Based on the configuration of an engineering classic first built in Crewe fifty years ago,The new Mulsanne engine is a V8. But while it is a fitting tribute to the original, the Mulsanne’s V8 engine has been completely redeveloped to be more refined, efficient, lighter and integrate the latest technologies.
The new GT V-8 coupe offers 12 percent less power and 6 percent less torque than the 12-cylinder model, but it costs 10 percent less. That might sound like a fair bargain, but we wonder if that narrow pricing gap does enough to decisively define these two models for what they are: the fun one and the fancy one.
The V-8 GT’s agility is mainly the result of the 175-pound-lighter engine up front, which changes the car’s front-to-rear weight distribution from 56/44 percent to 51/49. Turning into corners, you can immediately feel that balance pay dividends in steering precision and turn-in sharpness. And once you breach the stability limit, the car exhibits less tendency to understeer than the front-heavier W-12 version. With the traction control off, the stability system allows the right amount of slip to push the car into an easily controlled drift. The eight-speed gearbox also enhances the car’s agility. It shifts faster than the regular ZF six-speed in the W12 GT, which is nice when you’re at part throttle and need to pass—now.
And yet, Bentley highlights this athleticism only barely, with minor trim changes such as red “B” badges, a black-gloss mesh grille, a new three-segment lower-front-bumper design, and double-oval exhaust tailpipes. This strikes us as more of a ¬German than British approach to product differentiation. Otherwise, we’re hardly complaining. We don’t even mind that it cruises 500 miles on a tank of gas.
It’s a rare event and a privilege
"As a designer, it’s a rare event and a privilege to be asked to create a new grand Bentley - a contemporary expression of our brand. But to move forward, you must be true to your heritage. Character is everything in the quest to find a clean, pure Bentley look that feels authentic. Customers also told us they wanted a driver’s car, something powerful and elegant. So we combine classic Bentley shapes, details and proportions with a forward-looking design. When I gaze upon the car today, I’m struck by how it oozes emotion. It’s truly a work of art, made by individuals, for individuals."
DIRK VAN BRAECKEL, Director of Design at Bentley
The all-new grand Bentley
The story of the new Bentley Mulsanne is inspired by W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement - his 8-litre engine, a powertrain that transformed his vehicles from being rugged, sporting tourers into refined automobiles. While the Bentley Mulsanne pays respect to the past, it is also a thoroughly modern statement of luxury driving and grand touring from Crewe. At its heart, it is as much an engineering masterpiece as the 8-litre. And like its predecessor, it offers the world’s most exclusive driving experience.
FLAGSHIP BENTLEYS HAVE BEEN POWERED BY MIGHTY V8 ENGINES FOR OVER 50 YEARS AND MULSANNE IS NO EXCEPTION.
Anyone who has experienced the effortless acceleration that arrives regardless of engine speed or gear selection will know just how astonishing the effect can be. With those objectives in mind, the Mulsanne’s engineers considered a variety of engine configurations before settling on a radically re-engineered version of Bentley’s acclaimed 6¾-litre V8.