BENTLEY AZURE Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Bentley Azure range
Prices: £222,900 ex vat - on the road [450bhp]
Insurance Group: 20
Emissions: 465g/km
Performance: [450bhp] Max Speed 168mph/ 0-60mph 5.7s
Fuel Consumption: [450bhp] (combined) 14.5mpg
Safety: Twin front, curtain and side airbags, ABS, ESP stability control
Dimensions: length/width/height 5342/2057/1476mm

AN ELEGANT CONVERTIBLE

Our Rating: No Rating Available

In today's world of conservation and efficiency, the Bentley Azure doesn't fit into either one of those categories. But it shouldn't, the Bentley Azure is not an efficient or conservative automobile as some others on the road, it was designed to be appreciated and coveted by everyone who sees it. Convertibles have been associated with Bentleys since they were first developed in 1955. The 2011 Bentley Azure has maintained the desirability and improved upon the style. The latest model is one of the most elegant and well designed.

The Bentley Azure incorporates the chassis of the Arnage with some added strengthening supports welded onto it to provide extra stability and borrows some of the same design aspects as well. The rear and interior have been completely redesigned with influences from contemporary furniture designs being used; this leads many to assume that Bentley has brought someone who is familiar in designing Scandinavian furniture instead of Linda Barker, who is credited with the new and modern influences of the interior.

The parts added to the chassis to provide extra support are located in the sill section and continue into the A-pillars that form the windshield frame. There are also extra cross-braced members that are used to strengthen the entire frame of the car. There have also been improvements made to the area behind the rear seats. Bentley has also incorporated an advanced rollover protection system to be used along with the strengthened windshield frame to provide protection in the case of a rollover accident. These enhancements can support the entire weight of the car if it involved in a rollover accident.

Bentley's Azure is equipped with a twin-turbocharged V8 engine which produces 450bhp or an impressive 500bhp if you opt for the power of the Azure T version. The double wishbone suspension and the rigid body structure means that it can handle all the power provided by either one of the engines available. The Azure also comes equipped with ventilated disc brakes with an anti-lock system that utilizes brake force distribution along with an Electronic Stability Control program. The suspension system that was first developed on the Arnage R was also added to the Azure.

When it comes to accessories Bentley has made some improvements. They have used more chrome in the design of this model than in others, from the trim of the headlights to the exhaust finishers, bumpers and 19-inch alloy wheels they have incorporated the chrome so that it enhances and not detracts from the design of the car. The interior is as impressive as the exterior, with Burr oak veneers with a Boxwood inlay, chrome and wood steering wheel and Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather trim the interior of the Azure is exactly what one would expect.

The Azure is a car that was designed to be impressive and enjoyed by those lucky enough to be able to afford it, and coveted and desired by those who can only admire it on the road. It was not designed to be efficient or modest, it was made to stand out and be noticed.