The Bentley Mulsanne was a full-size luxury car made by Bentley Motors from March 2010 to June 2020 and the company’s flagship throughout that time. Replacing the Rolls-Royce-based Arnage, it was Bentley’s first independently built car since the 8 Litre, and its end in 2020 also ended 61 years of continuous production of the 6¾-litre V8.
Bentley Mulsanne at a glance
| Maker | Bentley Motors, Crewe |
|---|---|
| Production | March 2010 – June 2020 |
| Type | four-door luxury saloon |
| Engine | 6.75-litre push-rod V8, twin turbocharged |
| Power | 505 hp and 1,020 N·m in standard form |
| Speed version | 530 hp and 1,100 N·m |
| Speed acceleration | 0–97 km/h in 4.8 seconds |
| Top speed | 296 km/h, or 306 km/h for the Speed |
| Wheelbases | standard and extended, the EWB with 250 mm more rear legroom |
| Assembly | hand built at Crewe |
| Predecessor | Bentley Arnage |
History of the Bentley Mulsanne
Project Kimberley
Development began in June 2005 under the internal codename Project Kimberley, inspired by the Kimberley diamond from South Africa. It was an unforeseen project: after Volkswagen bought Bentley, efforts had first gone into preserving the Arnage, and the forthcoming Continental Flying Spur was originally intended as the flagship’s successor. Bentley chairman Franz-Josef Paefgen rejected that idea and called for an entirely new car that kept two key elements of the Arnage: rear-wheel drive with the front axle centreline set well forward, and the 6.75-litre push-rod V8 with twin turbochargers. The styling was directed by the Belgian designer Dirk van Braeckel and the interior by Robin Page.
The Mulsanne was first shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2009, then at the Frankfurt show, the 2010 North American International Auto Show and the 2012 Qatar Motor Show. The first car, chassis 00001, was sold at the Gooding & Company auction at Pebble Beach in 2009 for $500,000 before buyer’s premium. Deliveries in England began in September 2010.
Engine and body
The 6.75-litre V8 was developed with Rolls-Royce and largely carried over from the Arnage, but revised to cut weight, raise power and improve efficiency: a new crankshaft, lighter pistons and conrods, and diamond-like carbon coatings on the pistons and gudgeon pins. In standard form it produced 505 hp and 1,020 N·m. The body mixed high-strength steel and aluminium and was hand built at Crewe, where the paint was hand sprayed, sanded and polished with lamb’s wool for twelve hours. The interior used solid walnut, cherry or oak as a base under a choice of veneers, with stone veneers also available, and the standard equipment included 20-inch wheels, air suspension, soft-close doors, four-zone climate control and a 14-speaker stereo.
Speed, Extended Wheelbase and Grand Limousine
The Mulsanne Speed of 2014 raised output to 530 hp and 1,100 N·m, cut the 0–97 km/h time to 4.8 seconds and lifted the top speed from 296 to 306 km/h, with a sports mode for the suspension and a dark-tinted matrix grille. The Extended Wheelbase of 2016 added 250 mm of rear legroom, airline-style extending legrests and a rear compartment sunroof. The Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner, also shown in 2016, was 1,000 mm longer with 79 mm more rear headroom, four rear seats and electrochromic glass between the front and rear compartments.
The end
Production stopped on 25 June 2020. The 6¾-litre V8, introduced in 1959 and heavily revised for the Mulsanne in 2010, could not be updated further to meet tightening emission rules, and no replacement for either the engine or the Mulsanne was planned: the third-generation Flying Spur took over as Bentley’s flagship.
Design and features
- 6¾-litre twin-turbo V8: 505 hp and 1,020 N·m in standard form, 530 hp in the Speed.
- Hand assembly: built at Crewe in a dedicated area, with hand-finished paint and veneers.
- Extended Wheelbase: 250 mm more rear legroom with extending legrests.
- Bentley’s own flagship: the first independently designed Bentley since the 8 Litre of 1930.
Bentley Mulsanne versions
- Mulsanne (2010–2020): the standard saloon, 505 hp.
- Mulsanne Speed (2014–2020): 530 hp, 1,100 N·m, 306 km/h.
- Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase (2016–2020): 250 mm more rear legroom.
- Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner (2016): 1,000 mm longer, with four rear seats.
- Special editions: Diamond Jubilee, Le Mans Edition, Shaheen and others.
The Mulsanne replaced the Arnage at the top of the range; the 1980 car of the same name is described on the Mulsanne Turbo page. More cars are in the Bentley collection.
Video: Bentley Mulsanne | GRIP #236
Video by GRIP – Das Motormagazin on YouTube.
Sources
- Bentley Mulsanne (2010), English Wikipedia: development, engine, Speed, EWB, Grand Limousine
- Bentley Mulsanne, French Wikipedia: launch, equipment, 6.75 Edition
