The `Continental R` is one of the defining grand coupes of the Crewe period. Huge, low, heavily built and driven by the turbocharged `6.75-litre V8`, it sums up a very specific vision of British sporting luxury. Nothing about the way it moves tries to imitate a lighter GT: everything rests on torque, presence and that sense of fully controlled inertia that defines the big Bentleys of the 1990s.
Next to a more modern Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, the `Continental R` feels almost outside time. It is a car you buy as much for its architecture and rarity as for its performance. A good one is wonderfully smooth; a neglected one quickly turns into a chain of heavy suspension, cooling, transmission and comfort-electrics bills.