Bentley Mulsanne Speed
Exquisite luxury with Driving satisfaction
Featuring a more powerful version of Bentley’s mighty 6¾-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, the new Mulsanne Speed is truly tailored for the driver. With 537 PS (530 bhp / 395 kW), 1,100 Nm (811 lb.ft) of torque and selectable sports suspension, the Speed combines outstanding driving satisfaction with supreme comfort.
The Speed dispatches the sprint to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds (0‑100 km/h in 4.8 seconds) and has a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) – unrivalled figures in the ultra-luxury sector.
The connection between the car and driver is key, so the Speed’s engine is paired with a recalibrated ZF 8‑speed gearbox designed to enhance the driving experience. The gear strategy is optimised to make best use of the increased engine output, and is designed for instant delivery. ‘S’ mode gives the driver even more control, and maintains the engine speed above 2,000 rpm so that the turbochargers are always spooled and ready to deliver instantaneous performance.
To make the most of the Speed’s effortless power and acceleration, an even more driver-focused Sport suspension mode is included. While the Bentley and Comfort suspension modes provide a comfort-focused and fully compliant chassis set-up, the Sport mode stiffens the all-round air suspension for improved body control and adjusts the steering dynamics for greater feedback and accuracy.
The Mulsanne Speed features a series of uniquely assertive styling features that mark it out as the high-performance pinnacle flagship. A dark tint finish is applied to the exterior brightware, affording the Speed a more menacing appearance. Exclusive 21” hand-finished ‘Speed’ alloys; dark tinted front and rear lamps; rifled sports exhausts; and Speed fender badging highlight the credentials of the world’s fastest ultra-luxury driving experience.
On the inside – in addition to the interior updates common across the Mulsanne range – the Speed also benefits from a number of new features that highlight its athletic, sporting abilities. For example, the Mulliner Driving Specification interior comes as standard, adding diamond-quilted seats, a knurled gear lever, drilled alloy sport pedals and optional carbon fibre waistrail inserts.
The pinnacle of automotive luxury, handcrafted in Crewe
The Mulsanne is handcrafted from the ground up in Crewe, with its 400-hour production journey beginning in the Body in White workshop. Working by hand and by eye, master metal workers expertly complete 5,800 individual welds.
Where the roof flows into the rear haunch through the deep D‑pillar, a dedicated team brazes the joint by hand until it is totally imperceptible. It takes a human touch to achieve, and once painted is completely invisible to the eye – looking and feeling as though it were hewn from a solid piece of metal.
The sculpted nature of the Mulsanne’s body means that the paint must be applied in different depths to appear even, which is why each one is hand-sprayed. After lacquering, each car is fine-sanded before being polished with lamb’s wool for 12 hours to achieve an appearance so reflective it’s termed the ‘Bentley Mirror Finish’ – and is the industry benchmark.
Opening the door of the Bentley flagship reveals a foundation of solid walnut, cherry or oak visibly running through the dashboard and overlaid with a choice of 12 different veneers.
After the root burl has been steamed and finely sliced into 0.6 mm thick bundles of veneer, Bentley veneer experts travel to wherever it may be to analyse the results. The final selection process occurs at Crewe, where the veneer is chosen by the craftsperson who will ultimately bring it to life. Only the most highly ‘figured’ sections – parts with naturally decorative marks – are chosen, before being mirror matched and applied to the solid wood substrate.
Of the 400 hours it takes to build a Mulsanne, around 150 are dedicated to creating the sumptuous leather interior – before additional options are considered. Stitched, shaped and finished entirely by hand, the completed seats, doors and other leather accoutrements rival the quality of luxury domestic furniture. The contrast stitching alone takes 37 hours to complete.
