Pick of the Day: 1990 Bentley Turbo R

When you have the money to buy a new vehicle you’re interested in, there are two basic ways you can go: go out and purchase it or, depending on where it is in its product lifecycle, wait until the updated version or a completely new generation. In the 1980s, those who waited to pull the trigger on a Bentley Mulsanne Turbo were rewarded with the Turbo R. One of those from later in the model run, a 1990 Bentley Turbo R posted on ClassicCars.com by a New York dealership, just happens to be our Pick of the Day.

According to The Spirit, the official magazine of the Roll-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club SZ Register, “The Mulsanne Turbo was a quick, comfortable car and the model would herald the start of the Bentley revival. The main objection customers (and the press) had to the Mulsanne Turbo concerned its soft ride and road holding, which were not considered a match for its performance. The factory decided to overcome this problem by offering a handling package.”

Bentley’s response was the 1985 Turbo R. Although some say the “R” stood for “Roadholding,” Bentley states “this was never officially confirmed.” It kept the same 298-horsepower turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 its predecessor had, but paired that with a significantly altered suspension. Engineering Director Mike Dunn and his team gave the Turbo R 50 percent greater roll stiffness by fitting it with 100 percent stiffer front and 60 percent stiffer rear anti-roll bars, firmer shocks, and a rear Panhard rod. A deeper front air dam that provided seven percent less drag and 15 percent less lift helped keep the big Bentley stable at high speeds. Bentley updated the Turbo R with anti-lock brakes and fuel injection in 1987. By 1994, it was time for the Turbo R to evolve into yet another model.

As a 1990 model, the Turbo R you see here has those enhancements as well as an undeniable flair. Bentleys of this time period were essentially a three-box design. Yes, they were handsome, but because they had so few curves, they were also visually conservative, especially in low-key colors such as black or dark blue. Whoever originally configured this particular Turbo R in St. James Red didn’t want it to fly under the radar – he or she wanted people to see their British ultra-luxury sedan and know who was driving it.

There’s more red inside the cabin, which is full of leather, wood, and metal, but that’s tempered by the cream hides used on the seats and door panels. Luxury amenities include power windows, cruise control, upper and lower climate zones, and a Pioneer head unit with a retractable touchscreen. The column-mounted shifter for the GM THM400 three-speed automatic leaves room on the center console for the power, memory, and heating controls for the front seats.

If you wanted to buy a Bentley Turbo R back in the day but missed your chance for some reason, why wait any longer? You don’t have to. You can buy this 1990 Bentley Turbo R right now for $33,900.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

How many farewell tours has Ozzy Osbourne had? It’s like the boy who cried wolf—at some point, this legacy grandstanding ends up being an eyeroll. Yet Dodge is rumored to bring back the V8 for Ram trucks. Are we supposed to think it’ll end up in the Charger?

If you recall, Dodge made a big fuss about “Last Call” models as the Hemi V8’s swan song, culminating with the Challenger SRT Demon 170. That car was touted as the quickest, fastest, most powerful mass-produced vehicle in the world. But why would Dodge toss away so much equity in its performance marketing?

The truth is the Hemi never left–it’s still available on the Durango. Nonethelesss, blame it on the Europeans and the government. Let’s start off with the former: the erstwhile Chrysler Corporation is known today as Stellantis North America, which is a subsidiary of Stellantis, the company formed with the merger of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and PSA Group (Peugeot Société Anonyme). Merging the most precarious of American automobile companies with Fiat and the French—what could go wrong?

Combine a Euro-leaning multinational with strong Biden-era EPA pollution standards (that would nudge manufacturers to forge a stronger mix of EV and hybrid vehicles) and you have the makings of a quick, painful death for V8 aficionados—certainly any evolution towards that goal would have been slower with an American behind the wheel. “Communists!” said someone from the nosebleeds.

