Bentley Mulsanne Speed OFFICIALLY revealed – set to cost £250,000

The Bentley Mulsanne Speed (pictured) arrives to extend Bentley’s Speed family.

We reported back in July that Bentley were planning to expand their ‘Speed’ range to include the Mulsanne Limousine, and that we expected to see the Bentley Mulsanne Speed at this year’s Paris Motor Show. And that’s exactly what’s happening. Bentley has revealed the Mulsanne Speed ahead of its debut next month in Paris, and although some might question who actually wants a sporty Mulsanne, the world’s well-heeled will, it seem, say ‘we do’.

Because if you’re going to have a Mulsanne you’re going to have deep enough pockets to want the very best Mulsanne, and if the changes Bentley have wrought to make the Mulsanne Speed more sporty don’t also make it less comfortable, then they’re on to a winner.

Powering the Mulsanne Speed is a development of Bentley’s venerable 6 ¾ litre V8 with an extra 25bhp (now with 530bhp) and a massive 811lb/ft of torque, enough to power the Mulsanne Speed to 62mph in 4.9 seconds and on to 190mph.

But because the new Speed has cylinder deactivation it also manages to offer emissions of 342g/km – deon 51g/km on the regular Mulsanne – and improvements in economy too.

BEntley has also given the 8-speed auto ‘box a tweak for better delivery of the massive torque and added an ‘S’ function that keeps the V8 running at over 2,000 revs for instant response and stiffens up the suspension and tweaks the steering for a more involving drive.

Cosmetic tweaks include new 21″ alloys, darkened grills for the front vents, grill and the lights, twin exhausts, Mulliner Driving spec for the interior as standard and a choice of four new bodywork colours – Spectre, Candy Red, Camel and Marlin.

The new Bentley Mulsanne Speed debuts next month at the Paris Motor Show and should arrive in Bentley’s UK showrooms before the end of the year. Price for the new Mulsanne Speed is expected to start at £250,000.

By Cars UK