Every car is an argument about what matters, and the Bentley Hunaudières makes its case with 8.0 L VW Group (Bugatti) naturally aspirated WR16 and 623 bhp. Bentley built from 1999 — when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. The shape is credited to Andreas Mindt.
The story
The Bentley Hunaudières is a concept car built by Bentley for the 1999 Geneva Salon International de l'Auto. It is powered by a Volkswagen 8.0-litre, naturally aspirated, WR16 engine adapted and modified by Bentley to generate 623 bhp (465 kW; 632 PS) of power at 6,000 rpm and 760 N⋅m (561 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm in conjunction with a five-speed manual transmission. It is capable of a 350 km/h (217 mph) top speed.
What is underneath
The engine is 8.0 L VW Group (Bugatti) naturally aspirated WR16; the output is 623 bhp. On the scales it comes to 1400 kg. That is roughly 445 horsepower per tonne: hypercar territory, where the limiting factor is the tyre, not the engine. Drive goes through a 5-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Porsche 911 GT3, the Bugatti EB218, the Bugatti EB118. Nearby in the Bentley catalogue sit the Armoured Arnage and the Bentley 3 Litre.