Yet this is precisely what has been achieved with the Bentley Mulsanne. Like a powerful athlete that is also a swift and graceful runner, it captures a unique fusion of power, elegance and sporting style.
The entire body is sculpted to create rich design contrasts. It appears to be solid, as if sculpted from a single block, yet simultaneously graceful and elegant. Solid yet sleek. Classic yet modern. The design is made to accommodate customised materials, not to reduce their usage. For example, the hand brazing of different thicknesses of steel is required to create that exclusive, seamless, flush-fit feeling. Imagine, for example, that it takes a full 45 minutes to braze one lengthy section of metal behind the rear doors.
By taking these extra steps, Bentley craftspeople can create a sleek work of art that further accentuates those classic British Bentley proportions: Sweeping lines flow into sporting, powerful haunches, hinting at capability in reserve. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No
Move up closer to the Bentley Mulsanne and you’ll recognise a familiar face, yet something is different. The large round LED headlamps are set closer to the grille while the running lights are staggered, echoing the configuration favoured on our 8 Litre car of 1930. “To achieve this look, we spent a lot of time studying iconic Bentleys over time – the Bentley 8 Litre, Flying Spur of the 1950s, Brooklands, Azure and Arnage were all touch points,” says Chief Exterior Designer Raul Pires. “We wanted a more sporting and distinctive Bentley look.”
Anyone who has experienced the effortless acceleration that arrives regardless of engine speed or gear selection will know just how astonishing the effect can be. With those objectives in mind, the Mulsanne’s engineers considered a variety of engine configurations before settling on a radically re-engineered version of Bentley’s acclaimed 6¾-litre V8.
Every major component from the forged crankshaft to the pistons are now designed for even better engine response.
To achieve a significant reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions plus improved refinement and torque, the Mulsanne’s V8 sees the introduction of two new control systems: Cam Phasing and, a first for the flagship motoring sector, Variable Displacement. Variable Displacement imperceptibly powers down four cylinders when cruising with a light load. The moment you press your foot down, however, it seamlessly brings all eight cylinders back into play.
The Mulsanne develops 512PS (505bhp / 377kW) while the massive torque (1020Nm / 752lb ft) is now delivered even earlier at 1750 rev/min. This dramatic ability to produce maximum torque from just above idle and then right through the rev range ensures that with a mere tap of the accelerator you are immediately rewarded with that characteristic deep, muffled V8 burble and relentless acceleration.
Technical
| 6752cc Twin-tubocharged V8 |
| 505bhp / 377kW / 512PS @ 4200rpm |
| 752lb-ft / 1020Nm @ 1750rpm |
| Cam phasing and variable displacement |
| 7.8:1 |
| EU 5 / LEV II |
| EU 95 to 98 RON | US/ROW 92 to 98 RON |
| Eight-speed automatic gearbox with electronic shift interface, sport mode and steering wheel mounted paddleshift. |
| Rear wheel drive |
| 184mph / 296km/h |
| 0 - 60mph | 5.1 seconds |
| 0 - 100km/h | 5.3 seconds |
| EU DRIVE CYCLE (EU drive cycle fuel consumption figures are provisional and subject to Type Approval) |
| 11.2mpg | 25.3 litres/100km |
| 24.0mpg | 11.8 litres/100km |
| 16.8mpg | 16.9 litres/100km |
| 393g/km |
| EPA DRIVE CYCLE (US EPA fuel consumption figures are pending certification and not currently available) |
| 11 Usmpg |
| 18 Usmpg |
| 13 Usmpg |
| 2585kg* |
| 3090kg* |
| 1535kg |
| 1640kg |
| 443L |
| 96L | 21.12 Gallons / 25.36 US Gallons |
| *subject to Type Approval |
| 5575mm | 18ft 3in |
| 2208mm | 7ft 3in |
| 1926mm | 6ft 4in |
| 1521mm | 5ft |
| 3266mm |
| 1615mm |
| 1652mm |
STANDARD
| Steel monocoque body structure with front and rear energy-absorbing crumple zones. |
| Aluminium closures |
| Superformed aluminium front wings |
| Aluminium bonnet |
| Aluminium doors with superformed structure and extruded aluminuim side impact beams. |
| Composite polymer bootlid housing fully concealed antennae systems. |
| Painted radiator shell with bright stainless steel matrix grille and 2-D bentley winged "B" badge. |
| Paintwork applied and polished by hand to mirror-finish. |
| Choice of 28 paint colours especially selected for Mulsanne. |
| Black matrix grille to lower bumper apertures. |
| Front wing vents with black matrix grille. |
