In the ’90s, Bentley was nicknamed as the Rolls-Royce for the driver.
Basically, it featured the same luxury, but the cabin was more driver-oriented. It was the same for the Continental R.

In the early ’80s, Rolls-Royce management decided to design a Bentley that would not share the bodywork with a Rolls-Royce. To be offered exclusively as Bentley and resemble the glorious racing history of the B-winged brand. After various delays and stops into the program, the car was officially launched at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show. It was a surprise for everyone: Bentley showed a stunning coupe with the name Continental R. Continental was used by Bentley in the ’50s and the R meant “Roadholding”.

The streamlined bodywork was very long for a coupe. It was longer than a long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-Class from 1991. But the flowing lines of the aerodynamically worked body hid the 5.4 m (210”) long vehicle. The wheelbase measured 3.0 meters (120”). The lowered roof when compared with the Bentley Mulsanne. The mesh-grille looked even more impressive due to its size, between the four rounded headlights designed in an old-fashion way.

The interior was built for comfort. Even though the car resembled a sporty history, it had to be fitted with British luxury. Expensive leather and wood trims were extensively used in the handcrafted cabin. A “Sport” button was installed on the top of the gear selector that would alter the engine and gearbox management and also stiffened the suspension.

The powerful, turbocharged, 6.75-liter V8 was one of the torquiest engines installed in a regular car on those times. And it was upgraded over the years from 650 Nm (450 lb-ft) of torque up to 881 Nm (650 lb-ft) for the 1998.