BENTLEY Mulsanne Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

A perfect example of mega-luxury obtained by perfectly blending retro styling cues with modern amenities, the Bentley Mulsanne was the perfect choice for customers looking for opulence.

With a hand-made interior crafted with high care and a sculpted exterior, the large sedan had very few rivals on the market, such as the Rolls Royce’s Phantom or the Mercedes’ Maybach S600.

The large luxury sedan offered seating for five and was available in two trim levels, the base and the Speed.

The Mulsanne in the base trim level was well equipped and included 20-inch alloys, bi-xenon headlights, heated and auto dimming mirrors, parking sensors, soft-close doors, a sunroof and an air-ride suspension. The interior was fitted with leather upholstery, wood accents, heated front seats, automatic climate control, rear window privacy screens, an 8-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth Connectivity.

Moving to the Speed trim level, the Mulsanne was equipped with a more powerful engine and included 21-inch alloys, selectable drive modes and the Mulliner packaged that could also be added to the base level.

The Mullinger Package included a tweaked suspension, diamond-quilted upholstery, a leather headliner and metal sports pedals.

An extensive list of stand-alone options included adaptive cruise control, a heated steering wheel, a refrigerated bottle cooler, lots of exterior and interior color choices as well as a customer color palette for an extra fee.

It was the first completely new Bentley designed from the ground up by the British automaker in more than eight decades, and it didn't share its underpinnings with Rolls-Royce anymore.

After Volkswagen purchased Bentley, it had to use Rolls-Royce's platforms for a while. But the new owner knew that a new model would have to be born and compete with its former ally. Thus, the engineers took their time, and the result was not only a luxurious vehicle but a very fast one as well.

At the front, what looked like a chromed mesh grille was, in fact, a stainless steel one polished to the same level a perfectly chromed part would look. The same principle was applied to the B-winged badge on the hood. Mulsanne's headlights were round, evoking the older Bentley models, and complemented by side lamps. From its profile, the massive British luxury car showed a waved shape for the beltline, resembling a 1950 Bentley. Finally, at the back, the sloped rear windscreen was continued by a trunk lid that was slightly taller than the rear quarter panels.

As a luxury vehicle, the Mulsanne provided all the comfort and amenities of this famous British brand. There were silver trims around the dials on the instrument cluster and discretely embedded high-tech features such as automatic climate control and a sat-nav system. Bentley used only high-end materials, including expensive leather and real wood trims.

Under the hood, Volkswagen installed the same 6.75-liter V8 engine shared with Rolls-Royce, albeit turbocharged, and paired it with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.