Los Angeles 2014: Bentley Grand Convertible Concept

Cars, News I By Winding Road Staff I November 18, 2014
Bentley has been teasing us with an open top grand touring machine based on the Mulsanne platform ever since the Arnage-based Azure bowed out a few years ago. Such a vehicle has yet to appear in showrooms, but that doesn’t mean Bentley has forgotten about the project. The highly exclusive automaker intends to make that clear with the Grand Convertible Concept on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show this year, and while it isn’t a production-ready example, it’s a good indicator that automaker has every intention of moving forward with the droptop if interest is there.
 
Sharing its driveline with the Mulsanne Speed, the Grand Convertible is motivated by a 6.75-liter twin turbocharged V8 that generates 530 horsepower and an authoritative 811 pound-feet of torque which "promises the luxury of effortless performance to match its unparalleled style."
 
 
Coated in a Sequin Blue shade that’s said to be derived from a single sequin from a customer’s haute couture gown, the Grand Convertible Concept contrasts this hue with a silver “liquid metal” finish that’s applied to the hood and windshield frame. Rounding out the external aesthetic is a burl walnut veneer on the tonneau cover, recalling the shade and material juxtapositions used when the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé debuted in 2007.
 
Inside, more than a dozen naturally tanned leather hides are merged together with progressive-diamond quilting, with the shape of the pattern changing over the seats and doors. Beluga leather around the top of the doors and extending back to the rear tonneau is applied for contrast while Sequin Blue cross stitched thread provides continuity between the exterior and interior hues.
 
 
Bentley Chairman and CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer, who unveiled the car in Los Angeles, commented:
 
"This concept demonstrates Bentley’s ability to create a pinnacle convertible Grand Tourer, while embodying elegance beyond compare. 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. We will ensure that this car – if it reaches the roads – will be a highly exclusive, extremely limited collector’s piece."
 
The Bentley Grand Convertible Concept will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show from November 19th through the 30th. Check out the press release below for additional details. 
 
BENTLEY GRAND CONVERTIBLE REDEFINES THE LUXURY OF OPEN-AIR DRIVING
 
. The most sophisticated and elegant convertible
. Developed to signify Bentley’s intentions for the future
. The ultimate expression of the British luxury automobile
. On display at the Los Angeles Auto Show from 19th November alongside the new Mulsanne Speed sedan
 
(Los Angeles, 17th November 2014) The ultimate expression of British automotive luxury is imagined with the Bentley Grand Convertible, the most sophisticated open-top car ever created by Bentley. Iconic yet understated in style and fashioned entirely by hand from the very finest materials, this unrivalled flagship of luxury represents the ultimate in powerful, sensuous roofless motoring.
 
Bentley Chairman and CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer, who unveiled the car in Los Angeles, commented: "This concept demonstrates Bentley’s ability to create a pinnacle convertible Grand Tourer, while embodying elegance beyond compare. 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. We will ensure that this car – if it reaches the roads – will be a highly exclusive, extremely limited collector’s piece."
 
The Bentley Grand Convertible will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show from 19th November 2014.
 
Powerful, Refined, Exquisite
Resplendent in Sequin Blue, originally a bespoke colour created from a single sequin from a customer’s haute couture gown, the Grand Convertible features a silver "liquid metal" finish to the bonnet and windscreen frame. Contrasting the rich blue body work is the Bentley directional wheel design, handed to the left and right sides of the car and finished by hand before being polished to a high shine.
 
The wheels hint at the enormous power and torque that wait under the bonnet. With 537 PS (530 bhp / 395 kW) and 1,100 Nm (811 lb.ft) of torque from Bentley’s legendary 6¾-litre twin-turbo V8 engine of the flagship Mulsanne, the Grand Convertible promises the luxury of effortless performance to match its unparalleled style.
 
As cossetting as it is breath-taking, the interior of the Grand Convertible is a showcase for the abilities of Bentley’s master craftsmen. 14 naturally tanned leather hides are merged together with progressive-diamond quilting, with the shape of the pattern changing over the seats and doors in a cabin sized for four adults. Bright blue is used to highlight the extraordinary skill of Bentley’s trim specialists, with Sequin Blue thread cross-stitched by hand through the linen-coloured leather. The light hide is contrasted by the sleek elegance of Beluga leather around the top of the doors and extending back to the rear tonneau, framed in polished chrome.
 
The tonneau itself provides the most significant example of Bentley craftsmanship at its finest. Replete with book-matched, mirror-finished and dark-stained Burr Walnut, the tonneau features the largest piece of wood veneer ever applied to a Bentley. Fashioned entirely by hand, this expanse of veneer is only paralleled by the creations of the world’s best furniture makers, and is finished with elegant parallel lines of chromed steel.
 
Following the Los Angeles Auto Show, in December the Grand Convertible will travel to Miami for Art Basel, the world’s premier international art show for Modern and contemporary work.

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