Just in case you were questioning Bentley’s performance credentials (we weren’t), yesterday in Crewe, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer announced the addition of a new Speed version of their top-of-the-marque luxury sedan, the Mulsanne.
The Mulsanne Speed honors its namesake the Mulsanne straight at LeMans by becoming the fastest four-door ultra-luxury sedan on the road. With a 6.75 liter twin turbo V8 engine that makes 530 horsepower, the Mulsanne Speed rockets from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and is capable of reaching a top speed of 190 miles per hour. To ensure the driver can take advantage of the engine’s massive 811 lb-ft of torque, the Mulsanne Speed features an updated 8-speed transmission with a sport-mode which while driving keeps the revs above 2,000 rpm so there’s no turbo lag upon acceleration. The chassis and suspension have also been modified for performance driving with an adjustable air system that lets you toggle between sport and comfort modes depending on how you’re driving.
But performance is just one-half of the equation in the Bentley success story. The car’s interior is hand-crafted with the finest woods, leathers, metals and other materials. Their signature diamond quilting adds a touch of luxury to the door panels and seating surfaces. And the available piano black veneer panels provide a strong contrast to the two-tone leather, accentuating the Mulsanne Speed’s sporting feel.
The interesting thing is that this more powerful Mulsanne is also more efficient than its predecessor. Bentley employes cylinder deactivation technology similar to that of the Corvette to achieve an amazing 28.4 EPA miles per gallon rating on the highway.
The Mulsanne Speed also features four exclusive paint schemes that include Spectre – black with a heavy gold metallic and hint of green; Candy Red – deep, rich and liquid; Camel – golden sand tone with a bright metallic highlight and butterscotch mid-tones; and Marlin – a rich blue with a hint of green.
The Mulsanne Speed will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show on October 2 and available for purchase later in the year. No pricing information is available at this time.
