Bentley Continental vs LC 500

[ThomasD94]

Hey everyone,

I hope you are well?
I recently got to drive one of my dream cars (ever since I was a young boy and the Conti GT was launched)
It was soo smooth and the W12 purred away, interestingly I don't know if I would have the LC 500 or the Bentley? (both of these are in my top 2 dream cars)

The LC is stunning (& likely more reliable), however there was something about the Bentley that I just loved! It was soo pillow soft on the road and effortless to drive!

Anyways, here is a video I made on the Mk1 GT coupe and the facelifted 2015 V8S flying spur. 
Hope you enjoy it, Thomas 🙂

[Malc]

my next door neighbour has a 2010 Bentley and I just know the running / repair costs are beyond the pale ( and some other cars too ) 

I contemplated buying one and my indy quite assures me that I'll never be able to use it to do the 12/15k miles a year i normally drive ....  it will be as much trailered down to him for repair as it will be usable on the road

stick to the Lexus 

Malc

[malcolmw]

2 hours ago, ThomasD94 said:

The LC is stunning (& likely more reliable), however there was something about the Bentley that I just loved! It was soo pillow soft on the road and effortless to drive!

Wait until you try to park it! They are enormous and no standard parking space will do. 🙂

[scudney]

Lol if I could afford one I I definitely wouldn't be going for Bentley,I know what I would definitely have though 😁

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

my next door neighbour has a 2010 Bentley and I just know the running / repair costs are beyond the pale ( and some other cars too ) 

I contemplated buying one and my indy quite assures me that I'll never be able to use it to do the 12/15k miles a year i normally drive ....  it will be as much trailered down to him for repair as it will be usable on the road

stick to the Lexus 

Malc

I second that, a friend has one and complains about the constant unreliability and astronomical repair costs.  He says it's generally electrical issues.

[JamesIS220]

For me, neither. If one was given then Lexus! 

I'd put the money towards a house or just stick it in the bank. 

James.

[ThomasD94]

On 4/8/2020 at 5:13 PM, malcolmw said:

Wait until you try to park it! They are enormous and no standard parking space will do. 🙂

Oh I can imagine!! I found it hard trying to park the Conti into the driveway.

[ThomasD94]

On 4/8/2020 at 8:03 PM, JamesIS220 said:

For me, neither. If one was given then Lexus! 

I'd put the money towards a house or just stick it in the bank. 

James.

Oh really, interesting...

[ThomasD94]

On 4/8/2020 at 6:28 PM, The-Acre said:

I second that, a friend has one and complains about the constant unreliability and astronomical repair costs.  He says it's generally electrical issues.

That is true, I have heard that about early ones 😞

[Garth-1]

Is it just me, or is the Bentley pug-ugly?

[Paul Brooksbank]

I live in Crewe where they make the Bentley. It's no better than a well polished Audi or VW with nicer leather seats. The switch gear has VW/Audi labelling and the engine is simply two Audi V6 units welded together. The SUV they brought out, the Bentugla as we call it around here is absolutely hideous.

Put simply, the Bentley is VW/Audi's equivalent of what Lexus is to Toyota. I know which premium brand I would rather own so I do! 

One more thing, when Lexus introduced the LS400 to Britain in 1990, the then Rolls Royce engineers in Crewe stripped one down to see what out was made of. Their chief suspension engineer lived a couple of doors away from me and he said "we took that car apart and now we're craping ourselves, we've got to up our game. "

[RgrWynne]

On 4/11/2020 at 9:08 AM, Paul Brooksbank said:

I live in Crewe where they make the Bentley. It's no better than a well polished Audi or VW with nicer leather seats. The switch gear has VW/Audi labelling and the engine is simply two Audi V6 units welded together. The SUV they brought out, the Bentugla as we call it around here is absolutely hideous.

Put simply, the Bentley is VW/Audi's equivalent of what Lexus is to Toyota. I know which premium brand I would rather own so I do! 

One more thing, when Lexus introduced the LS400 to Britain in 1990, the then Rolls Royce engineers in Crewe stripped one down to see what out was made of. Their chief suspension engineer lived a couple of doors away from me and he said "we took that car apart and now we're craping ourselves, we've got to up our game. "

I can add to that for you. I had my own business and did quite a lot of work with the Specialised Engines Division, based on the factory apron. I then also supplied some specialist parts to MPW the division that altered cars for the Sultan of Brunei, their best ever customer. I was there when they bought an LS400, infact at the same time they also bought an S Class Merc and a BMW 7 series.

 They stripped all three down and the conclusions we were told were,

Merc was best built, thickness of metal etc. BMW was good, Lexus they did not know how they could produce the drive train for the money, and thought they were selling at a loss. The engine and gearbox were outstanding .

