The latest in a line of increasingly posh spa-like amenities for automobiles captures the essence of the trend as beautifully as an aromatherapy best-seller. The company concerned is Bentley, and the amenity in question is the car itself. Bentley has come up with a spa on wheels. Just plug a recording of the surf off Big Sur into the Naim sound system and go. You’ll be more relaxed when you get there.
Reprising the name of its fragrance, Bentley calls the new series Azure, and it’s essentially a spa-oriented trim level. It will be available on all current Bentley production models, from the Bentayga to the Flying Spur to the Continental GT. With utmost comfort and relaxation as its overarching theme, Azure join the Speed and Mulliner specs in making Bentley vehicles a little extra special.
Powertrain details remain constant during this sedate departure from standard, of course. And, although the Azure variants will come with new wheels and a bit more chrome, the meaningful changes begin with the addition of Comfort Specification, trading out the 14-way adjustment and five massage modes for 22-way adjustment and six massage modes. Serenity begins with nixing the jarring, so Bentley’s Azure spec will buy drivers and their soon-to-be-serene passengers with the automaker’s active anti-roll system, and the Touring Specification suite of assistance features.
Beyond the mechanical, Bentley sources the halcyon in those classical spa necessities: texture, color, scent, touch, and sound; neuroscientists were consulted to make sure the elements hit just right. In keeping, the trim level adds ‘wellness quilting’ to upholstery, as well as various trim materials. And, perhaps, an aromatherapy diffuser.