Hasn’t the former Chrysler Corporation been through enough already? Before FCA, it was DaimlerChrysler, what ended up being a soul-gutting “merger of equals” that ended up producing more acrimony than anything else . . . but we also got the Challenger and Charger, so it wasn’t all bad.

Nonetheless, as the lineup aged out of contemporary status, marketing and engineering took over, helping these outdated cars sell better and better than before. Plus, the true believers within Dodge had a their collective fingers on the pulse of Dodge’s heritage so that now every lazy entitled Gen Zer has a grasp what B5 Blue is.

And then, the baby was thrown out with the bathwater. The Challenger is currently history, replaced by a two-door Charger joining a redesigned four-door Charger. The new car is currently at dealerships, and Dodge designers have created a car with fantastic, classic proportions while mining Dodge’s heritage. What’s driving the Charger? Electricity or turbo-six power.

Choice is good. And I am sure both versions will satisfy the needs for modern living, but they are not V8s. There’s something special about a V8, the same way there’s something special about Girl Scout Cookies, Atari, and Yankee Doodle.

So, last week, Dodge announced the Hemi V8 will be returning to the Ram lineup, which will include the 5.7, 392, and supercharged 6.2 Hellcat. Rumor has it that this is due to a good ol’ American—Tim Kuniskis—returning to the ranks of Ram CEO several months ago. Does that create hope for the Charger?

Sure, leaving that question hanging is a lame attempt to get clicks on social media. I cannot profess to know how the new Charger was engineered, especially considering it’s on a platform designed for EVs, but it’s also on a platform designed for ICE.

So, start holding your breath, folks!

America has a thing for performance vehicles. The United States is known for cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette, but its love for horsepower and speed isn’t bound by body style. That’s why the 682-horsepower Cadillac Escalade-V and 720-horsepower Ford F-150 Raptor R exist. We’ve even gotten tire-scorching wagons here before, such as the Dodge Magnum SRT8. One longroof that eluded U.S. speed fiends for decades was the BMW M5 Touring, but that changed last year when the automaker announced it would be selling the fast wagon here for the first time. So far, M5 sales numbers reflect a worldwide desire for its wagon variant.

In an interview with BMWBlog, Sylvia Neubauer, the head of Customer, Brand, and Sales for BMW M, said, “Originally, our plan was to have two-thirds of the production over the entire [M5] lifecycle as a sedan and one-third as a Touring. We now see that there’s more demand for the sedan, so we’ve increased production there. But there’s even more demand for the Touring. So the increase on the Touring is much higher.” Currently, the reported split between the two M5 models is exactly 50/50.

The existence of a new M5 Touring isn’t just good news for people here in the States. Even the markets in which M5 Tourings were previously sold didn’t get them very often. There was the straight-six-powered E34 version launched in 1992 and the E60 M5 Touring introduced in 2007 with a 5.0-liter V10. Of course, those regions will also be getting the newest M5 Touring, which has an M Hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with an eight-speed automatic equipped with an integrated electric motor and a 14.8-kWh high-voltage battery. By itself, the gas engine generates 577 horsepower from 5,600 to 6,500 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque between 1,800 and 5,400 rpm. The M Hybrid setup produces a total of 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft, which means the M5 Touring not only can haul 57.6 cubic feet of luggage, but can also haul ass. Flat out, the wagon can lunge to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 155 mph, which goes up to 190 with the optional M Driver’s Package. When commuting is more important than setting a new Cannonball Run record, the M5 Touring can drive up to 25 miles on full electric power and reach speeds as high as 87 mph.

Now that the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S is gone, the only wagon in the Mercedes lineup is the E-Class All Terrain, a car more focused on the outdoors than outright performance. Audi’s A4 and A6 allroad quattro models have a similar objective. The $126,600 Audi RS 6 Avant performance is an aggressive combination of pace and space, but even with a 621-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, it’s not nearly as potent as the $121,500 M5 Touring (although the Audi does have a lower 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds).

We’re glad BMW has finally made the M5 Touring available here. We’ll be even happier if Andy Reid can get his hands on one and review it.

