(FORTUNE Magazine) – Cruising through the streets of Manhattan in a $339,000 Bentley Azure convertible, the world's most expensive car for the 1998 model year, you get a little taste of what it's like to be famous. Everyone looks and points. "Yo," says one construction worker wearing a sleeveless red T-shirt that says I HATE EVERYONE. "I'll trade my shirt for that car."

You can't fault him for trying. The Azure is fast (its V-8 engine takes it from 0 to 60 in 6.3 seconds), if a bit inefficient (13 miles per gallon). And of course, it's flagrantly luxurious: Lamb's-wool carpeting, a "burr walnut" interior, and an eight-speaker sound system are standard. Then there's the automatic climate control that is so consistent that you can drive from, say, Acapulco to Anchorage in uninterrupted comfort without ever having to touch a button.

Still, what really sets the Azure apart is that it's infinitely customizable. "Business theme" Azures can be outfitted with extra phones, a fax machine, laptop computers, and such. Having TV/VCRs installed in the headrests is popular among more laid-back customers who opt for an "entertainment theme." Or if your driving skill leaves something to be desired, you can have a video camera mounted on the car's rear fender that's hooked up to a monitor in the foot well--you can't be too careful when you're backing a third of a million dollars' worth of exquisite ragtop into a tight parking space.

--Ed Brown