth. One has to be physically standing where I was to fully appreciate its size.

Bentley Continental GT Coupe

So Mr. Lanigan stopped the engine and got out, I was trying my best not to show that I've never seen a Bentley up close, it was time for the test drive and apparently my friend's reputation with these people was very high because they would let him drive away with a very expensive car unsupervised.

The Drive
As I found out later, David had already test drove the car so he climbed into the passenger seat and I got into the driver seat. My first impression was as if I had entered a Boeing 747 cockpit, there are so many controls and all of them are of highest quality materials and everything is wrapped in hand-stitched Italian leather.

The interior makes you feel like a million dollars

I first adjusted my seat, then pushed the button and the engine started, purring like a sleepy tiger. Inside the cabin was very quiet, perhaps too quiet because after all, I didn't mind hearing more of that exhaust note which comes from a 6 liter W12 engine.

Engine Start/Stop button plus some other controls you may never use

I was a bit nervous as I turned the corner into a busy street, this car was worth (I was just guessing at the time) about $180,000 and one scratch would cost me a few thousand bucks, so I drove very carefully as we went around the block a few times.

One of the best-designed shift levers in a luxury sport car

Now this car is very heavy and it feels heavy, as impressive as the brakes were in stopping this 5,200 pounds monster, I could still feel the heaviness when I pressed hard on the brakes.

 Sexy hips with a tattoo showing the distinctive Bentley wings

There was not enough road for a full acceleration, speed or braking test but I managed to floor the throttle at one occasion and man! The engine gave out an angry roar and sent 600 horsepower to the four tires, what a sensation! For a moment I felt like the car might take off in the air like an airplane.


The Experience
We got back to the warehouse, David took the wheel and I drove his now-lowly Jaguar, we dropped off Mr. Lanigan at the dealership and went back home. Later I learned that it was a 2008 model with 7,000 miles on it, she sure looked brand new when I was driving, but perhaps I was too excited to inspect the details.

6 liter twin-turbo W12 engine. 602 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque

As I am writing this review three weeks after I hold the wheel of a Bentley Continental, I can sum up my experience in a few words: Brute force and head-crushing power wrapped in extreme luxury.

Remember that grill? It helps the monster breathe

I will wait a few weeks for my friend to get bored with his Bentley and borrow the car to do a full test drive. Until then, let us rejoice in the fact that sometimes, even filthy-rich lawyers aren't rich enough to afford a brand new Bentley!