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2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible

There are few things in this world I enjoy more than an enthusiastic drive down tree-lined backroads on a warm summer evening. If you're familiar with the geographic location of Detroit, you won't be shocked to learn that we don't have the sort of very-involving roads found all throughout California and other gorgeous parts of the country, but we still have some stretches of pavement that can be pretty darn fun when driven in the right car. The vast majority of our scenic roads, however, are of a more relaxed nature. And that's why, despite my tendency to prefer high-strung hot hatches above all, I will never say no to a big, fast convertible during the warm season.
As far as said big, fast convertibles go, perhaps none is more exquisite than the 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible, pictured here in the striking shade of St. James Red. Not long after returning from my trip across the pond to drive Bentley's V8-powered Flying Spur sedan, I was given the chance to sample another one of its eight-cylinder wares, this one carrying less heft, offering a smidge more power, and, oh yeah, a roof that neatly stows behind the rear seats.
As luck would have it, the weather for my Conti weekend was the absolute definition of perfection. And so I took to those sweeping, tree-lined roads way outside of Detroit to see how this Bentley's "S" badge improves upon the lovely GT V8 Convertible I drove last year. Hard work, but somebody's gotta do it.

5 unused, unregistered Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousines for sale

It's not unheard of for a car with extremely low miles to appear for sale years after it was built. In some unusual cases, they might not even be registered. But what's truly bizarre is for a whole group of five cars reappearing for sale having never been registered. And even more so when they're five unique examples of the Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine, a car that had to be specially ordered from the company. And yet, that's exactly what Bentley Emirates is offering. Bentley the company has said that the five stretched Mulsannes were delivered, but never used or registered. It's not completely clear whether they were ordered by one person, five individuals, or maybe even the dealer. We've reached out for details and will update when we have clarification. No matter what, it's unfathomable that such cars would be ordered and never used. Though pricing was never announced, they can't have been cheap. Can you imagine dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on something and never using that thing? Anyway, here's a quick refresher on the Mulsanne Grand Limousine. Bentley said the first cars were built in 2015, and the model made its public debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Obviously, the most distinct part of the car was its length, just over three feet greater than a standard Mulsanne, itself a large machine. Overall height also increased by three inches. This made room for an additional set of rear-facing seats behind the fronts. The divider behind the front seats has electrochromic glass to provide privacy. A bottle cooler, champagne flutes, a soft-drink cabinet and tumblers are all included, and there are fold-out tables on which to rest said glasses. One of the five cars is pictured above in the same Silver Frost over Moroccan Blue paint scheme as the Geneva show car. The other four each have their own color schemes: Damson over Black Crystal, Onyx over Candy Red, Rubino Red over Light Gazelle and a single-tone Black Sapphire. So you have options. Pricing for these cars hasn't been announced. But you surely can't afford one if you have to ask. Also, while the cars are for sale in the United Arab Emirates, the dealer will ship to anywhere in the world. Related Video:

Bentley producing Grand Convertible in grandiose exclusivity

The Googology wiki that celebrates numbers has entries for 42, 151, SpongeBob's Number, and Three Hundred Billion Gazillion. The wiki has no entry for the number 19, which means it doesn't commemorate Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen," Paul Hardcastle's song "19," or the official production run of the Bentley Grand Convertible. That's right, the abundant and abundantly luxurious Mulsanne-based Grand Convertible will arrive on public roads in 2019. However, Bentley plans just 19 examples of the droptops, and none of them will come to America; only Europe, the Middle East, and Russia have deemed the Grand Convertible roadworthy. Retail price for the Grand Convertible, as if you could buy one in the store, is said to start at $3.5 million - roughly ten times more than the recently-facelifted Mulsanne Speed donor vehicle. ( YouTube gearhead Shmee150 captured the new production look in video taken this month at the Bentley showroom in Dubai.) Actual prices will surely run much higher since Bentley's Mulliner division will oversee the builds. That means custom two-tone colors, shape-shifting diamond quilting inside, Beluga leather, color-matched contrast stitching, and a Burr Walnut tonneau that's the largest veneer ever used on a Bentley. All of that comes before appending every fanciful option an owner consents to fund. Why the wee production run, when Bentley could certainly sell more than 19 specimens? Walter Owen Bentley founded his car company in August, 1919. Even though Walter's first Bentley 3-Litre didn't arrive until 1921, the 19 Grand Convertibles honor the centenary of the company's official founding. Bentley foreshadowed the minuscule production last year, though in a different guise: in March 2016, when Bentley CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer suggested the return of the Azure convertible, the boss said a potential Azure "would be built in [a batch of] 20 units and sold to absolute connoisseurs at a very high price." Give or take a digit, sounds like promises kept. Related Video: