January 6, 2005

Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe concept may go into production

Los Angeles, California - Bentley unveiled a new convertible concept car that may become the successor to the Azure convertible. The Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe is a four-seater convertible based on the 2005 Arnage sedan.

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The Arnage Drophead Coupe shares the same front end as the current Arnage but the entire cabin and rear section of the car are newly designed. Its new interior has been influenced by contemporary furniture design "that reflects its status as a car that is at home in Palm Springs or the Riviera," said the company.

"The 2005 Arnage range has been extensively re-engineered at significant cost and is a very modern, high-technology saloon. It is natural, therefore, that we would use this base to further our reputation as the pre-eminent builder of large, luxury convertibles in the world," said Bentley's chairman Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen. "If customer demand is there, it could go into production within a very short space of time - as early as Spring 2006."

The Arnage Drophead Coupe features a new streamlined convertible body style with raked windscreen and fully automated canvas roof that stows perfectly flush in 25 seconds. The cabin is wider in the front and rear than the Bentley Azure convertible, and it offers a pop-up roll bar for safety in the event of a rollover.

The Drophead Coupe shares the Arnage's platform, wheelbase and 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 450 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque.

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