Bentley Azure Review (2006 to date)

Quick Summary

Life doesn't get much better than a blue sky day and a Bentley Azure beneath you. Tracking down a well looked after car shouldn't be a problem. Paying for it, on the other hand…

Overall:

Models Covered:(2 dr convertible 6.7 petrol] )

RHAPSODY IN BLUE

When I was a teenager, I mapped out a number of benchmarks I needed to hit if I was to call myself successful. I wanted a Porsche by the age of thirty, a Ferrari by forty and a drop top Bentley when I was fifty. The Porsche never materialised, the Ferrari isn't likely to, but I'm still holding out hope for the Bentley. According to my calculations, I might be able to afford a used Bentley Azure but it might take a few things to swing in my favour. I'm currently combing the Telegraph lonely hearts for rich grannies.
Used Bentley Azure for sale

History of the Azure

The Bentley Azure started life as the rather clumsily titled 'Arnage Drophead Coupe', making its debut at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. Industry watchers who got to give the show car the once over were under no illusion that this was just the usual pie-in-the-sky showpiece. The engineering was just too good, the systems too integrated to be a one off. Too much resource had already been lavished on this car and it was clear that a production ready example was very close. 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.Fast forward top early 2006 and the first press drives of the Azure convertible were conducted. Priced at a heady £222,500, this car was unashamedly an opulent Bentley of the old school yet was endowed with many unexpectedly high-tech touches. In fact, the Azure kickstarted a root and branch revision of the Arnage line.
Used Bentley Azure for sale

Bentley Azure Road Test

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.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.
Used Bentley Azure for sale

Buying a Bentley Azure

The Azure is too new to have developed any significant faults so the usual rules apply when looking at a vehicle of this ilk. Give the wheels and tyres the once over and make sure that all electronic functions are operating. The hood is a particularly expensive piece of equipment so check for damage or discolouration. All major and minor service intervals should have been hit on the nose but it's likely your prospective Azure may not even have accumulated the mileage yet. An interim oil change is always a good sign of a diligent owner.
Used Bentley Azure for sale

Bentley Azure Typical Pricing

Used examples are vanishingly rare. Expect one of the early 2006 model year cars to change hands at or just above list price. Insurance, is if you need to ask, is a top rated Group 20.
Used Bentley Azure for sale

Bentley Azure Parts

(approx based on a 2006 Azure) Bentley spares prices certainly aren't cheap, although they are only slightly more than a number of far more prosaic manufacturers. The famed durability of Bentleys should also offset the cost of parts. A new radiator for an Azure is in the region of £550, whilst a starter motor retails at around £450. A headlamp costs around £500.
Used Bentley Azure for sale