RE: LA debut for Bentley Grand Convertible

RE: LA debut for Bentley Grand Convertible

Thursday 20th November 2014

LA debut for Bentley Grand Convertible

Well where better than California to show a drop-top Mulsanne?



According to Bentley's CEO Wolfgang Durheimer, the Bentley Grand Convertible isn't yet a production model. The official line from him is that Bentley are "eagerly awaiting the response of our customers to this car" and that the car will be a highly exclusive and limited collector's piece "if it reaches the roads". It's a very expensive open car being shown in California; you would have to assume the reaction will be favourable.

There won't be any issues with rear seat space
There won't be any issues with rear seat space
The Grand Convertible specification is unsurprisingly identical to the Mulsanne Speed saloon. That venerable 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 makes the same 537hp and 811lb ft (!) with Bentley promising the 'luxury of effortless performance to match its unparalleled style'.

We make no claims as arbiters of the latter but you certainly can't fault Bentley's impeccable attention to detail. The largest piece of wood veneer ever applied to a Bentley is fitted over the tonneau and is fashioned entirely by hand. It's Burr Walnut too, in case you were wondering.

And with the roof down there's further opportunity to admire the sumptuous interior. There are 14 diamond quilted hides in there and many hours of hand-stitched trim.

Looks quite production ready, doesn't it?
Looks quite production ready, doesn't it?
But there's an elephant in the room, isn't there? And it isn't fuel economy. The Grand Convertible's colour is Sequin Blue, reputedly first sourced from a customer's haute couture gown. That's all well and good but, when combined with the silver bonnet... well, it's a paint scheme Rolls-Royce has already done with the Phantom Drophead, isn't it? Bentley won't appreciate that being pointed out but that's the inevitable conclusion.

Anyway, unfortunate colour combo aside, the Grand Convertible looks the perfect way to waft three acquaintances along the Pacific Coast Highway. Expect confirmation of a production version (with different colours) very soon.

Author
Discussion

Nors

Original Poster:

1,291 posts

154 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Nose aside, this looks pretty much just the the Rolls Royce.

Footballers and Merchant Bankers form an orderly queue.

Does nothing for me regardless how much money I had.:sleep

Edited by Nors on Thursday 20th November 10:48

xRIEx

8,180 posts

147 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Nors said:
Nose aside, this looks pretty much just the the Rolls Royce.

Footballers and Merchant Bankers form an orderly cue.

Does nothing for me regardless how much money I had.sleep
Except for the doors, windscreen (whole side profile for that matter) and boot line? Yeah, identical.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Nors said:
Footballers and Merchant Bankers form an orderly cue.
This is a cue :


This is a queue :

Nors

Original Poster:

1,291 posts

154 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
This is a queue :
Thought it looked wrong.

getmecoat

smilo996

2,755 posts

169 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Could it be that if VW cannot buy their rivals then they are into rivalling their rivals. It is a Rolls. The idea worked when they were one company but I would imagine BMW are not best pleased.

Will it be big in Saudi?


kambites

67,462 posts

220 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Other than being a big four-seater convertible available with a silver windscreen surround and bonnet and a wooden roof cover, I don't really see the similarity to the Rolls. The Bentley is a much better looking car to me.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
smilo996 said:
Could it be that if VW cannot buy their rivals then they are into rivalling their rivals. It is a Rolls. The idea worked when they were one company but I would imagine BMW are not best pleased.
What on earth are you talking about? The only things that this car will share with a Phantom is displacement and a market segment.


soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
What an ugly brute!

I wonder what updated headlights will look for the newer model?

myhandle

1,182 posts

173 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Looks great. Headlights do not seem to grate as they do on the saloon. I would guess that the Phantom-drophead colour scheme is no accident. The Mulsanne / Arnage have always been just slightly down the pecking order for ultimate limousines compared to the Phantom. The colour and general appearance of this car show that it is a direct rival for the Phantom, not a 9/10s substitute.

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
They nicked the wooden roof cover straight from the Phantom...but it looks quality.







Grand Convertible doesn't quite sound right to me. irked

daytona365

1,773 posts

163 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Why buy this, when a classic E30 cabriolet is likely just a few percent of the cost of this.........Thing.

British Beef

2,192 posts

164 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Nice vehicle if I was a retired richboy living in a sunny country, with wide empty roads.

None of those apply to me so Ill pass.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
I hate the cheese grater on the front. Not sure where Bentley are going lately...

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
This is a cue :


This is a queue :
This an autocue:

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
j1mmyb0y72 said:
So pleased you mentioned the elephant! Opened the pictures and was blown away by the sheer scale of the copy cat styling, not just the size of the car. Wondered if I was alone in thinking that, then read your last paragraph !

Davey S2

13,075 posts

253 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
daytona365 said:
Why buy this, when a classic E30 cabriolet is likely just a few percent of the cost of this.........Thing.
Because the doorman at the Hotel De Paris would spit on you if you pulled up in the Merc?

TIGA84

5,204 posts

230 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
daytona365 said:
Why buy this, when a classic E30 cabriolet is likely just a few percent of the cost of this.........Thing.
Why buy a Rolex Daytona, when a Swatch is likely just a few percent of the cost.................

xRIEx

8,180 posts

147 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
Davey S2 said:
daytona365 said:
Why buy this, when a classic E30 cabriolet is likely just a few percent of the cost of this.........Thing.
Because the doorman at the Hotel De Paris would spit on you if you pulled up in the Merc?
Merc?

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
xRIEx said:
Davey S2 said:
daytona365 said:
Why buy this, when a classic E30 cabriolet is likely just a few percent of the cost of this.........Thing.
Because the doorman at the Hotel De Paris would spit on you if you pulled up in the Merc?
Merc?

mrclav

1,281 posts

222 months

Thursday 20th November 2014
quotequote all
soad said:
xRIEx said:
Davey S2 said:
daytona365 said:
Why buy this, when a classic E30 cabriolet is likely just a few percent of the cost of this.........Thing.
Because the doorman at the Hotel De Paris would spit on you if you pulled up in the Merc?
Merc?
I think he read it as E300?

To be honest a Hotel de Paris doorman might actually be more likely to not spit on you driving an E300 rather than an E30...