Bentley Arnage - Final countdown - 2008

The Arnage is dead.

Well, nearly dead. With all the ruthlessness of a Mafia hit, Bentley has marked the end of its flagship leviathan by announcing an end-of-the-line Final Series, set to debut in Paris next week.

It is, essentially, the equivalent of a nicely-wrapped carriage clock and a nice card signed with unamusing bon mots from your workmates.

The Final Series will be limited to a production run of just 150, all with the Arnage's very-well-tried and very-well-tested twin-turbo 6.75-litre V8 pumping out 500bhp and 738lb ft of torque.

That's the higher state of tune for the big V8, but the Final Series gets plenty of posh kit to go with the grunt: four Bentley umbrellas mounted in the boot, a rear cocktail cabinet with a bespoke stainless steel flask (honestly) and lots of posh 'Final Series' badging scattered liberally around the car.

Very nice, but where next for the Arnage?

Following these last few cars, it'll be put to rest after 10 years of production, to be followed - says Bentley - by another flagship model that could be even more upmarket. A V8 Phantom rival, maybe?

This year, incidentally, sees that V8 enter its 50th year of production, albeit with a few alterations through the years.

Yep, it's a quinquagenarian.

Our favourite stat? Its emissions are now 99 per cent lower than in 1958.

We always knew those Bentleys were good for the environment.