Alongside the Mulsanne ultra-luxury saloon, Bentley’s iconic 6¾ V8 mill also bids adieu
British marque Bentley Motors (under Volkswagen AG) has officially ended production of the Mulsanne. The modern-day ‘Phantom-rivalling’ Bentley Mulsanne full-size ultra-luxury saloon was introduced in 2010, as a replacement to the Arnage line. Its name is inspired by the Bentley Mulsanne (1980-92) — based on the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit — from the days when Rolls-Royce Motor Cars owned Bentley Motors.
The Mulsanne of today has seen several updates in terms of styling, dynamics, equipment and of course, opulence over 11 years in production. All versions of the saloon have employed some form of the 6.75-litre twin-turbo Bentley L Series V8 petrol mill (gloriously written as “6¾ LITRE TWIN TURBO” under the bonnet). However, stringent emission norms have made it impossible for the company to continue development without compromising on potential. The engine first appeared in the 1959 Bentley S2.
Carrying a heritage that dates back to the late ‘50s, the ‘longest-running V8 in automotive history’ was given a worthy tribute in the form of Bentley’s 2021MY ‘Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner’. Now, the last unit of the limited-to-30 Mulsanne version has rolled out from the Bentley Motors factory at Crewe, United Kingdom; marking the end of the road for an iconic automobile and power plant.
The last ‘publicised’ Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition is heading to the USA while the company claims that an ultimate “extremely special” example is in the works. In fact, its future home is a “closely guarded secret”. Needless to say, this would be the most valuable model out of the 7,300 units sold worldwide since the saloon debuted at 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Compared to a ‘regular’ RWD Bentley Mulsanne, the 6.75 Edition by Mulliner carries some exclusive styling elements. Notable highlights include ‘Mulliner Serenity’ grille, darkened Flying B bonnet ornament, 21-inch five-spoke Mulsanne Speed wheels and black engine cover (instead of silver) wearing a unique Engine Number Plaque signed by Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors. On the inside, visual traits of the 6¾ V8 are carried forward. Being a Bentley, customers had the opportunity to specify the product to their own taste like the Rose Gold + Tungsten model you see here.
The 6¾ V8 churns out 530hp (metric) and 1100Nm of torque in the final avatar and is mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Despite weighing more than 2.7 tonnes, the saloon can hit 100/h from a standstill in under five seconds before topping out at 305km/h. The title of being the ‘Flagship Bentley’ is passed to the 2021MY Flying Spur. Primarily powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 motor, the Bentley Flying Spur will soon get a PHEV V8 powertrain derived from the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