 Remember this was when Lexus was new to the UK and I had never really heard of them. Further to that I also had a contract at JCB at Rochester when Mr Joseph Cyril Bamford himself attended the factory, this was in 1993. Mr JCB then moved to live in Switzerland and always had a Merc, except when Lexus brought out the LS400, he then had nothing else. The fact it was talked about and I knew it, says everything about Lexus, and believe me Mr JCB was an absolute stickler for quality, and instantly knew it when he saw it. Those were the days and bring back memories, but remember the legend that Lexus is today didn’t exist, it was all just very new. The only way I got into Lexus was reluctantly giving up my Ford Granada Scorpio with all the bells and whistles, for a Lexus GS300 being used by a fellow Director, who decided to have a Jag. The Lexus had only done 15000 miles and I did not like it at all. I was doing about 25k per year London to Cheshire regularly and all over the UK. After about 3 months the penny dropped about how good the car really was. Smooth, refined, no rattles and I began to love it. I drove it for over 100k miles, with no faults whatsoever and , bought it myself, and eventually sold it to a pal, who abused it totally, but it still had 280k miles when it gave up. I then bought another GS 300 with 3k on the clock, a 51 plate and really regret selling that to my pal above, who then also wrecked that, but still with 240 miles on the clock. I reckon I have driven 250k miles in my Lexus’s and they have never let me down, but I do meticulously service them strictly according to the service manual, and that is I think the secret to a long and happy Lexus life......and don’t skimp. Cheers , Roger

[scudney]

Thanks for providing us with your rare insight Roger👍👍👍

[Paul Brooksbank]

15 hours ago, RgrWynne said:

I can add to that for you. I had my own business and did quite a lot of work with the Specialised Engines Division, based on the factory apron. I then also supplied some specialist parts to MPW the division that altered cars for the Sultan of Brunei, their best ever customer. I was there when they bought an LS400, infact at the same time they also bought an S Class Merc and a BMW 7 series.

 They stripped all three down and the conclusions we were told were,

Merc was best built, thickness of metal etc. BMW was good, Lexus they did not know how they could produce the drive train for the money, and thought they were selling at a loss. The engine and gearbox were outstanding .

 Remember this was when Lexus was new to the UK and I had never really heard of them. Further to that I also had a contract at JCB at Rochester when Mr Joseph Cyril Bamford himself attended the factory, this was in 1993. Mr JCB then moved to live in Switzerland and always had a Merc, except when Lexus brought out the LS400, he then had nothing else. The fact it was talked about and I knew it, says everything about Lexus, and believe me Mr JCB was an absolute stickler for quality, and instantly knew it when he saw it. Those were the days and bring back memories, but remember the legend that Lexus is today didn’t exist, it was all just very new. The only way I got into Lexus was reluctantly giving up my Ford Granada Scorpio with all the bells and whistles, for a Lexus GS300 being used by a fellow Director, who decided to have a Jag. The Lexus had only done 15000 miles and I did not like it at all. I was doing about 25k per year London to Cheshire regularly and all over the UK. After about 3 months the penny dropped about how good the car really was. Smooth, refined, no rattles and I began to love it. I drove it for over 100k miles, with no faults whatsoever and , bought it myself, and eventually sold it to a pal, who abused it totally, but it still had 280k miles when it gave up. I then bought another GS 300 with 3k on the clock, a 51 plate and really regret selling that to my pal above, who then also wrecked that, but still with 240 miles on the clock. I reckon I have driven 250k miles in my Lexus’s and they have never let me down, but I do meticulously service them strictly according to the service manual, and that is I think the secret to a long and happy Lexus life......and don’t skimp. Cheers , Roger

I was brought up in Alton, Staffordshire. Joseph Cyril Bamford lived just North East of Alton Towers in a rather large house on Waste Lane, you can see the house and their test track on Google Earth. My brother went to school right opposite the JCB factory in Rocester. I remember JCB actually buying the road that the school was on and building a by pass to the East of it.

Not many people know that JCB isn't a limited company and has no share holders, it's solely owned by Anthony Bamford. And they make their own engines and drive trains! The only thing they buy in is glass, steering wheels and tyres. 

Do you recall their company car fleet? Each one bearing the registration number JCB 1 to JCB 120? 

[RgrWynne]

18 minutes ago, Paul Brooksbank said:

I was brought up in Alton, Staffordshire. Joseph Cyril Bamford lived just North East of Alton Towers in a rather large house on Waste Lane, you can see the house and their test track on Google Earth. My brother went to school right opposite the JCB factory in Rocester. I remember JCB actually buying the road that the school was on and building a by pass to the East of it.

Not many people know that JCB isn't a limited company and has no share holders, it's solely owned by Anthony Bamford. And they make their own engines and drive trains! The only thing they buy in is glass, steering wheels and tyres. 

Do you recall their company car fleet? Each one bearing the registration number JCB 1 to JCB 120? 

Hi Paul, yes I am aware of the car fleet, always used to be Vauxhall , which they serviced themselves.
jCB was owned by JCB Service, which you are correct is not limited, although not sure of structure now. It was the holding company and was registered overseas. The only shareholders are The Bamford  family, Anthony and his brother. It is a business for whom I have the greatest admiration, incredibly dynamic and innovative.

it is only in recent years that they developed their own engines, mainly because the previous supplier was Perkins, and was taken over by Catterpillar, who are arch rivals. All the transmissions are built at Wrexham for  Uk Production.

[Malc]

wonder if the Bamfords still run Lss'  ?

Malc

[RgrWynne]

2 hours ago, Malc said:

wonder if the Bamfords still run Lss'  ?

Malc

I really have no idea Malc, but I do know Lord Bamford is a car nut, so who knows, maybe🤗. However I do know Chief Exec of BP is Chauffeured in a new LS, as is Prince Albert of Monaco, if that helps 😜, Cheers, Roger 

[Malc]

just checked MOT history's and JCB1 is a 1958 Bentley Continental

and JCB 2 is a sodding 2017 Jaguar DIESEL ☠️

wot a cheek 

Malc

anyone got the time to do the remaining JCBs 3 thru to 120 ?  or more maybe