Customized by Mulliner, this Bentley Continental GT Azure pays homage to the R-Type Continental
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For the 70th anniversary of the R-Type Continental, Bentley created a one-off of its modern equivalent, the Continental GT. In the Azure version, this luxury coupe sports a livery similar to the JAS 949 registered copy of this car sold in the 1950s.
Created by the Mulliner customization program, this one-off based on a Bentley Continental GT Azure is hand-painted in a body color called Old English White. This colorway is a recreation of the ivory shade of the R-Type Continental. The modern coupé receives shiny chrome elements, such as its grille. It sits on 22-inch black rims, hand-finished and polished.
A particularly refined interior
Bentley Continental GT Azure tribute to the Bentley R-Type ContinentalCredit Photo – Bentley
On board the Bentley Continental GT Azure inspired by the R-Type Continental, there is leather in the color of Cricket Ball combined with elements in the color of Beluga. The dashboard is partly made of varnished wood with open holes. The front seats are massaging and can be programmed to make micro-adjustments that reduce fatigue.
Up to 319 km/h in maximum comfort
Bentley Continental GT Azure tribute to the Bentley R-Type ContinentalCredit Photo – Bentley
Under its hood, this unique Bentley Continental GT Azure has a V8 4.0 TSI bi-turbo engine with direct injection. The engine generates nearly 550 horsepower and is mated to a ZF eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Equipped with all-wheel drive, the car can go from 0 to 100 km/h in four seconds, while its top speed reaches almost 319 km/h.
It is equipped with an active anti-roll system
Bentley Continental GT Azure tribute to the Bentley R-Type ContinentalCredit Photo – Bentley
For others, this one-off made from a Bentley Continental GT Azure embeds a 48V active anti-roll system to offer exceptional comfort to its cabin occupants. The car is configured with driving aids such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistant, night vision, head-up display or even traffic assistant. It is equipped with cameras and radars that constantly scan the surroundings.
The price of this Bentley Continental GT Azure one-off has not been specified at the time of writing these lines. Not for sale, the car is part of a fleet reserved by Bentley for the automotive press.
3 questions about this unique Bentlet
Bentley Continental GT Azure tribute to the Bentley R-Type ContinentalCredit Photo – Bentley
How was this modern Bentley inspired by an R-Type Continental?
Customized by the Crewe firm’s Mulliner department, this Bentley Continental GT uses the body color of a Bentley R-Type Continental registered JAS 949. This one-off also inherits a passenger compartment that is leather is colored Cricket Ball . The dashboard is partly made of varnished wood with open holes.
What is the engine of this Bentley Continental GT Azure?
Under the hood of this one-off inspired by an R-Type Continental, there is a V8 4.0 TSI twin-turbo engine. Its power rises to about 550 horsepower. This allows the luxury English coupé to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in four seconds, to reach a maximum speed set at around 319 km/h.
What price for this one-off based on a Continental GT Azure coming out in 2023?
Bentley has not specified a price for this one-off based on a Continental GT Azure. The manufacturer says the car joins its fleet of vehicles reserved for motoring journalists. I promise, if Bentley invites us to try it, we invite you.
In short
They are separated by 70 years, but they look alike. This Bentley Continental GT Azure is a one-off directly inspired by a Bentley R-Type Continental built in 1953. Customized by the Mulliner department, the car takes the body color of its ancestor, as does the styling of its cabin. So there is on-board upholstery in Cricket Ball colors and a varnished wooden dashboard. Under the hood, the 4.0 TSI twin-turbo V8 engine certainly has nothing to do with the R-Type Continental’s straight-six. But the two models share an attraction for performance. As a reminder, at its time, the R-Type Continental was the fastest four-seater sedan in the world.
