Bentley Motors to market its super-luxury cars Azure and Continental GTC in India

Mumbai: Bentley has unveiled the Azure and the Continental GTC in India.

Both cars are manufactured at the UK plant, and are to be imported via the CBU (completely built unit) route. They are priced at Rs3.8 crore for the Azure, and Rs2.1 crore for the Continental GTC (ex-showroom - Delhi).

Tthe cars are currently available through Delhi-based Exclusive Motors Pvt Ltd, which is the India partner of Bentley Motors.

According to Ian Hession, regional sales manager, Bentley Middle East Africa & India, "We come to India not by chance but with a plan and it''s the growing acceptance among discerning Indian connoisseurs for such high-priced, super-luxury vehicles that''s making us more confident about the market''s potential. We are positive that this is the market of the future."

While the Azure offers the ultimate glamour, sophistication and accommodation for adults in supreme comfort, the Continental GTC is designed for customers looking to enjoy the phenomenal performance, style and excitement of the Continental GT with the additional benefits of classic open-top Bentley motoring.

The new Bentley Azure, the flagship of the Bentley model range, is an elegant four-seater convertible that provides a powerful and refined open-top driving experience while offering a unique blend of classic Bentley design and craftsmanship.

The new Azure is the latest in a long line of much-admired Bentley convertibles, its design inspired by the 1955 Park Ward S1 Drophead Coupé and the original Azure introduced in 1995. Like its iconic predecessor, the new Azure reaffirms company''s status as the prime provider of four-seater convertibles at the very pinnacle of the market.

The design of the new Azure is, first and foremost, unmistakably Bentley. It shares its face with the current Arnage range and its platform ensures it seats four adults in supreme comfort.

The entire cabin and rear section of the car are newly designed, with a stunning tailored interiors; 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 is operated hydraulically at the touch of a switch: the impressive, three-layer fabric assembly being elegantly stowed beneath the hide-trimmed tonneau in under 30 seconds

The twin-turbocharged V8 engine, double-wishbone suspension and extremely rigid body structure of the Arnage provide a state-of-the-art basis for the new Azure. It is powered by a 450bhp (336Kw) version of the Arnage''s 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged intercooler V8 engine and produces 875Nm (645lb ft) of torque.

The Heart of the Continental GTC is its magnificent 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged, which propels the car to 60mph in 4.8 seconds. The Continental GTC is true driver''s car with immense power, superb handling and exceptional resultant performance, with a top speed of 195mph (312km/h).

It develops maximum torque of 479 lb-ft (650Nm) at 1600rpm, translating to an immediate sensation of power as the accelerator is touched. , the interior of the new Continental GTC provides an unrivalled standard of craftsmanship, utilizing natural wood veneers and leather hides of the finest quality, which are on full display when you lower the elegant, electro-hydraulically operated soft-top roof.

"The Azure & the Continental GTC are the most distinctive new Bentleys yet," explains Ian Hession, regional sales manager, Bentley Middle East Africa and India. They are very elegant and at the same time effortlessly modern. They will appeal to many different customers: people who are tired of driving sports cars that require too much effort; people who want to move up from more standard convertibles; and people who want to make a statement about what they drive, yet still own a car that they can use every day of the year.

According to Satya Bagla, managing director, Exclusive Motors, the Azure offers the ultimate glamour, sophistication and accommodation for adults in supreme comfort, while the Continental GTC is designed for customers looking to experience phenomenal performance, style and excitement of the Continental GT with the added benefits of classic open-top Bentley motoring.

Adding further, Ian Hession says, "They are very elegant and at the same time effortlessly modern. They will appeal to different customers: people who are tired of driving sports cars that require too much effort; people who want to move up from more standard convertibles; and people who want to make a statement about what they drive, yet still own a car that they can use every day of the year."