The company"s engineers...

The company"s engineers have tried their usual trick of attempting to disguise the prototype with a Mercedes-style grille and headlamp cover, but it"s not difficult to see through the camouflage. That"s because, from the A-pillar forwards, the new convertible is identical to its coupнѓ© sibling, and therefore has the same visual impact.

One thing Bentley has managed to keep under wraps is the precise line of the newcomer"s hood. The black top visible in these pictures is not the production version, but a fake cover for the fabric roof.

A convertible was always included in the original GT Continental production plan, and this machine is the result of an intense development programme. Maintaining the coupнѓ©"s refinement is paramount, so the electric folding hood has been produced from the highest-quality material and acoustically tuned to virtually eliminate wind noise at speed.

Amazing performance is something Bentley drivers have come to expect, and the convertible won"t be compromised in any way. Powered by the same 6.0-litre W12 as the hard-top, the new model will develop 556bhp. That translates into 0-60mph in less than five seconds and a top speed of around 200mph.

Fans of the famous British marque demand an opulent cabin, too, so the drop-top will also feature the coupнѓ©"s high-quality interior. Although official details of the new model are still top- secret, it"s thought the car will resurrect the Azure badge, which was last used on Bentley"s Pininfarina-designed convertible, launched in 1995.

With sales of the hard-top booming, bosses hope the cabrio will be equally popular and lure buyers away from the Aston Martin DB9 Volante. The convertible is expected to go on sale in the UK next year, carrying a premium of about н‚бЈ15,000 over the coupнѓ©. This inflates the price to approximately н‚бЈ128,000.