About the Bentley MulsanneThe Bentley Mulsanne has been the flagship of the marquee on more than one occasion in the company's history. Fast, comfortable and beautiful, this automobile has impressed auto enthusiasts over the years in all three categories. The first generation was in production for 12 years, but even after its decade-long retirement, the Mulsanne still inspired later generations of Bentleys. Restyled gradually over the course of its first lifetime, the Mulsanne lost a lot of stodginess and was refitted with a firmer suspension and other components to make it more competitive on the racetrack.The first-generation Mulsannes featured the standard 6.75-liter V8 Rolls-Royce engine. After 1985, traditional carburetors were replaced by a Bosch fuel injection system. With the inclusion of a turbocharger between 1982 and 1986 in the Mulsanne Turbo rendition, the car's power increased 50 percent. Between 1987 and the model's first retirement, it lost the turbocharger, but gained stylistic improvements. The emphasis in the last few years was on style and comfort. The... View more Mulsanne was named in honor of Bentley winning the 24 Hours of LeMans five times between 1924 and 1930. The Mulsanne" was a long straightaway on the track at that time and this was where the competitors reached their highest speeds. Brought out of retirement for the 2010 model year, the current Crewe, England-version of the Mulsanne was introduced at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance. Currently offered as a sedan, a coupe and convertible are planned as the Arnage and the Brooklands are retired. Today's Mulsanne has an interior that straddles traditional and contemporary. While overall effect is one of sumptuous luxury, there is also obvious attention to driver and passenger convenience, as well. Rich hand-stitched leather and fine wood trim coexist nicely with modern materials, such as high-end electronics, adjustable seats and climate control. Rather than clashing or contrasting, the total effect is one of comfortable harmony. The exterior has received some refinements, resulting in a more streamlined silhouette with a touch of the racer's fastback. Additionally, the headlights have been reworked, moving away from the familiar shape of the 1980s and 1990s toward a classic 1930s styling. Solid of chassis and body, fleet of wheel, steady of handling, the Mulsanne still has some fashion statements to make. Bentley offers a startling range of colors for this model – 114 to be exact. Why all the bother over color? Bentley believes the customer should get what he or she wants with regard to color. There are not a lot of trim options with a Bentley, but at least a driver can select a color that's nearly perfect. True, only 28 colors come as standard options, but that is still more than enough to coordinate with the 24 colors offered for the interior leather. View less | |||
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