Bentley Grand Convertible: the brand's prototype for the Los Angeles Auto Show

North America is one of the most important markets for Bentley, so the British brand usually reserves some national premieres for the various car shows in the region. It is less common for a world premiere to be kept for a US show, which is what will happen this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

There, the public will be shown the Bentley Grand Convertible, a prototype with which the manufacturer seeks to gauge public opinion on a possible spiritual successor to the Azure. If the last generation of this model took certain identity traits from the Arnage, the Grand Convertible comes even closer to the design of the Mulsanne on which it is based.

The main differences are the removal of the two rear doors, “hips” that are more prominent in the style of the Continental GTC, the replacement of the roof with a retractable soft top, and new wheels specially designed for this prototype. Returning to the points in common with the Mulsanne, the Grand Convertible borrows the cabin and the 6.75-litre V8 engine of the most luxurious saloon from Bentley.

These ingredients, together with exclusive details such as the larger area of wood used on one of its models (the convertible top cover), result in a convertible of enormous dimensions, very imposing but not overly slender, attributes that have never prevented the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé from achieving success.

The chief executive of Bentley, Wolfgang Dürheimer, states that if the Grand Convertible ends up convincing the Los Angeles Auto Show audience and the general public, the brand is prepared to build it in very limited numbers. For now, we will have to settle for waiting for photographs of the prototype at the Californian show.

Source | Bentley