Paris Motor Show 2008Paris Motor Show, 4-19th October 2008

Bentley Azure

If we were being unkind we could have pretty much filled this entire section with Bentleys, the famous British luxury brand not exactly light on the scales - every model in the range comfortably over 2,000kg. The Azure weighs in at 2,695kg, making it the most weighty drop-top you can buy - until Maybach starts deliveries of its Landaulet with its open rear section. Until then, the insanely wealthy will have to make do with the Azure, a slice of old-school British class with surprisingly up-to-date engineering - there are carbon-fibre strengthening braces under the floor for instance.

The Azure is out of the reach of all but the richest buyers, making it a rare beast indeed. Even so it's difficult not to be impressed with what Bentley has achieved with its big open-topped machine, it sprinting to 62mph in less than six seconds thanks to a hugely powerful 6.7-litre V8. It used to have the marketplace entirely to itself, but there's a new Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé to compete against it now, the new Rolls not exactly a flyweight itself...

Tuesday March 18

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