Bentley Mulsanne Speed debuts at Paris
Speed is not something we usually associate with super luxury Bentley cars. Luxury, opulence, royal, aristocrat, status symbol — all these words are apt when talking about the Crew based luxury car manufacturer. Yet, the British marque has started using the ‘Speed’ suffix on some of their models. Luxury is only made complete by speed (as it says in the automobile bible) and that is why Bentley has brought out the ‘Speed’ version of their flagship model to the Paris Motor Show today.
The Bentley Mulsanne Speed, as the name suggests is the sporty version of the regular one, and is powered by the same 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. The engine has now been tweaked to produce 530bhp (up by 25bhp) while the torque has reached a mammoth 1100Nm (up by 80Nm). Bentley claims the extra power is extracted by a redesigned combustion system that includes a new combustion chamber, inlet ports, fuel injectors, spark plugs, and a change in the compression ratio. The power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. The larger output means the Mulsanne Speed can hit the 100kmph mark in just 4.9 seconds and attain a top speed of 305kmph.
Concerning the exterior, changes are subtle and beyond recognition if you are not a Bentley aficionado. However, a dark tinted finish to the matrix grille, lower bumper grilles and wing vents and 21-inch forged alloy wheels, give exclusivity to Mulsanne Speed. The car also has a pair of rifled exhaust tailpipes and tinted head- and tail-lamp units. The cabin boast of diamond quilted hide (read leather) door panels and seats, an indented leather headline, stainless steel door sill plates, drilled alloy pedals, and special door handles with a ‘coined’ finish. A new veneer option is also available, as the ‘piano black’ veneer panels now include handcrafted carbon fibre inlays.
