Only 19 Bentley Grand Convertibles By Mulliner will be built. This bespoke beast for billionaires is based on the Mulsanne Speed, packing the same 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8. That 530 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque is put to luxurious good use in this huge convertible. All for just around a very frugal $3.5 million each.
It is possible that there could be more to it than that, however. Thanks to Shmee150 on YouTube, we’ve been given a peek at the Bentley Grand Convertible, and I think it could portend a potential regular production Bentley model. This car, as it sits, looks like it could be ready for production any day now. The wheelbase has been shortened by about 4 inches, and the rear doors have been scrubbed, as well as the hard roof. It’s a limited run super lux for the moment, but does it preview Bentley’s future large convertible model?
Bentley initially launched the Grand Convertible as a concept at the LA Auto Show way back in November of 2014. Allegedly they also showed a version of this car to potential clients at Pebble Beach a couple years ago. So, why has this car never reached production, and why are they only committing to a run of 19 now?
And why haven’t they been able to come up with a better name? It is a bit like they just called it the very first thing that came to their minds.
If this isn’t just a one-time deal, this could be something of a return to form for Bentley. They have a long history of large convertibles, all the way back to the W.O. Bentley days, through the gorgeous Park Ward Continental Drop Head of the 1950s, and the Rolls Corniche-based Continental Convertibles of the 1980s. I would love to see Bentley offering a full-sized luxury four-seater convertible again, something they have not done since MkII Azure production ended in 2009. As much as I like the Continental GTC, it’s nice to see Bentley potentially offering a big boy drophead again.
Hat tip to Carscoops!