| Polished stainless steel brightware to glass surrounds. |
| Polished stainless steel embellishers to doors and bumpers. |
| Door pillar finishers in steel with gloss black painted finish. |
| Polished stainless steel "Mulsanne" treadplates and commissioning plates. |
| Wide oval polished stainless steel exhaust tailpipes. |
| Twin bi-xenon projector headlamps with LED halo for supplementary main beam, light-sensing auto operation, daytime running light signature and integrated washer jest. |
| Floating-ellipse style, LED rear light clusters and discreet high-level stop lamp to rear screen. |
| Colour-keyed, electronically adjustable door mirrors with heating, power folding, reverse-dip, two memory positions, electrochromatic dimming and integrated puddle lamps. |
| Keyless entry system with chromed metal door handles and engine start button. |
| Soft close power latching to all doors for easy entry / exit. |
| Power boot lid operation with emergency releases inside boot and under rear seat. |
| Park distance control to front and rear with audible signal and graphics displayed via infotainment screen. |
| Hand selected leather to all trimmed surfaces including seating, fascia, console, door panels, door pillars, parcel shelf, cantrails, headlining, sunvisors, all stowage compartments and glovebox. |
| 25 'standard' colours in single tone or duo-tone combinations in four different styles (colour splits) allowing the customer to choose not just the colour scheme but the mood of the interior - from very elegant to sporty. |
| Specially developed, flat-cut and leather-bound carpet. Choice of 22 colours to match interior hide. |
| Set of four carpet overmats to match cabin carpet, leather bound and with polished stainless steel fixings. |
| choice of 23 seatbelt colours with buckles colour-matched to interior hides. |
| Veneer to fascia, continuous "Ring of wood" waistrails, centre console, rear centre armrest, and front and rear roof consoles in Burr Walnut, Dark-Stained Burr Walnut or Piano Black. Six further veneer species are available. |
| Bright finish interior fittings in polished stainless steel. |
| Unique, glass switchgear. |
| Driver's instrument panel featuring inverted, aviation-style dials for vehicle and engine speed; supplementary colour screen displaying a driver-configurable choice of navigation prompts, compass, infotainment, vehicle or trip information. |
| Minor gauges panel in centre fascia with fuel gauge, analogue clock with "Bentley Motors" inscription and coolant temperature gauge. |
| Concealed passenger-side map lamp. |
| Boot trimmed in leather and carpeted to match interior cabin with polished stainless steel sill plate. |
| Mulsanne 20" light-alloy wheels with 265x45xR20 tyres. |
| Double wishbone front suspension. |
| Multilink rear suspension with toe and brake reaction control. Uniquely developed for Mulsanne to handle extreme torque. |
| Electronically-controlled air springs with Continuous Damping Control (CDC) to continuously monitor and adjust the vehicle's damping, ensuring optimum control. |
| Automatic ride height control sensitive to speed and load. |
| Servotronic speed-sensitive power steering with two settings selectable by Drive Dynamics Control. |
| Drive Dynamics Control - four driver-selectable settings for CDC and power steering. |
| Three standard modes: Bentley, Sport and Comfort. |
| A fourth mode, Custom allows driver to 'tune' system to a preferred driving style. |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with ABS, traction control hydraulic brake assist, electronic brake prefill and automatic hill-hold control. |
| Twin-booster braking system with ventilated discs and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD). |
| Bentley" branded front brake callipers |
| Front brake discs: Two-piece assembly with 400mm diameter x 38mm thick iron disc and lightweight aluminium hub. |
| Rear brake discs: 370mm diameter x 30mm thick iron disc with lightweight aluminium hub. |
| Electronic Parking Brake with drive-away assist and hill hold feature. |
| Choice of tyre repair / inflation kit or spacesaver spare wheel and toolkit. |
| Intelligent driver's and front passenger air bag with front passenger air bag deactivation facility. |
| Head and thorax airbags fitted to front and rear seats. |
| Fitting to seats rather than car body ensures optimum positioning relative to occupants at all times as the airbag moves with you as you adjust the seat position. |
| 3-point seatbelts to front seats with electric height adjustment and memory function, pyrotechnic pre-tensioners and force limiters. |