In a brief moment in time, many American cars featured a styling feature where a grille was placed in the area called the a “catwalk,” the contoured area between the hood and fender. The word is derived from the passageway above the deck of of a ship. The below AutoHunter and ClassicCars.com vehicles have this styling feature. Can you tell us the year, make, and model of each?

Post your answers in the Comments section. Click on an image if you need a hint!

Click on a photo to reveal each car

Every Tuesday The ClassicCars.com Journal will bring you a new automotive puzzle. For past car games, simply click here!

Is there a nicer Chevy from the 1960s than the ’61? Especially in two-door hardtop form—available as an Impala and Bel Air—the 1961 Chevrolet looked trim and light thanks to finless flanks and a large amount of glass. Plus, 1961 was the first year for the Super Sport package and the big-block 409. It’s like everything converged for the model year, no? For those reasons, it’s a pleasure to introduce the AutoHunter Spotlight for today, a Seafoam Green 1961 Chevrolet Impala “Bubbletop” Sport Coupe with a tri-carb 409 transplant, four-wheel disc brakes, and more.

The Seafoam Green hue is complemented by longitudinal white accents. Other exterior features include dual chrome side mirrors, twin exhaust pipes poking from underneath the rear valence, and 18-inch Ridler wheels wrapped in staggered-width Otani radials—235/40 (front) and 255/45 (rear).

The interior features green cloth and vinyl upholstery that nicely matches the exterior. The bench seat is split in the back to facilitate ingress and egress. Other features include column-mounted automatic shifter and factory AM radio.

Instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer, clock, and gauges for the coolant temperature and fuel. An aftermarket 8,000-rpm tachometer is mounted on the left side of the column, and auxiliary gauges for the oil pressure, coolant, and ammeter reside under the instrument panel. The odometer currently reads 36,683, though the title reads mileage-exempt.

The engine currently resting in this Chevy is a vintage 409, though this one features three two-barrel carburetors. That’s somewhat interesting because this induction system was never offered for the 409, but it was available for the 348. It’s backed by a three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 400 transmission, something that an original 409 never had available. An aluminum radiator helps keep things cool on this hot engine.

The undercarriage features Wilwood four-wheel power disc brakes for stopping power that the factory was incapable of imagining. Additions to aid in handling include short coils and sway bars.

So how about it? A 1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe sporting a multi-carb 409 and several modern modifications to make driving a pleasure. Bid now because the auction for this AutoHunter Spotlight ends on Friday, March 28, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Few vehicles from automotive history are revered as much as the Volkswagen Bus when it comes to all-around versatility. The Bus – with its unmistakable lines and multi-purpose mission – has been around since 1950 and has gone by names including Transporter, Kombi and Microbus. After 75 years, it remains a favorite for beachgoers, road-trippers, campers and enthusiasts for its merits as an economical recreation vehicle.

The Pick of the Day is a 1978 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Mill Valley, California. (Click here to see the listing)

“Our beloved VW Bus (Flo) needs a new home due to a move abroad,” the listing says. “She is a beautiful bus, serviced by Buslab and all paperwork has been kept from here and the U.K.”

Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to the exterior. The cream-painted body has color-matched bumpers, a one-piece windshield, sliding side windows, a roof basket, sideview mirrors and whitewall tires. The vehicle was reportedly restored in the United Kingdom – where it resided from 2008 through 2023 – before being returned to California.

The interior is where this Bus sets itself apart – the cargo area is a sort of “Swiss army knife” with so many distinct features. The cabinetry was installed three years ago, and amenities include a bed, a Bluetooth stereo system, a fridge, a sink, a USB port, a table and storage compartments. How does that all squeeze in there?

A key selling point of the Type 2 Bus was that it had 70% more room inside compared to a domestic station wagon. One of the magazine ads from the period said, “Group rates, every time you travel. If you want to take your group out in style, comfort, and economy, remember, it’s more fun to take the Bus.” When not set up with living accommodations, some versions of the Bus could seat up to seven occupants in relative comfort.

