The Bentley Azure is a 2-door, 5-passenger ultra-luxury convertible. It is based on the Bentley Arnage sedan and designed to provide the ultimate opulent experience.

The styling of the new Azure is as textbook conservative as that of a London taxi or Buckingham Palace. But the magic is in the proportions: an imposing body that measures almost eighteen feet between bumpers; an in-your-face mesh grille flanked by two expressionless headlamps; a hood vast enough to hide a miniature nuclear power plant; and a stately rear overhang. The cabin lacks modernities such as Mercedes-Benz SLK-style neck-warming vents, so the four occupants must rely entirely on the windshield and on the tall side windows to brave the elements. In appearance and approach, this new Bentley seems like a leftover from the late 1980s, but the driving experience most certainly isn’t.

The previous Azure was a surprisingly quick car–at least in Mulliner spec–considering its castlelike weight and aerodynamics, but its handling and roadholding left much to be desired. In the new car, steering inputs are translated without delay, the brakes are properly boosted, directional stability is solid, and the chassis has shed its eiderdown indifference. True, the Azure still rolls like a barge when pushed hard, and its 645 lb-ft of maximum torque may burn rubber at any time, but there is no doubt that the 450-hp Azure has matured in attitude and ability.

The Azure is equipped with a standard 450-horsepower twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V-8 engine. It has a 4-speed automatic transmission and double-wishbone suspension borrowed from the Bentley Arnage. Front and rear side-impact airbags, pop-up bolsters for rollover protection, and a reinforced windshield are standard safety features. Covering the cabin is a three-layer fabric top that is hydraulically operated and stows beneath a hide-trimmed tonneau cover.

The 2007 Azure is a 2-door, 5-passenger luxury convertible, available in one trim only, the Convertible. Upon introduction, the Azure is equipped with a standard 6.75-liter, V8, 450-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 11-mpg in the city and 16-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

This is also the first two-door Arnage, requiring a completely different cabin and rear-end structure from the sedan’s. The vast three-layer fabric roof is raised and lowered electrically in 30 seconds and stows under a flush leather-covered deck panel.

The Azure convertible weighs 240 more pounds than the Arnage (making it nearly three tons). The inevitable loss of torsional rigidity from removing the roof is compensated to a degree by carbon-fiber stiffeners added to the underbody — a large cruciform structure at the front and a smaller one at the rear.

Standard Engine:

6.75L V8, 16 valve, 450 hp @ 4100 rpm

• 6 speed automatic transmission
• 11 mpg city / 16 mpg hwy
• Green Rating: 34

Standard Features:

• Seat Mounted Front Side Airbags
• 4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
• Equalizer