Really? Of all the cars on the market today that need to muscle up, Bentley’s $342,000 land yacht, the palatial Azure convertible, definitely isn’t one of them. With some 450 horsepower and a prodigious 645 lb-ft of torque available from its twin-turbocharged 6.8-liter V-8, the base Azure can hit 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, a figure that is in no need of improvement, frankly. More to the point—who the hell wants to go hyperspeed in a 6000-pound ragtop, anyway?
In reality, customers interested in fast Bentleys probably aren’t looking at Azures, not with the far faster, far more agile Continental GT/GTC in the same showroom. The more prestigious Azure’s appeal, on the other hand, stems from its inexorable snob factor and old-world opulence—both attributes best savored at relaxed speeds. Indeed, we speculate most Azures will share garage space with a pricey sports car or two that satiate the owner’s occasional need for speed, and thus the likelihood of any Azure T getting tail-happy on a twisty road, or, heaven forbid, hustling around a racetrack is about the same as that of the Queen of England entering an Ultimate Fighting competition.
In reality, customers interested in fast Bentleys probably aren’t looking at Azures, not with the far faster, far more agile Continental GT/GTC in the same showroom. The more prestigious Azure’s appeal, on the other hand, stems from its inexorable snob factor and old-world opulence—both attributes best savored at relaxed speeds. Indeed, we speculate most Azures will share garage space with a pricey sports car or two that satiate the owner’s occasional need for speed, and thus the likelihood of any Azure T getting tail-happy on a twisty road, or, heaven forbid, hustling around a racetrack is about the same as that of the Queen of England entering an Ultimate Fighting competition.