Bentley Azure news - Bentley Azure T - 2008

How does Bentley do it? How can the boys from Crewe release a 500bhp, two-and-a-half tonne convertible without being firebombed by the militant wing of Greenpeace?

This is the Azure T, the latest, most powerful iteration of Bentley's giant convertible set to debut at the LA Auto Show next week.

Whereas the stock, understated, everyman Azure puts out a meagre 450bhp and 645lb ft of torque from its twin-turbo 6.75-litre V8, the T gets a power jump up to 500bhp and a massive 747lb ft of torque. That means the 0-60mph time drops to 5.2 seconds, with top speed extended to a frightening 179mph. In a car slightly larger than Luxembourg.

And, since we're going to have to mention them at some point, let's get the two worst stats out the way: 14mpg and 465g/km. At least, erm... nope, there's nothing redeeming about those numbers. Those numbers are not good.

A better number, however, is 28. That's the number of different types of leather you can choose from for the interior of your Azure T, along with diamond quilting, spun aluminium fascias and a whole range of woods which presumably housed exotic and rare animals in their previous life as trees.

To make sure everyone knows you're driving the T, you also get new 20-inch alloys (and if you want to get a sense of just how giant the Azure is, look at how modest they seem in proportion to the rest of the car), revised grilles and grates and new tailpipes. The overall effect is still that of a luxurious country estate on wheels.

The only number we're still waiting on is likely to be a big 'un: the price. An educated guess would be somewhere in the £250,000 region. Which leaves the multimillionaires of the world with a tough choice: Bentley Azure T... or Iceland? Tricky one...