The Bentley Mulsanne is a luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom. The car is named after the Mulsanne Corner of the Le Mans racing circuit, Bentley cars having won six victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the past.
Bentley has brought back the Mulsanne nameplate that was last used in 1992, and this model replaces the Bentley Arnage. The new Mulsanne was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, on 16 August 2009. Coupe and convertible variants are expected to follow at some point as replacements for the Arnage-based Brooklands and Azure respectively. Like the Arnage, the Mulsanne retains the 6.75 L (6750 cc/411 in³) OHV V8 engine, modified to meet Euro V emissions regulations. The engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing to improve fuel efficiency. Unlike the less expensive Bentley Continental Flying Spur and Bentley Continental GT, the Mulsanne shares fewer components with other marques in the Volkswagen Group. The Mulsanne is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years; the last being W.O. Bentley's 8 litre model in 1930. Afterward, most Bentleys shared platforms with Rolls-Royce cars.The rear is a modernised version of the 2006 Azure.
The new Mulsanne was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, followed by 2009 Frankfurt motor show, 2010 North American International Auto Show, 2012 Qatar International Motor Show. The first vehicle produced, with chassis number 00001, was sold in 2009 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach auction for USD$500,000 (USD$550,000 after buyer premium) to an undisclosed bidder. Deliveries to the UK began in Summer 2010.
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