Appeared at the 2008 Los Angeles show, the Bentley Azure T It represented the most performance version of the model, the “great” convertible of the British manufacturer that, still, had a lot of relationship with the Rolls-Royce Corniche. The version appeared on the second generation of the model, which was presented two years earlier and which was already born under the leadership of Volkswagen. The Germans bought Bentley in 1998, after an interesting dispute with BMW, which finally ended up with the rights to Rolls-Royce being awarded.
The Azure T was one of the first cars that were born under the control of Volkswagen, which by then had already put the Bentley Continental GT into circulation, the first completely new car, and without a trace of Rolls-Royce genes, for more than three decades. Until the appearance of the Continental GT, all Bentleys, since 1931, were Rolls-Royce models with some changes and a less refined character, although equally luxurious and sublime. The Azure T was one of the last vestiges of that union, although its spirit was very different from that offered by the Corniche.
All models designated with the letter T in the Bentley range, which was used since long before 2006, referred to the most performance variants of the range. Maximum luxury was always maintained, as expected, and they were never really sporty, only very high-end cars capable of driving spectacularly fast.
Thus, the differences with the “plain” Bentley Azure could be seen with the naked eye, although the design was the same. The Bentley Azure T was seen to be less stately and slightly more aggressive, thanks to the introduction of a dark-tinted grille in the grille, two-piece 1-inch alloy wheels and “Le Mans” vents in the front wings. It shared some features with the Bentley Brooklands and could almost be said to be the convertible version of the epic British coupe.
It was a strikingly large car. It reached 5,410 millimeters long and 1,900 millimeters wide, although its wheelbase, at 3,116 millimeters, was almost more spectacular than the size of the car. However, its cabin, with four seats, was not as large as its interior made one think. A minor detail when you are surrounded by such a high level of luxury and quality and above all, when under your right foot you have control of the legendary two-valve V8 with 6.75 liters – 6,753 cubic centimeters, the pistons had no less than 14 .16 millimeters in diameter – brand. An engine that has made history for the brand.
After decades of evolution, the 6.75 V8 had received a pair of turbos, with which spectacular figures were achieved – along with other modifications, of course. The power was 373 kW, or in other words, 507 HP, which reached a calm regime of 4,200 revolutions. About 1,000 revolutions earlier, a not inconsiderable 1,000 Nm were available. A power that was managed through a six-speed automatic transmission, which sent power to the rear axle.
Thus, it is not surprising that, even considering 2,770 kilos, it was capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and reaching 288 km/h. Of course, with a consumption that was close to 20 liters per 100 kilometers on average.
Production of the Bentley Azure T only lasted one year and only 80 examples were manufactured, of which 22 or 24 – according to sources – were right-hand drive. The price of the Azure T was a dizzying 403,625 euros, without extras.
2024-02-18 07:16:41
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