Bentley Azure T - creme-de-la-creme of drop top motors (From Community Newsgroup)

Bentley Azure T - creme-de-la-creme of drop top motors

12:47pm Wednesday 12th November 2008

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IT'S being billed as the world’s most elegant four-seat convertible by its makers, and as these pictures show, Bentley aren't far wide of the mark with the description fo their new 500bhp Azure T model.

The new Azure T, specified with the high performance version of Crewe’s iconic 6¾ litre V8 engine, is the latest in a line of Bentley models to bear the ‘T’ legend.

The 1996 Continental coupe was the first modern Bentley ‘T’, followed in 2002 by the Arnage T, both flagship models with a distinctive sporting character and thunderous performance.

The Azure’s already striking form is enhanced further by monstrous 20-inch alloys, 'Le Mans’ front wing vents, dark tint matrix grille and a sculpted, retractable Flying ‘B’ mascot.

For the performance-oriented Azure T, the twin turbocharged V8 engine produces 500bhp and a whopping 1000 Nm of torque – an 11 per cent increase in power and a 14 per cent increase in torque over its 450bhp/875 Nm Azure stable mate.

Top end is a reported 179 mph. 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds, and zero to 100 in 12.1.

There's a six-speed self shifting gearbox and an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with logic system to improve response and handling with less intrusive intervention when a reduction in grip is detected Tyre Pressure Monitoring System fitted as standard - let's hope they're more effective than the types used on Laguna's of old!

If you can afford one of these - and if you have to ask the price you can't afford one - it probably won't matter to you that the service intervals come every 10,000 miles or 12 months - whichever the sooner - and boasts only a rather routine three years unlimited mileage warranty.

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