All Bentley Arnage reviews

"For example, right up to the point of engineering, digital data was taken from the clay model's surfaces on a day-by-day basis, even while some parts of the clay were still evolving. This ensured we could transfer the right design feeling directly to the CAD surfaces which are used to make the tooling. And to ensure that the designers could continue to make quick revisions to the car, new technologies were adopted as the programme progressed. The body panels, for example, were actually pressed from special resin-based tools which could be machined in a matter of days."

Bentley should be good at this sort of thing by now. After all, they've had a fair bit of practice. Open topped cars have formed an integral part of the brand's history, initially in collaboration with esteemed coachbuilders such as Mulliner and Park Ward and latterly in-house at the company's Crewe plant. The 1955 Continental Drophead Coupe was a notable, as were the Corniche, Continental and the previous Azure models. The latest drop top car to carry W O Bentley's signature is the most elegant of the lot.

Unveiled at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show as the Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe, 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.

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. With a twin-turbocharged V8 engine under the bonnet, this Azure is good for no less than 450bhp. Double wishbone suspension and an extremely rigid body structure means that it can deploy that power very efficiently too. "If ever there was a car built for cruising the Croisette at Cannes, this is it." The Azure features ventilated brakes with a powerful anti-lock system with brakeforce distribution as well as an Electronic Stability Control programme, should you get a little over-enthusiastic during cornering. The comfort suspension system that was pioneered on the Arnage R also makes a welcome appearance. To ensure the car met the torsional rigidity targets ' crucial in a big open car such as this ' a number of strengthening members have been welded into the chassis. These strengthened steel parts sit in the sill section and extend into the A-pillars that form the windscreen frame. Underneath the car there are extra cross-braced members that reinforce the entire body shell. Strengthening has also been applied behind the rear seats where an advanced rollover protection system has been engineered. In conjunction with the strengthened windscreen frae, these pop-up rollover hoops can support the entire weight of an overturned car. 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. 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. "For example, right up to the point of engineering, digital data was taken from the clay model's surfaces on a day-by-day basis, even while some parts of the clay were still evolving. This ensured we could transfer the right design feeling directly to the CAD surfaces which are used to make the tooling. And to ensure that the designers could continue to make quick revisions to the car, new technologies were adopted as the programme progressed. The body panels, for example, were actually pressed from special resin-based tools which could be machined in a matter of days." Bentley have moved with the times. Bespoke engineering is no longer the preserve of wizened old men in dusty coachworks. Blending the traditional with high tech engineering means that Bentley have a combination of skills and technology that results in rapid and effective prototyping. This ideas factory has spawned cars like the Azure and will continue to develop new and exciting luxury sporting cars. The business has never been in better hands.