Inspired by decades of elegant design and constructed by hand with traditional coach building methods, Bentley’s Grand Convertible concept is a convertible like no other. Featuring a distinctive, subtle exterior with squared curves, wood accents, and bi-tone coloring, the Grand Convertible invokes everything you’ve come to love about Bentley without causing a scene. It’s the perfect example of understated luxury.
The Bentley Grand Convertible is merely a concept car — for now. Bentley is currently showing off the elegant roadster in the hopes of assessing interest in a broader launch. Says CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer:
“We are eagerly awaiting the response of our customers to this car. We will ensure that this car — if it reaches the roads – will be a highly exclusive, extremely limited collector’s piece. This concept demonstrates Bentley’s ability to create a pinnacle convertible Grand Tourer, while embodying elegance beyond compare. With this car we combine the opulent Mulsanne experience with the full sensory indulgence of open-air touring, continuing to unite luxury and performance in new ways.”
Performance and Luxury Combined
There’s more to the Grand Convertible than looks. The car has its foundation in the Bentley Muslanne Speed, and includes a 530-horsepower V8 engine that generates an unstoppable 811 lb-ft of torque. The 6.75-liter twin-turbo engine makes the Bentley Grand Convertible more than a collector’s car designed to sit in a garage; this is a luxury roadster that begs to be driven.
The interior is lush with features and highlights you’d expect from the Bentley name. Luxurious seating with lofted diamond quilting (hand-stitched, of course), a cutting-edge driver information system, and elegant trim combine to make the Grand Convertible feel like the pinnacle of luxury. The roadster comfortably seats four adults thanks to its open cabin and yacht-like design. You’ve never driven anything quite like the Grand Convertible.
The Road to Production
According to Bentley, the new Grand Convertible is currently production ready. In other words, if consumers seem like they’re interested and Bentley feels as though the market is ready, we could be seeing Grand Convertibles on the road sooner rather than later (though not many, if Bentley’s commitment to exclusivity holds true). Though “no final decision has been made,” according to Bentley North America spokesman Corey Proffitt, Bentley is paying close attention to the reception the Grand Convertible receives during its promotional tour.
The real question, of course, is “who would buy the car?” With most auto buyers focusing on pickup trucks and affordable commuter cars, Bentley faces a tough challenge in introducing what will most likely be an expensive luxury convertible in a market that’s already fairly niche and competitive. The closest competitor to the Grand Convertible is likely the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, which means Bentley could be aiming directly at Rolls Royce rather than at other more affordable brands (with an MSRP of around $500,000, the Phantom shouldn’t be hard to undercut).
Regardless of market forces and competitors, the Grand Convertible could also help round out Bentley’s offerings by becoming its marquee convertible. Execs must be hoping that the full production of a dedicated ultra-luxury convertible can flush out some new customers and increase the automaker’s overall market share. Rolls Royce has essentially dominated this space for decades without challenge; the Grand Convertible might be Bentley’s first salvo in a full-on market war.
Bentley isn’t resting on its laurels with the Grand Convertible. The company is also working on a mostly-secret SUV project, which will add additional layers to Bentley’s sales strategy and open it to and even larger selection of high-end customers. Unfortunately, the only thing we can do now is wait to see where Bentley decides to go.
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