Details about the drivetrain are not included in the listing, but the engine is more than likely a rear-mounted air-cooled flat-four that is paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. The seller says that the engine has accrued 75,685 miles since it was reconditioned. Recent maintenance has been performed by “Buslab,” a facility in Berkeley, California, that has been around since 2002 with a specialty in Bus parts and service. Buslab’s website even has a chronological history of the model.

My favorite photo with the listing is number 19, which shows a pup looking over the backseat. It is probably safe to assume the dog doesn’t come with the vehicle, but he or she makes a cute model. Maybe you have a furry friend of your own who needs a new adventure-mobile?

“Reluctant sale, and would love a family to get her,” the listing concludes. The asking price is $26,000 or best offer.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

The McLaren F1 is the Michael Jordan of automobiles: It performed at the highest level and was huge in the 1990s. Every automotive enthusiast has heard of it, and it’s often regarded as the greatest car ever. With its $778,000 price tag, BMW V12, distinctive central driving position, and a top speed of 240 mph, the F1 was a singularity in its time. But that was 30 years ago. Hypercars have only grown more powerful and faster. Plus, only a few of the people who idolize the F1 have ever driven one. Have nostalgia and mystique made it out to be more than it really is? A recent road test by Chris Harris answers that question.

If you’ve read or watched reviews of European hypercars, you’ve seen Chris Harris’s name before. He’s a British automotive journalist who’s competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race and co-hosted “Top Gear.” He’s been behind the wheel of the Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 959, Aston Martin Valkyrie, and plenty of other super-exotics. Given his experience, he’s less likely to feel the subconscious pressure to automatically proclaim the McLaren F1 as the best thing to ever happen to the automotive world.

Once Harris is on the move in the F1, he doesn’t even have to speak to communicate how it makes him feel. You can see it in his wide-eyed expression, particularly after he puts his right foot down on the handcrafted titanium gas pedal, causing the 621-horsepower V12 to let out its raspy mechanical wail. With each upshift of the six-speed manual gearbox, he flies faster and faster down the road.

What conclusion does Harris reach at the end of his spirited drive? Watch to find out if the F1 is a justified icon or an over-rated beneficiary of its statistics and the power of yesteryear.

The more you look at today’s AutoHunter Spotlight car, a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible listed by a dealership in Kentucky, the better it gets.

Let’s start with the fundamentals: it’s red, a perennially popular color. To be specific, it’s Bright Rally Red. Then there’s the fact that this car is a convertible (just in time for spring!). A red convertible? That’s a classic combo. The power-operated White soft top brightens up the exterior even more.

Speaking of classic, it’s also a Chevrolet Camaro, an icon of American performance. The SS badges on its fenders and rear end mean it has the almighty LS1 5.7-liter V8 fed by forced-air induction that bumps output to 325 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic processes that power and sends it to the Zexel Torsen limited-slip differential and rear 17-inch wheels and BFGoodrich rubber. Other features include the High Performance Ride and Handling Suspension, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, a power steering cooler, and dual exhaust outlets.

As an SS model, this Camaro manages to balance its performance with comfort and convenience. The Ebony leather interior has a power driver’s seat, power mirrors, power windows and locks, a tilt steering column, cruise control, 500-watt Monsoon AM/FM/CD audio system, and air conditioning.

Take a close look at the gauges and you’ll see another great thing about this drop-top F-body: what’s that on the odometer? Yep, this Camaro only has 23,965 miles on it.

On top of all that, this car’s model year adds to its appeal. The fourth generation of the Camaro—and the model itself—came to an end in 2002. Yes, Chevy brought its Mustang-fighter back for 2010 but, for a long time, the ’02 marked the conclusion of an era in American automotive history.

If you want a low-mileage, high-performance slice of that history, place your bid now on this 24K-mile 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible. The auction ends on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery