We now have more details and shots of the new Bentley Mulsanne, adding on to the exterior shots we’ve already seen when it was unveiled at Pebble Beach. The Mulsanne was previously known as the New Grand Bentley when it was being teased and building one takes nine weeks of extensive work.
There are acres and acres of wood in the interior, bordering on excessive but you can get away with this if you use real wood instead of the fake stuff. The wood surrounds the entire interior as a ‘ring of wood’.
You can’t just throw wood at every possible interior panel and have it look expensive. There’s a certain art to it – material design, smell, colour harmony, they all play a part in whether the human brain perceives something as luxurious.
Those seats look really comfortable and can be wrapped with a virtually unlimited selection of leather shades. There are 24 standard colours, but you can also customise this, so don’t be surprised if someone like Ms Hilton orders a pink Bentley with pink leather. The steering wheel itself takes 15 hours to hand-stitch, and this gets as long as 45 hours if the customer wants cross-stitching.
Every kind of in-car entertainment that you could potentially want is there – a 14 speaker premium audio system (Naim 20-speaker system optional), 6-CD changer, 40 GB drive, 8 inch LCD (stored behind an electrically operated veneered door), etc.
Under the hood is a 6.75 litre V8 engine producing 512 PS and a massive 1020 Nm of torque, which peaks at a very low 1,800rpm. Yes, the car is large and heavy, but imagine 4 digits of torque kicking in at just over idle? The engine is mated to a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission, likely to be similiar to the unit in the Ghost and the 760Li. For the first time in a Bentley, there are steering wheel mounted gearshift controls.
Look after the jump for hi-res photos of the Mulsanne.
Engine
Type: Twin-turbocharged V8
Installation: Front, longitudinal, rear-wheel drive
Construction: Alloy heads and block
Capacity: 6750cc
Power: 512PS / 505bhp / 377kW
Torque: 1020Nm / 752 lb ft
Transmission
Type: Rear-wheel-drive
Gearbox: ZF 8-Speed automatic
Body & Chassis
Length: 5562mm (219.49in)
Width: 1926mm (75.80in)
Height: 1526mm (60.01in)
Wheelbase: 3266mm (128.60in)
Front Track: 1605mm (63.20in)
Rear Track: 1651mm (65.00in)
Wheels / tyres (standard): 9J x 20in. with 265/45 ZR 20 tyres
(option): 9J x 21in. with 265/40 ZR 21 tyres
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
First. These cars, I cant even dream about.
wish i got the wealth that earn me to buy one of it.
I still honestly think that this is one of the ugliest Bentley I ever seen.
I didn't say its no good though.
damn i hate that "clown face" look at the front end..it just takes away the serious business this car has to offer.
man seriously it just looks stupid from the front…ughhh
damn i hate that "clown face" look at the front end…it just takes away the serious business this car has to offer
im more interested with the monstrous torque..i can forget the clown face when driving this car.
5000 rpm? what a jerk!
Wow, nice car.
Well you don't see the front when you're IN the car. I suppose thats good enough.
They could certainly teach an old dog new tricks. That 6 3/4 litre engine has been around for a good part of 4 decades.
Bentley "Insane" is what they should call it.. ^^
Btw, the headlights look like a torchlight to me.
what i can see is just an EXPENSIVE car. other than that, it is just too UGLY to drive!
This car should be driven to 'arrive'.
Do you want to arrive in a clown looking limo…anyone?
Than you should've arrive at a circus, or a disneyland!
fugly with style..
Haha,it looks like this
—————————————–
l ________________________________ l
l o O l I AM A UGLY CLOWN l O o l
l l l l l l
l —————————- l
l __________________________________________ l
l l l l l l
l ———————————– l
Front of the car
why didnt use the w12 engine ?
front end design with the shoulder looks odd , they should learn from how RR designed the phantom.
the wheels are too bling . and i am quite sure soon , miss paris hilton will come out with her barbie mulsanne.
Why they are copying the RR Phantom's dashboard?