Caught in the classifieds: Bentley Turbo R

Luxury brand Bentley is simply flying at the moment. Not only has it recently unveiled its new Brooklands flagship (New Cars, Issue 999), but the hot Continental GT Speed is making waves, too. The only downside is that even the entry-level Flying Spur costs a huge £117,500.

Not every Bentley is out of the reach of ordinary second-hand buyers, though. Take a glance at the classifieds, and you can pick up one of the firm’s saloons from as little as £5,000. Spend double that, and you can get some serious metal on your driveway – although the sheer size of this 1986 Turbo R means it’s unlikely to fit in your garage!

We spotted the enormous four-door at a specialist dealer, and its 6.75-litre engine is still powering the brand’s latest designs. As you would expect, it delivers crushing performance with 0-62mph in around six seconds. That’s not bad for a car measuring 5.3 metres long. The trade-off is fuel consumption ranging from a dismal 11mpg in town to around 16mpg on cross-country trips.

Naturally, it comes loaded with kit, including full leather upholstery, air-con, a CD changer, self-levelling suspension, a telephone and electrically adjustable seats. With only 73,000 miles on the clock, a full service history and a fresh MoT, this Bentley is yours for £9,995.