Bentley Mulsanne (2010)
Encyclopedia
The new Bentley Mulsanne is a high-end luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited
in the United Kingdom
. The name is derived from Bentley's historical racing pedigree, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
— the Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racing circuit where cars reach their highest speeds.
, on 16 August 2009. The car is expected to go on sale during 2010. Coupe
and convertible
variants are expected to follow at some point as replacements for the Arnage-based Brooklands
and Azure
respectively.
It was confirmed at time of launch, that the car will retain the iconic 6.75 L (6750 cc/411 in³)
V8 engine
, albeit heavily modified to meet Euro V emissions regulations. To achieve the CO2 and emissions reduction as well as improved fuel consumption, the re-designed engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing.
The Mulsanne is also notable as it is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years; the last being W.O. Bentley's iconic 8 litre model in 1930.
premium audio system complete with MP3
compatibility, with Bluetooth and an advanced MMI capability.
The first vehicle produced has already been sold at an auction at the Pebble Beach event for $550,000.
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The name is derived from Bentley's historical racing pedigree, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
— the Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racing circuit where cars reach their highest speeds.
Legacy and significance
Bentley's new flagship model which brings back the Mulsanne name, and will replace the Arnage, was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'ElegancePebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is an automotive charitable event held each year on the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California, considered the most prestigious event of its kind. It is the finale of a week long festival of classic cars events in the Monterey area every year...
, on 16 August 2009. The car is expected to go on sale during 2010. Coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
variants are expected to follow at some point as replacements for the Arnage-based Brooklands
Bentley Brooklands
The Bentley Brooklands is a full-size luxury car introduced for 1992 as a replacement for the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight models. It was intended as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Bentley Turbo R, featuring the same styling, underpinnings and the Rolls-Royce 6.75 litre V8...
and Azure
Bentley Azure
The Bentley Azure is a large, four seater convertible built by Bentley Motors Limited at its factory in Crewe, England. The model debuted in 1995 on the Continental platform and was produced in its original guise until 2003. A completely new version powered by a significantly updated engine and...
respectively.
It was confirmed at time of launch, that the car will retain the iconic 6.75 L (6750 cc/411 in³)
Rolls-Royce V8 engine
In the history of Rolls-Royce automobiles, only two distinct series of V8 engines have been produced. The first powered the 1905 "V-8" model and was made in very small numbers. The second was developed in the 1950s and was known internally as the "L Series" of engines...
V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, albeit heavily modified to meet Euro V emissions regulations. To achieve the CO2 and emissions reduction as well as improved fuel consumption, the re-designed engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing.
The Mulsanne is also notable as it is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years; the last being W.O. Bentley's iconic 8 litre model in 1930.
Pricing and features
The price of the car in the United Kingdom will start from £220,000, including taxes and delivery charges. It is estimated that each car will take nearly nine weeks to build and customers will have a choice of 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides, and be able to specify a custom colour scheme. Additionally, the car will have far more advanced technology compared to the Arnage, and can be specified to feature a NaimNaim Audio
Naim Audio is a British manufacturer of high fidelity audio products for domestic use, based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom.-History:...
premium audio system complete with MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
compatibility, with Bluetooth and an advanced MMI capability.
The first vehicle produced has already been sold at an auction at the Pebble Beach event for $550,000.
Executive Interior Concept
Recently shown at the 2011 LA Auto Show, the Executive Interior Concept (EIC) contains many technologies commonly found in offices to assist executives while on the road. The rear passenger area features 3 LCD screens powered by a Mac mini located in the trunk, with additional Ipads in fold out trays connected thru bluetooth keyboards. Additional features include in-car wifi, Ipods with docking stations, and integration of the many devices to the car's Naim audio system.External links
- Bentley Motors Limited — International corporate portal
- Bentley Motors (United Kingdom)
- Bentley Mulsanne website