Bentley Grand Convertible revealed – it’s a Mulsanne Convertible

The Bentley Grand Convertible has been revealed ahead of a debut at the LA Auto Show as a Mulsanne Convertible sitting on a shortened wheelbase.

It’s two years since the Bentley Mulsanne Convertible was floated by Bentley, but it’s finally got round to publicly displaying a concept – at this week’s LA Auto Show – of what they’ve dubbed the Bentley Grand Convertible.

Basically a Mulsanne with a soft-top, the Grand Convertible is “The ultimate expression of the British luxury automobile” and, say Bentley, a signal for Bentley’s future intentions. But having taken two years to deliver the Grand Convertible as a ‘Concept’, it seems highly unlikely it’s anything other than a production-ready model.

Finished in a fetching shade of Sequin Blue – a colour originally developed from a single sequin from a client’s gown – the Grand Convertible also gets its bonnet and windscreen frame painted in contrasting silver ‘liquid metal’ and hand-polished alloys.

Perhaps the most stand-out feature is the huge tonneau behind the back seats, made from book-matched, mirror-finished, dark-stained burr walnut, it’s the largest lump of wood veneer ever fitted to a Bentley and comes with parallel lines of chromed steel.

Inside it’s a leather extravaganza, with 14 linen-coloured hides creating a diamond quilted finish with the pattern changing over the seats and doors, with sequin blue stitching creating highlights and Beluga leather on the door tops and reaching round to the tonneau creating contrast.

Under the bonnet is the Bentley 6¾-litre twin-turbo V8 delivering enough performance to get anywhere quickly, with a potent 530bhp and a 811lb/ft mountain of torque.

Wolfgang Dürheime, Bentley CEO, said:

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.

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.

The Bentley Grand Convertible will be on show at the LA Auto Show this week – before heading off to Miami for Art Basel – as Bentley guage its reception.

But we’ll be astonished if the Grand Convertible doesn’t arrive as a production model in 2015.