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BENTLEY MULSANNE LIMO RETURNS

BENTLEY MULSANNE LIMO RETURNS

Bentley * August 20, 2009

PEBBLE BEACH, CA -- This is the first photo of Bentley's all-new Mulsanne limo that made its world debut at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in California last weekend. The Mulsanne won't align as the third model range for Bentley but is an effective replacement for the 11-year-old Arnage flagship saloon.

Huge circular lights are outstanding design cues.

The Mulsanne isn't a new name; it was last used during 1980-1992 for the saloon preceding the Brooklands. While the old Mulsanne was developed alongside the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Silver Spur, this new one has nothing in common with RR and is developed under VW Group ownership.

Bentley is already taking deposits for the 2011 Mulsanne in the U.S. market and will roll out its new flagship on a dealer tour that runs from early September through November.

The Mulsanne tour begins at Bentley's California dealerships and then will hit Texas, Miami, Chicago, Detroit and New York through November. The tour will not include test-drives of the car. The Mulsanne will go on sale here in summer 2010, just behind the car's spring launch in Europe.

The most outstanding design element of the new Mulsanne is the large circular headlights. Rolls-Royce, in contrast, employs small rectangular lights in its Phantom rival. The rest of the Mulsanne's looks generally comply with Bentley's design philosophy. The rear end, for instance, is unmistakably from the smaller Continental. The interior, meanwhile, exudes the usual opulence of an exotic limo.

The technical details are said to be kept secret until the car makes another showing in Frankfurt next month. Although Bentley has access to VW tech, sources say the Mulsanne is most likely to retain the 50-year-old 6.75-litre V8 engine block, albeit tweaks to meet today's emission standards. Power is said to be rated at around 500 hp.

The Mulsanne will be made as a saloon first to compete with the RR Phantom and Maybach. Coupe' and cabriolet silhouettes may follow later to match the Phantom Coupe' and Drophead respectively. As well, there will be a stretched limo which the Phantom and Maybach have.

The Mulsanne goes on sale in mid-2010 and shouldn't be priced as lavishly as the Phantom. High import duties in many countries will deter Rolls-Royce and Bentley from making a sales comeback of new models.

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