Bentley Azure T

Bentley Azure T - The Ultimate Luxury Convertible

The brand new 500 bhp Bentley Azure T is the perfect ride for those who can afford a Rolls Royce but prefer to drive their British luxury sports machine themselves. Fast. With the top down! While Bentley has gone the way of Aston Martin of late with sleeker, trimmer machines like the Bentley Continental GT Speed.

Many long-time Bentley fans were upset when the British luxury icon made the decision to kill the classic Arnage line with the Arnage Final Series. But the Azure T convertible is the most Bentley-esque car left in the lineup - huge V8 power, completely customizable exterior and interior features and styling that practically screams old money.

Though the Bentley Azure T convertible has big power from its sweet twin turbocharged V8, this is a much different car than your typical British luxury sport convertible. The Azure T is a boulevard cruiser first, think effortless power here when it's needed but very cushy luxury all the time.

Just take a look at the interior. Bentley, as might be expected with a car costing multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars, will offer 8 accent wood choices and 25 leather hide types to choose from, allowing each buyer to feel totally comfortable when traveling at more than 170 mph in a portable living room on steroids.

Exterior styling gets some fancy performance accents over "standard" Bentley Azure models, like what Bentley calls ‘Le Mans’ lower front wing air vents and imposing 5-spoke 'Bright Finish' 20 inch alloy wheels. Make no mistake about it, the Azure T is a beautiful car through and through.

But the Bentley Azure T, which is perhaps the heaviest convertible in the world at an F150-dwarfing 5699 pound curb weight, still hits 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. Chock that up to the 500 bhp twin turbo that also spits out 738 lb-ft. of torque.

All kinds of fancy electronic gizmos ensure that ride stays silky smooth without plowing hard in the corners. Bentley has taken great pains to make this a quiet, neutral car even at speed as much as any drop to can be. Bentley boasts that the Azure T has the largest brake calipers fitted to any production car in existance. The ultra high-tech braking system, with calipers made from carbon/silicon carbide, give the Azure T enough slow-down-and-stop to offset big torque and disgusting vehicle weight.

This is rare convertible with enough utility to be a daily driver. The massive trunk, unfettered by the folding soft top, will have no trouble swallowing your golf clubs. Not like it matters much, as Bentley Azure T buyers carry 4-car garages at minimum.

The engine and transmission of the Azure T are identical to those already employed in the high-performance Arnage T and Arnage Final Series saloons. In this specification, Bentley’s remarkable all-aluminium 6¾ litre V8 engine produces 500 bhp (507PS/373kW) and 1000 Nm (738lb ft) of torque – with over 90 per cent of that torque available between 1,800 and 3,800 rev/min – figures that ensure the signature Bentley ‘wave of torque’ delivers effortless performance for a unique open-top convertible driving experience.

Each of these hand-made V8 engines comes with a black-finish air intake manifold bearing the signature of the team leader who oversaw its construction by Bentley technicians in the Crewe factory. The six-speed ZF automatic transmission ensures optimum flexibility, response and refinement. Three transmission modes (Drive, Sport and Manual) allow the driver to take full advantage of the powerful 500 bhp V8 engine.

A sophisticated electronic management system provides fast yet smooth gearshifts regardless of how the car is being driven. Another important feature of the latest Azure T is the separation of the sports suspension and sports gearbox settings, allowing the driver to select their preference for each system independently – via a ‘Sport’ switch on the dashboard for the suspension and by positioning the gearlever for the transmission’s Sport mode.

Bentley’s V8 guarantees outstanding performance levels. From standstill, acceleration to 60 mph is achieved in just 5.2 seconds (0-100 km/h 5.5 seconds), 100 mph reached in 12.1 seconds (160 km/h in 12.0 seconds) and a top speed of 179 mph (288 km/h) is possible.


The Azure’s double wishbone front and rear suspension is carried over to the Azure T unaltered. Set-up and fine-tuned to give a refined ride that best suits the character of this convertible Bentley, the system features coil springs with computer-controlled, adaptive electro-hydraulic dampers and automatic ride-height control with auto-load compensation.

The Azure T’s suspension delivers impressive body control in all driving conditions, while the new five-spoke, two-piece 8.5J x 20-inch Sports alloy wheels with 255/40 ZR20 Pirelli P Zero tyres further improve handling and road holding.

As an option, Azure T owners may specify an upgraded braking system with carbon/silicon carbide, cross-drilled brake ventilated discs. Measuring 420 x 40 mm (front) and 356 x 28 mm (rear), these discs are the largest fitted to any production car on sale today. With eight-piston callipers, the brakes provide impressive deceleration and also give an 8 kg reduction in unsprung weight, benefiting steering response, ride suppleness and acceleration.

Drivetrain
Transmission	6-speed ZF automatic gearbox with semi-automatic and sports functions
Layout	Front Engine, RWD
Steering	Speed sensitive, hydraulic power assisted, rack and pinion steering system
Engine
Engine Type	Twin Turbocharged V8
Displacement	6.76 liters
Horsepower	500 bhp / 507 PS / 373 kW @ 4,200 rpm
Torque	738 lb ft / 1,000 Nm @ 3,200 rpm
Compression Ratio	7.8:1
Exterior
Curb Weight	5699 lbs
Length	5410 mm (212.60 in)
Width	2125 mm (83.66 in)
Height	1492 mm (58.74 in)
Wheelbase	3116 mm (122.68 in)
Performance
Acceleration 0-60 mph	5.2 seconds
Top Speed	179 mph/288 km/h
Fuel Capacity	96.0 litres (25.3 US gallons)