Photo: Benltey
After two years of on-again, off-again proposals, it looks like the convertible version of the Bentley Mulsanne is finally getting an official green light for production. Wolfgang Duerheimer had originally championed the drop-top Mulsanne before his successor Wolfgang Schreiber killed the car. Now with Duerheimer back in charge at Bentley, the project is a go.
Earlier this month at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Duerheimer told Automotive News that the Mulsanne convertible is “back on track.” Two years earlier at the same show, he had revealed the convertible to small number of potential customers where he announced that the car would indeed be built. Shortly after that announcement, the VW Group moved Duerheimer positions as Audi’s chief of research and development and coordinator for VW motorsports before putting him back at the helm of Bentley and Bugatti earlier this year.
In the interview with Automotive News, Duerheimer was quoted as saying, “when I returned, I was a bit irritated by the fact that no work had been done on this project in two years."
Such a car would give Bentley a perfect competitor to go against the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead as well as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet, which is expected to debut in the near future. When it does come to fruition, the soft-top Mulsanne is expected to resurrect the Bentley Azure nameplate. Regardless of the name, there is still no word as to when this model will become a reality, but it will likely be several more years before high-rolling convertible buyers can lay down their money for a two-door, drop-top Mulsanne.
By the time this car does roll into the driveways of its extremely wealthy buyers, the Mulsanne will have likely received a significant performance increase to the 6.75-liter engine. Current power output is rated at 505 bhp (377 kW) but a report from last month indicated the engine could soon produce as much as 550 bhp (410 kW).
In the interview with Automotive News, Duerheimer was quoted as saying, “when I returned, I was a bit irritated by the fact that no work had been done on this project in two years."
Such a car would give Bentley a perfect competitor to go against the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead as well as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet, which is expected to debut in the near future. When it does come to fruition, the soft-top Mulsanne is expected to resurrect the Bentley Azure nameplate. Regardless of the name, there is still no word as to when this model will become a reality, but it will likely be several more years before high-rolling convertible buyers can lay down their money for a two-door, drop-top Mulsanne.
By the time this car does roll into the driveways of its extremely wealthy buyers, the Mulsanne will have likely received a significant performance increase to the 6.75-liter engine. Current power output is rated at 505 bhp (377 kW) but a report from last month indicated the engine could soon produce as much as 550 bhp (410 kW).
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