Promising to redefine the luxury of open air driving, the crew from Crewe took the wraps off its latest show car, the Bentley Grand Convertible.
Based on the Mulsanne platform, the Grand Convertible is taking dead aim at the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead. While still technically a concept car, Bentley clearly hopes to get a positive reception to the car at the LA Auto Show this week and at Art Basel in Miami this December. If (who am I kidding) when that happens it will be put into production to vie for the British Ultra Luxury topless crown.
At the unveiling, Bentley Chairman and CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer, said: “This concept demonstrates Bentley’s ability to create a pinnacle convertible Grand Tourer. With this car we combine the opulent Mulsanne experience with the full sensory indulgence of open-air touring, continuing to unite luxury and performance in new ways. We are eagerly awaiting the response of our customers to this car.”
Featuring the Mulsanne’s 530 Horsepower 6.75L twin-turbo V8, the Grand Convertible delivers a whopping 811 pound-feet of torque – for reference that’s more torque than the GMC Sierra Denali – which means no matter how much weight is added to stiffen this car’s frame, it’ll leap of the line like a proper Bentley.
Performance, however, is really not the point of this exercise. The Grand Convertible has clearly been built as a showcase for the capabilities of Bentley’s craftspeople. As such, the interior panels and seats feature 14 naturally tanned leather hides with progressive-diamond quilting. Bentley’s trim specialists cross-stitched contrasting Sequin Blue thread by hand through the linen-coloured leather. Beluga leather around the top of the doors provides a nice contrast to the lighter seats and extends back to the rear tonneau which is framed in polished chrome.
The tonneau itself is the pièce de résistance of this one-of-a-kind Bentley. The book-matched, mirror-finished and dark-stained Burr Walnut tonneau is spectacular, featuring the largest piece of wood veneer ever applied to a Bentley. Fashioned entirely by hand, it is a work of art in itself and is finished with elegant parallel lines of chromed steel.
Decked out in Sequin Blue, a bespoke color originally created from a single sequin from a customer’s haute couture gown, the Grand Convertible features a silver finish to the bonnet and windscreen frame. The Bentley directional wheels which are handed to the left and right sides of the car provide an obvious clue to the car’s power and speed.
No pricing was announced, but if you have to ask…
If (I don’t know why I keep saying that) when they do produce the Grand Convertible, it will be in extremely limited quantity and undoubtedly be very collectible.
Our advice? Get your request in now, kids. They’ll be going fast. It is after all, a Bentley.