The suspension changes, though seemingly subtle, transformed the soft and less than well-controlled ride of the Mulsanne Turbo into that of a real performer. Development on improving handling had already begun when Mike Dunn was appointed engineering director in Crewe in February 1983, but instead of the proposed ten per cent increase in roll stiffness, he demanded 50%. This goal was met by upping the
anti-roll bar rates by 100 per cent in front and 60 per cent in the rear, and by increasing the
damping. A
panhard rod to anchor the rear
sub-frame was also introduced, reducing side-to-side movement in corners. In October 1986, for the 1987 model year, the Turbo R received anti-lock brakes and new
Bosch MK-Motronic
fuel injection to replace the
Solex carburetors. Other modifications carried out at the same time included new, slimmer sports seats and a higher rear axle ratio. Around the turn of the year between 1991 and 1992, GM's
4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission replaced the long running three-speed
Turbo Hydramatic 400 throughout the Bentley/Rolls-Royce lineup, including the Turbo R.
New Turbo R A "New" Turbo R model was introduced in 1995 for the 1996 model year. Changes included
Zytek fuel injection and appearance modifications. There was also a special version for the German market, the "Turbo R Sport", which featured the
Continental T's sporty alloys and carbon-fibre, rather than walnut, panels inside.
Turbo S In 1995, the
Bentley Turbo S was announced as a strictly limited model, with envisaged production as fewer than 100 units. Effectively a stop-gap model before the introduction of the New Turbo R, just 60 units were produced, making it the rarest of the Bentley SZ Series of cars. The cars were sold across selected European, Middle Eastern and Asian markets only, as it was never legalized for sale in North America. The engine termed a
Blackpool version used Bosch Motronic fuel injection and digital ignition derived from
Formula 1 technology, and with a larger exhaust driven Garrett AirResearch turbocharger with intercooler. It had a power output of . The Blackpool engine was also fitted to twelve
Bentley Continental S, and to three special build
Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit S. The car was fitted with a viscous differential, and with both new 255/55WR17 tyres and traction control fitted, permitted a top speed of . In 1996 production of the short wheelbase Turbo R ended, leaving only the model hitherto sold as the Turbo RL - now known simply as the Turbo R. For 1998, the Turbo R was replaced by the sportier yet Turbo RT. ==Turbo RT==