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BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Introductionword count: 99

When I was a teenager, I mapped out a number of benchmarks I needed to hit if I was to call myself successful. I wanted a Porsche by the age of thirty, a Ferrari by forty and a drop top Bentley when I was fifty. The Porsche never materialised, the Ferrari isn't likely to, but I'm still holding out hope for the Bentley. According to my calculations, I might be able to afford a used Bentley Azure but it might take a few things to swing in my favour. I'm currently combing the Telegraph lonely hearts for rich grannies.

Modelsword count: 8

Models Covered: (2 dr convertible 6.7 petrol] )

Historyword count: 226

The Bentley Azure started life as the rather clumsily titled 'Arnage Drophead Coupe', making its debut at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. Industry watchers who got to give the show car the once over were under no illusion that this was just the usual pie-in-the-sky showpiece. The engineering was just too good, the systems too integrated to be a one off. Too much resource had already been lavished on this car and it was clear that a production ready example was very close. Work on the Azure started in January 2004 and only the introduction of new technologies and advanced production techniques meant it could be produced in such a short timescale, as Ashley Wickham, Chief Engineer, explains: "The real challenge of this programme was to develop a car that had such stylish lines in the timescale we had available. With good planning and close teamwork, we were able to combine simultaneous engineering and design with the latest 'fast-track' technologies - it was a great mix of conventional and new thinking. Fast forward top early 2006 and the first press drives of the Azure convertible were conducted. Priced at a heady £222,500, this car was unashamedly an opulent Bentley of the old school yet was endowed with many unexpectedly high-tech touches. In fact, the Azure kickstarted a root and branch revision of the Arnage line.

What You Getword count: 364

The Azure, is based on the latest Arnage chassis, and shares much the same look to the front end. Move back and the entire cabin and rear of the car have been completely redesigned with a unique interior said to be influenced by contemporary furniture design. One glance inside suggests that it is cutting edge Scandinavian designers rather than Linda Barker at DFS that supplied the influences. "The Azure is the latest in a long line of much admired Bentley convertibles and we wanted to reflect that heritage as directly as possible," says Dirk van Braeckel, the Director of Design for Bentley Motors. "The key to a four-seater convertible is that its grace and elegance is on display when the roof is down but it shouldn't lose any of that beauty when it is raised. We think we have struck that balance with the beautiful lines of the roof." The three-layer canvas top features seven bows for shape and rigidity and electrically raises and lowers in 25 seconds. In order to achieve a rakish profile, the windscreen has been inclined as far as possible. Because the roof stows in its own dedicated well, there's no change in the amount of boot space when the hood is up or down. Other dynamic details include prominent wheelarches and a tapered rear end that results in what Bentley dub a 'horseshoe trailing edge.' This shape recalls the first Crewe-built Bentley, the 1946 MK6, the bold front and almost delicate rear giving the impression that all the power is stowed up front. It's not a false impression either. Everywhere you look there are intriguing touches. The LED tail lamps utilise technology borrowed from the Continental GT Coupe, while there's a good deal more chrome than on contemporary Bentleys, ringing the lamps, on the exhaust finishers, bumpers, sills and 19-inch alloy wheels. The elegantly curved rear seat and armrest are beautifully finished and for added atmosphere, indirect lighting casts a warm pool of light behind the door arm rests. Burr oak veneers with a Boxwood inlay contrast with Cotswold and Nautic Blue leather trim, while a unique chrome and wood steering wheel acts as a key internal design feature.

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