Bentley retires flagship Mulsanne with 6.75 Edition

BENTLEY has announced a swansong limited edition for its Mulsanne flagship limousine as the model nears the end of production to commemorate the death of its legendary V8 engine.

The Mulsanne 6.75 Edition will be restricted to just 30 examples and will not only mark the end of the Mulsanne’s production but with it the end of the mighty 6.75-litre V8 that has powered Bentleys and previous Rolls Royces for 60 years.

To distinguish itself from the ‘regular’ Mulsannes, the 6.75 Edition will feature gloss black accents, darkened Flying B bonnet mascot, chrome headlight and tail-light surrounds, Mulliner Serenity radiator grille and exhaust tips, machine finished 21-inch five-spoke Mulsanne Speed wheels and special chrome badging.

Inside the cabin, buyers will have the option of four leather upholstery tones - Imperial Blue, Beluga, Fireglow and Newmarket Tan – featuring silver linings which continue through other elements of the interior.

To remind occupants which edition they are in, a commemorative ‘6.75 Edition’ plaque will adorn the centre console while the former ‘organ stop’ ventilation controls have been replaced by units replicating the engine’s oil cap.

In case passengers miss the centre console plaque, the seats will also sport a 6.75 Edition motif stitched into the leather with the same logo also being projected by the LED welcome lamps as well as schematic cutaway drawings of the engine displayed on the clocks and minor gauges.

Bentley has gone to some considerable lengths to triple check the 6.75 Edition is not mixed up with a regular Mulsanne variant having even put reminders under the bonnet by means of a blackened exhaust manifold – usually silver – and an engine plaque signed by Bentley chairman and chief executive Adrian Hallmark.

No changes have been made to the famed L-Series V8 which is carried over unchanged from the Mulsanne Speed, meaning the Mulsanne swansong scores the same 395kW/1100Nm punch as its donor car, resulting in a sub-five second sprint to 100km/h and a top speed of just over 300km/h.

Bentley Motors member of the board for sales, marketing and aftersales Chris Craft said Mulsanne production is coming to an end due to “significant customer demand across” the prestige brand’s model lines.

“We will be redeploying all of our manufacturing colleagues who currently work on the Mulsanne to other areas of the business,” he said.

“The Mulsanne has played a pivotal role in maintaining Bentley’s position as global leader of the luxury limousine segment.”

“The flagship of our model range, its longevity is a testament to our ongoing commitment to hand-building the finest motor cars in the world.”

With production of the Mulsanne set to wind down by the end of May, the Flying Spur will assume the mantle as Bentley’s flagship limousine with a new hybrid version due sometime before 2023.

Last year Bentley sold 191 cars in Australia, of which just five were sedans (Flying Spur and Mulsanne) marking a 76.2 per cent drop in sales compared to the Continental GT’s 29.2 per cent increase (115 units sold).