Bentley State Limousine, Her Royal Highness' Bentley

Her Majesty has the keys to a fleet of cars that would put most rappers to shame, with her eight state limos consisting of two identical Bentleys, three Rolls-Royces and three Daimlers. The Bentley's her favourite though, as the Queen explained herself during a Monarchy special of MTV's Cribs from Balmoral. Only kidding.

The first Bentley State Limo was given to HRH to celebrate her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and is based on an Arnage, but it's almost a metre longer, has massive rear-hinged 'suicide doors', and has been given a comprehensive set of anti terrorist measures. These include amour plating, bullet proof glass, a hermetically sealed cabin (in case of a gas attack), a landmine-resistant undercarriage and run flat tyres. After all those upgrades - or 'paranoia pimping', as it's sometimes known - the Bentley weighs in at an astonishing four tonnes.

Therefore, a seriously strong engine is needed to drag its heft along. The reason the royal motorcade is so slow isn't because the Queen likes waving at people, it's obviously because that's as fast as the Bentley will go. A twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 is nestled under the bonnet generating 402bhp and 616lb.ft of torque and powering the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic 'box.

The Queen herself helped design the big Bentley, which has rear seats upholstered in lambs wool and light grey leather, and the suicide doors mean the Queen can stand up straight before getting out. Allegedly that requirement alone precluded Lotus from pitching for the Royal limousine gig.

And don't think that the Queen keeps herself swathed in motoring luxury while her staff languishes in relative poverty - her security team follow the Bentley in a VW Caravelle. Rumours that the Queen prefers the build quality and space of the VW are unfounded...

Mark Nichol