Bentley Driving Courses

Bentley offers several driving courses for Bentley owners (though only one course is available in the United States). Courses range from testing a Bentley's capabilities at high speed to getting one-on-one instruction about your personal driving habits.

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors A Crewe employee puts the finishing touches on a Bentley motor.

• The Driving Dynamics Course - This course lets Bentley owners experience their car's capabilities at speeds most people never get to drive. In the United States, it's a full-day course -- the British version is just a half-day. Drivers learn how to brake in emergency situations and steering techniques. They also participate in an "Acceleration Exercise."

• Personal Driving Course - In England, drivers can work with a personal trainer to correct any bad driving habits and concentrate on perfecting good technique in their Bentley. Every course is personally tailored to the individual owner.

• Chauffer/Owner Driver Course - This course, available only in the United Kingdom, takes five days to complete and includes everything a driver might need to know about driving and caring for a Bentley automobile. The course includes sections on the history of the company, car maintenance, driver etiquette, car handling and technical training.

• Defensive Driving Course - Another course exclusive to the United Kingdom, this three-day program teaches drivers who have already completed the Chauffer/Owner course how to handle themselves in adverse situations. Techniques include route planning and hazard perception as well as evasive maneuvers. Course teachers even spend time teaching drivers how to recognize improvised explosive devices!

Bentley Motors continues to strive to be the best not only in luxury car production, but also customer service. While getting your own Bentley isn't as easy as driving a car right off the lot -- some Bentleys can take more than a year before they are ready for a customer -- you are assured of amazing attention and service, not to mention you'll be joining the ranks of the elite in your new wheels.

To learn more about Bentleys and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Ice, Ice BentleyHow well do Bentleys perform under adverse conditions? Well, World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen drove his personal Bentley Continental GT when he broke the world ice speed record. Kankkunen raced at a blistering 199.86 mph across Finland's frozen sea. His top speed was 205 mph over the 28-inch thick ice [source: Bentley Motors].