[2] Pininfarina assisted in the two-year process of turning the Continental R into a full four-seater convertible, and also built the shell and soft-top at their factory in Italy, largely from parts sourced in the UK.

[3] At 210 in (5,340 mm) in length and 2,608 kg (5,750 lb) in weight, the Azure often surprised onlookers with its size and bulk, intended to both convey a sense of "presence" and allow for comfortable seating of four adult passengers.

[4] By the time production began in earnest, a new engine management system from Zytek meant a slight power increase to 390 PS (287 kW; 385 hp) at 4,000 rpm and 750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) of torque at 2,000 rpm; power was routed to the rear wheels via a modified, General Motors sourced, four-speed 4L80-E automatic transmission.

Owing to the limited space and workforce at Bentley's Crewe factory, the Azure's electrically powered convertible top made from thick fabric was designed and manufactured by Pininfarina, which significantly added to the vehicle's cost.

Now based on the Arnage platform, power came from the then-current variant of the Bentley twin-turbocharged V8 rated at 456 PS (335 kW; 450 hp) and 875 N⋅m (645 lb⋅ft) of torque.

Volkswagen was thus forced to significantly re-work the "original" 6.75-liter Rolls-Royce/Bentley V8 in 2001, including a switch from the old single-turbo system to a modern twin-turbocharger setup, reducing turbo-lag and increasing horsepower output.

Bentley claims a 0 to 97 km/h acceleration time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph), slightly faster than the previous model and still very good for a vehicle of this size and weight.

Styling changes include 8.5J x 20-inch five-spoke, two-piece alloy wheels with 255/40 ZR20 Pirelli P Zero tyres, 'Le Mans' lower front wing air vents, dark-tinted upper and lower grilles, 'jewel' fuel filler cap (made from billet aluminium) and wing mirror mountings finished in body colour.

However, at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, Bentley unveiled a concept car built on the Mulsanne platform that followed the same formula as the two generations of the Azure that proceeded it.