The spotted exclusive is the Bentley Azure of the first generation, which was produced from the late 90s to the early 2000s. In addition to its limited edition (1098 units), the uniqueness of this convertible lies in its folding top, developed by the Italian atelier Pininfarina. And, of course, its impressive price, which was the highest in those years (excluding open supercars).
After its debut in the late nineties, the 4-door Bentley grand tourer was recognized as the convertible of the year. Under the hood is a V8 engine typical for those times with a 6.75-liter capacity. Power – almost 400 hp (torque – 874 Nm). If the roof was made by the Italians, then the transmission was ‘shared’ by the Americans – the engine works with a four-speed “automatic” from General Motors. Despite its weight (almost THREE tons), the dynamics turned out to be impressive for such a “beast” – 6.7 seconds to 100 km/h, top speed – 240 km/h. The consumption was also like a “barge” – 26-27 liters in the city.
PHOTO: 📷 @plozzng.spotting
Regarding the removable top by Pininfarina, its services were costly for the British, so the final cost of the Bentley Azure was substantial – 518,300 German marks (data for 1997). The representative cabrio grand tourer was assembled by hand at the factory in Crewe.
As seen in the photo, the Bentley Azure spotted in Kyiv has American “registration”, which, however, does not mean it won’t change to Ukrainian…