World's fastest Saloon Car Launched by Bentley at NAIAS

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January 2002 (Newstream) -- The fastest standard production saloon car in the world is unveiled by Bentley at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The 450bhp, 168 mph (270 km/h) Arnage T is the most powerful car in Bentley's 83-year history, and the result of a three year project to re-engineer the outstandingly successful Arnage saloon from bumper to bumper.

The launch is significant as performance defines the Bentley marque every bit as much as the luxury and refinement that have always been the hallmarks of the Crewe car maker.

The Arnage T is backed by the full resources of Bentley's parent, the VW Group, the largest car company in Europe.

Bentley will be hoping that the Arnage T will attract Porsche, Ferrari and Aston-Martin customers, seeking sports car performance combined with hand-crafted luxury and comfortable practicality.

Bentley is looking to expand its market and anticipates that the Arnage T will appeal to a slightly younger audience than usual, with owners in their late forties rather than late fifties.

Readily identifiable by its famed black label badge, reserved for Bentley's most sporting cars, the Arnage T is the first Bentley to be designed almost entirely in the virtual world using the latest Computer Aided Design and CATIA technologies.

The theme of high performance is reflected by Team Bentley's confirmation that it will run the Bentley EXP Speed 8 at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 2002 following its successful return to the podium last year, after an absence of 71 years.