Didn't realize how big the CGT was until I compared it parked next to my SL500 with both suspensions at normal road height. It is almost 18" longer, 6" higher, much broader too. It's a beast sizewise and takes up a lot of garage real estate. By contrast I can walk all round the SL, quite a change from squeezing past the B.

So I took a pic after my first Bentley night out this evening. Verdict: big or not, this car is plenty bright and beautiful enough day or night.

 

What is the year and color of your SL500. Mine is 2004 and red.

 

Modern Rollers are HUGE cars.

 

Those Phantoms are crazy. They look like they are carved from a block of (high quality) steel.

The CGT displaced the wife's Cayenne from the garage, and seems longer. Probably is?

 

Try sitting in the back seat of an SL and then you'll see where those 18" come in quite handy. I'm 6'1" and fat but I can sit in my GTC's back seat (pretty easy to get in and out with the top down) while the front passenger still has sufficient leg room that they're comfortable (if they are normal height).

My garage in Miami is only 8' wide so parking the Bentley is quite a challenge. I have to fold in the mirrors rather than chance scraping them if I'm a little off-center. Backing out is even less fun because I don't have my side view mirrors to rely on. Definitely a big car but still feels nimble and is such a pleasure to drive!

 

It's a 2006 with the 7-speed but only the 302hp powerplant. A real comedown from my grunty SL600 which overtook fast cars and traffic cops with ease. This one only gets 0-60 in 6.1, whereas the 600 did it in 3.6 (Car & Driver test, not the factory's which is a modest 4.4).

Though I only bought the SL500 as a fun car to offset the CGT miles, I'm liking it more and more. The Nav and Bluetooth has brought it into the 21st century - can't do without those any longer. It's a one owner with only 16,000 miles, and I think the owner wound on those miles because it looks flashy new right round.

The Alphard wheels have got to go! My purchase was based on getting the best SL now and then changing the wheels if needed, because the chance of getting the perfect combo would be a long wait.

Color is Obsidian Black. If I could have a dream color, this is it. A deep sharp black that polishes up like crazy and sparkles in the sun or at night. The Bentley Granite is appealing in its own way, but nothing has the drop dead factor of dead black on the right shape!

But I love SLs in any color, and red is stunning. What's the interior color of yours?

 

You can't in mine - it's about a foot from seat back to back wall, and there's no seats. Maybe cram sideways, but I doubt a 6' guy would make it.

Brave! Why do they make garages so small, even today. Cars need space to avoid accidents. My dream garage would be one that allowed me to open both car's doors on each other. The next step up would be a nice viewing couch and the car on a turntable!

 

Yes my FS is super long...it took the space of our LR4 and is much longer than the Rover.
The plus side is that in the LR4 we had to put our infant seat in the middle because there wasn't enough room in the second row.
In the FS, the infant seat can be placed behind either seat with plenty of room to spare. There is a ton of space in the back. Also we can throw in a baby stroller in the trunk lengthwise and still have half the trunk space available. There is just sooo much space, my wife loves it.

 

I'm no fan of Mitt Romney but having an elevator to store one's cars is pretty awesome, if you ask me. I once had a very wide and deep 3-car garage that was tall enough for a car lift and wide enough for all car doors to open and still have plenty of room to get around. I custom-designed the house and made certain the garage would be very roomy. Wish I had that today!

 

Architectural Digest a few years back showed a seafront place in Malibu, and the owners had replaced one side of the main hallway all with glass. It allowed them to view inside the garage which had a 2 car lift, with - if I recollect - a DB9 on the top. The owner could walk in the front door and see both cars in all their glory.

Love how some people organize their homes round their collection. Comedian Adam Corolla has a car lift which goes straight up into his studio, and it's covered so no-one can figure out how he got the car there.

I watch a lot of luxury housing programs for ideas, and the one thing they never show is the garage. For most people it is just a blank space to store last season's toys and trivia, but nobody builds theirs out like a showroom. One day.......

 

Maybe that one day it will happen this year. All you have to do is believe!!

I am feeling a little depressed because I bought special air bags and curb feelers because I thought that we were going over the "Fiscal Cliff" and we didn't.
Oh, and by the way, Happy New Year

 

[quote]This I have a hard time with and it would be torture for me. Driving the second place car and really knowing that I preferred the other one. It's like having and extra ugly girlfriend and doing her so you don't get tired of the hot one.

 

[quote=Dr.Disaster;3731485]There you go again.

I think it is a wonderful situation. There are times that the SL is preferred like when you want something a little nimbler, easier to park (space), etc. It is like having two beautiful girl friends each with a different style. It is better than doing the same girl all of the time no matter how beautiful.

 

I have a '63 Austin-Healey 3000 that I use as my alternative to taking out the Bentley when the weather is nice for top-down driving.

 

Another example of why the good Doctor needs to broaden his horizons.