A Mighty Heart

摘要

Rain spatters the windshield as the clouds hang low, kissing russet-colored heather and glistening gray slate. I'm high in the hills of north Wales, a rolling, open landscape dotted with sheep, snug stone farmhouses, and tiny villages suffering severe vowel shortages-Cyffylliog; Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr; Bettws Gerfil Goch. The streaming wet road swoops down from the crest of the hill, sweeping gently to the right before arcing back to the left and over a bridge. There's a right-hander just over the bridge that I now realize is sharper than it looked. I squeeze the brakes hard, flick the shifter back-fourth, third-and wait until the last second before coming off the stoppers and turning the steering wheel.The Bentley Arnage turns in obediently, and with little body roll. Just as we sweep past the apex of the turn, I squeeze the gas pedal. It's like opening the floodgates of the Hoover Dam: 738 pound-feet of torque momentarily overwhelms the traction control, and 5699 pounds of handbuilt British luxury sedan starts drifting elegantly through the turn.