The range topping $300,000 Bentley Mulsanne super saloon is getting its first major update since its comeback in 2010.
Speaking to Auto Express at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said, “We will see Mulsanne developments at motor shows in 2014.”
According to the Auto Express report, the 6 and 3/4-liter, twin-turbo V8 will now produce close to 550 horsepower, up from 505 hp previously. The extra power should wrestle the 5,850-lb beast to 60 mph in less than five seconds; the current car manages that feat in 5.1 seconds.
The chassis is set to be “tweaked” as well, with measures taken to reduce weight and increase driving response. However, as far as we can tell, the puma-like front grill and exterior design will remain stubbornly similar to the 2010 car.
The high-performance Mulsanne is the second race-inspired Bentley to come out of the United Kingdom recently, as the stripped out, lightweight Continental GT3 made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month. Does the Mulsanne foretell a more performance-focused Bentley in the future? We hope so. The car is named after the Mulsanne Straight on the Le Mans racing circuit, after all.
“Bentley is on the move, the product is stronger than ever and there’s a new spirit around the company,” continued Dürheimer.
Earlier this year, Bentley announced a special edition Mulsanne to commemorate the company’s 95th anniversary. The Mulsanne 95 features a dark-tinted “Flying B” ornament, new 21-inch five-spoke wheels, and interior wood veneer taken from a 400-year old felled English walnut. Yes, one specific tree.
Because every car is hand-built, each model takes between nine and twelve weeks to produce.
We expect the high-performance Mulsanne to debut at one of the year-end auto shows, possibly the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October.
