The new
Bentley Mulsanne is a high-end luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom. The name is derived from Bentley's historical racing pedigree, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — the Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racing circuit where cars reach their highest speeds.
Bentley's new flagship model which brings back the Mulsanne name, and will replace the Arnage, was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, on 16 August 2009. The car is expected to go on sale during 2010. Coupe and convertible variants are expected to follow at some point as replacements for the Arnage-based Brooklands and Azure respectively.
It was confirmed at time of launch, that the car will retain the iconic 6.75 L (6750 cc/411 in³) V8 engine, albeit heavily modified to meet Euro V emissions regulations. To achieve the CO2 and emissions reduction as well as improved fuel consumption, the re-designed engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing.
The Mulsanne is also notable as it is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years; the last being W.O. Bentley's iconic 8 litre model in 1930.