| 3-point seatbelts to outer and centre rear seats with pyrotechnic pre-tensioners and force limiters to outer seats. |
| Rear seat ISOFIX child seat fixings with top tether points. |
| Direct tyre pressure monitoring system with provision for speed related warning. |
| Vehicle Immobiliser & Interior volumetric alarm system. |
| Battery conditioner with magnetic trickle charging point concealed in rear registration plate recess. |
| 12V power sockets located in glovebox, rear centre armrest and boot in addition to cigar lighter sockets in front and rear cabin. |
| 8" high-resolution colour screen to display infotainment and vehicle systems information. Automatically concealed behind veneered panel when not in use. |
| Central Multi Media Interface (MMI) rotary controller with convenience keys for instant access to main system menus of: Navigation, Telephone, Radio, Media (including TV when fitted), Tone, Information and Car systems. |
| 60GB hard disc drive unit fitted in glovebox with 20 GB of personal storage space, single slot DVD drive and 2 xSD card readers. Includes inbuilt Gracenote database that displays artist/album/song names from CDs. |
| 6xCD changer fitted in glovebox. |
| Voice control for all major systems and operations. |
| Satellite navigation system integrated in vehicle's hard disc, ensuring fast route calculation. |
| Four map configurations including 3-D topographical maps and city views and day/night display modes. |
| Mulsanne audio system with 12 speakers and two subwoofers, powered through six channels with digital sound processing. |
| Full iPod® and MP3 player compatibility including full-colour album art display. |
| Unique, hide-lined iPod® drawer, with integrated connector, designed for storage and connection of multimedia devices. Supplied with four fly-leads with connectors for iPod® / iPhone®, USB, Mini USB and 3.5mm auxiliary |
| Digital radio (DAB) or satellite radio (SDARS) depending on market. |
| Telephone system with Bluetooth wireless connectivity. |
| Cordless telephone and cradle mounted in front armrest with SIM card reader in hard drive unit (rSAP) (Except North America or Japan). |
| Front seats with 12-way electrical adjustment, including lumbar support, two memory positions, easy entry/exit function and adjustable heating |
| Front passenger seat - full adjustment from rear cabin. Controls housed in rear centre armrest |
| Two-plus-one rear seat configuration with 8-way electrical adjustment to outboard seats, including lumbar support, two memory positions and adjustable heating |
| Four-zone air conditioning including additional rear cabin A/C unit with front and rear controls for fan speed and temperature |
| Traditional, polished stainless steel bullseye air vents & organ stop controls |
| Four-spoke, hide trimmed, multi-function steering wheel with electric adjustment for tilt and reach with two memory positions, easy-entry function and paddle shift |
| Twin front centre armrests with hide-lined storage and cordless telephone handset. |
| (Telephone handset not available in North America and Japan) |
| Electrical height adjustment for front seatbelts with two memory positions |
| Cruise control |
| Electrochromatic auto dimming interior rear view mirror with on/off button |
| Remote-controlled three-button garage door opener integrated in roof console |
| (Standard in North America, cost option in rest of world) |
| Rain sensing windscreen wipers |
| Sentinel headlamp functions |
| Folding rear centre armrest console with controls for seating and air conditioning and leather-lined stowage compartment with 12 V socket |
| Remote control with dedicated stowage in centre console for rear-seat control of main infotainment system including Navigation |
| Power windows with one-touch operation and anti-trap protection |
| Acoustic glazing with infra red reflective interlayer (except front screen to allow use of mobile communications and toll readers) |
| Electrically operated privacy blinds for rear windows and rear screen, controlled from front or rear cabin with one-shot operation and anti-trap |
| Twin adjustable front cupholders |
| Twin hand-crafted rear cupholders with dedicated stowage |
| Front and rear cabin cigar lighters and solid metal ashcans in rear doors |
| Hide-lined glovebox with illumination and 12 V power socket |
| Leather-bound owner's handbook housed in dedicated stowage shelf within glovebox |
| Document stowage compartments to front seatbacks |
1:40 PM
Mnz
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