It's common to treat the Bentley Azure and Ferrari F430 Challenge models that debuted at the Frankfurt motor show this week as simply two more colorful panels in the rich tapestry of the Canadian automotive scene, but that's a useless conceit.
We all know that we're likely not even going to see either of the two cars
in the flesh until they show up in 20 years as part of a classic car display. As for driving one, well maybe if you're an auto writer with nothing more useful to do or a car thief looking for a new dare.
So it makes sense just to offer you easy access to pictures of the two grotesquely expensive models and pass on some of the facts provided by the two car companies.
For its part, the Bentley arm of Volkswagen says the four-seat Azure will go on sale next spring as the "latest in a portfolio of wonderfully desirable 'dropheads' stretching back many decades" and in the process will "reaffirms Bentley's reputation as creator of the world's most elegant convertibles."
The production model was broadly hinted at during the LA auto show in January as the Arnage Drophead Coupé, and Bentley says the reception there convinced them to go ahead with the real thing shortly thereafter.
Like its predecessor, which was in production from 1995 to 2002, the new Azure becomes the flagship of the Bentley model range.
First and foremost, says the company, the design of the new Azure is "unmistakably Bentley. It shares its face with the current Arnage range and its platform ensures it seats four adults in supreme comfort. But it is also unmistakably unique."
Azure's entire cabin and rear section of the car are new, with "a stunning bespoke (i.e. customized) interior; the objective being to create an
opulent and inviting seating area that reflects its status as a car that is at home in Palm Springs or the Riviera."
The complex folding roof on the convertible operates hydraulically at the touch of a switch, and the three-layer fabric assembly is stowed beneath the hide-trimmed tonneau in less than 30 seconds.
A rigid body structure is said to be provided by the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V-8, the double-wishbone suspension and the rigid body structure of the Arnage.
Though the car will be hugely heavy, the V-8's 645 lb-ft of torque should move it along quite smartly.
The specification of the production Azure is unchanged from the concept car, except for the use of carbon-fibre under-floor cross braces that "contribute to the exceptional levels of body stiffness, benefiting refinement, ride and handling."
In addition, the chrome trimmed bumpers and sills of the show car are now body coloured with a delicate chrome trim that runs the length of the car.
Details of market availability and pricing will be released nearer the Azure's on-sale date.
As for the Ferrari F430, the V-8, berlinetta-derived competition will be taking part in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli next season.
We all know that we're likely not even going to see either of the two cars
 |
| Ferrari F430 Challenge |
So it makes sense just to offer you easy access to pictures of the two grotesquely expensive models and pass on some of the facts provided by the two car companies.
For its part, the Bentley arm of Volkswagen says the four-seat Azure will go on sale next spring as the "latest in a portfolio of wonderfully desirable 'dropheads' stretching back many decades" and in the process will "reaffirms Bentley's reputation as creator of the world's most elegant convertibles."
The production model was broadly hinted at during the LA auto show in January as the Arnage Drophead Coupé, and Bentley says the reception there convinced them to go ahead with the real thing shortly thereafter.
Like its predecessor, which was in production from 1995 to 2002, the new Azure becomes the flagship of the Bentley model range.
First and foremost, says the company, the design of the new Azure is "unmistakably Bentley. It shares its face with the current Arnage range and its platform ensures it seats four adults in supreme comfort. But it is also unmistakably unique."
Azure's entire cabin and rear section of the car are new, with "a stunning bespoke (i.e. customized) interior; the objective being to create an
 |
| Bentley Azure |
The complex folding roof on the convertible operates hydraulically at the touch of a switch, and the three-layer fabric assembly is stowed beneath the hide-trimmed tonneau in less than 30 seconds.
A rigid body structure is said to be provided by the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V-8, the double-wishbone suspension and the rigid body structure of the Arnage.
Though the car will be hugely heavy, the V-8's 645 lb-ft of torque should move it along quite smartly.
The specification of the production Azure is unchanged from the concept car, except for the use of carbon-fibre under-floor cross braces that "contribute to the exceptional levels of body stiffness, benefiting refinement, ride and handling."
In addition, the chrome trimmed bumpers and sills of the show car are now body coloured with a delicate chrome trim that runs the length of the car.
Details of market availability and pricing will be released nearer the Azure's on-sale date.
As for the Ferrari F430, the V-8, berlinetta-derived competition will be taking part in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli next season.