Bentley Showcases New Mulsane Mulliner Driving Specification in New York

April 5, 2012

A highly distinctive and sporting interpretation of Bentley’s flagship
Unique 21-inch wheels and ‘Sport’ setting for suspension and steering
Sporting design includes ‘Flying B’ wing vents and Diamond Quilted interior
Sunroof and bespoke bottle cooler options introduced across Mulsanne range

Bentley is showcasing a highly distinctive and sporting interpretation of its flagship Mulsanne at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. The new Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification blends a range of striking design features including unique 21-inch alloy wheels, Bentley Flying B wing vents and Diamond Quilted leather trimmed cabin with driver-selectable, sports-tuned suspension and steering, underscoring the performance credentials of Bentley’s 6.75 litre V8 ultra-luxury sports sedan.

Bentley Mulsanne

At the same time, Bentley also announces the introduction of two new options for the Mulsanne range: a large tilt-opening, tinted glass sunroof and an exquisitely designed, electrically operated bottle cooler complete with hand-blown and hand-cut lead crystal champagne flutes.

Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification

The Mulsanne is a pure example of the Grand Touring Bentley combining coach-built elegance and hand crafted luxury with immense power and sportiness that together offer the world’s most exclusive driving experience. It is a luxury car that makes the joy of driving its central focus. In an era of mass production, it stands at the pinnacle of British luxury motoring.

With a 0-60 mph sprint time of just 5.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds) and a top speed of 184 mph (296 km/h) the 505 bhp (512 PS/377 kw) Mulsanne has always offered thunderous levels of performance for an ultra-luxury sedan. Now, for customers seeking an even sportier look, feel and character to their Mulsanne, Bentley is introducing the Mulliner Driving Specification.

The Mulsanne’s beautifully balanced proportions convey a unique sense of dynamism and movement. These are reinforced by muscular haunches and sharply sculpted, gracefully flowing lines, hinting at the phenomenal levels of power and torque that are in reserve at all times.

For the Mulliner Driving Specification, new 21-inch, light aluminium alloy wheels with race‑derived, titanium fasteners, bright-finished rims and 265/40 ZR21 tyres, underscore the Mulsanne’s potent yet elegant stance while providing even more dynamic handling. Available in both painted and polished finishes, the 2-piece wheels are exclusive to the Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification and are also compatible with Bentley’s optional self-levelling wheel badges.

The Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification also has a unique design language which underscores its sporting character, setting it apart from other Bentleys.

The sporting motif is emphasised by a pair of sweeping wing vents made from cast, polished stainless steel. The vents cleverly emulate Bentley’s iconic ‘Flying B’ emblem which is engraved with the Mulliner script. The flowing appearance accentuates the impression of speed and movement and the black matrix grille integrated into the design provides an attractive contrast to the polished stainless steel.

For the new sportier Mulsanne, the Drive Dynamics Control system, which allows suspension and steering systems to be tuned to a preferred driving style, now has a unique ‘Sport’ setting. Operated by the rotary switch mounted next to the gearshift selector, the new ‘Sport’ settings provide enhanced grip, body control and steering accuracy without compromising ride comfort.

Inside the Mulsanne’s sumptuous cabin Bentley’s styling team have created a bespoke, driver-focussed look and feel for the Mulliner Driving Specification. In keeping with the tradition of sporting Bentleys, the leather hide on the front and rear seats and door casings features an intricate Diamond Quilting pattern, complemented by an indented leather headlining.

A new and bespoke hide perforation process, developed specifically for the Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification, produces perforations in exact diamond shapes with non‑perforated ‘tramlines’ in between. This allows Bentley’s seamstresses to produce perfect stitching every time without risk of distortion and means that it can now be combined with the optional seat ventilation system.

Throughout the cabin, Crewe’s craftsmen and women have ensured that even purely functional controls are beautifully executed. The unique ‘knurled’ or ‘coined’ surface finish of the cool-metal interior door handles, ‘Organ Stop’ air ventilation controls and gear lever provide a highly tactile experience while giving extra grip. The leather gear lever is also hand-finished with a Baseball-style cross stitch – another example of Bentley’s famed attention to detail.

For confident, spirited driving, the accelerator and brake pedals of the Mulliner Driving Specification are made from drilled alloy. Beautifully crafted, each one of the raised grips on the pedals is individually polished. As a finishing touch to the cabin, Mulliner treadplate plaques are applied to the vertical surface of the driver and front passenger door sills.

In common with all Mulsannes, customers of the Mulliner Driving Specification have the opportunity to create a truly bespoke car from a palette of over 100 paint colours, a virtually limitless choice of unbleached premium quality veneers (with two marquetry options) and a selection of 22 leather hides.

Commenting on the new Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification, Alasdair Stewart, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing: The Mulsanne represents the pinnacle of British motoring with unrivalled luxury and effortless performance. Now, the distinctly sporting accent of the new Mulliner Driving Specification provides an even greater degree of driving enjoyment without compromising the Mulsanne’s legendary comfort and refinement.

Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification

Exquisite bottle cooler and sunroof options introduced for all Mulsannes

In addition to the new Mulliner Driving Specification, Bentley is announcing enhancements to the specification of the Mulsanne’s optional feature specification. All Mulsanne models may now be specified with an exquisitely detailed, Bentley-designed, luxury bottle cooler and rear cabin storage area with space for two full-size Champagne bottles in a canted position, allowing opened bottles to be placed back in the cooler.

With one touch of a button, the frosted glass door quietly slides open to reveal three hand‑blown and hand-cut lead crystal champagne flutes, displayed beautifully by the white LED accent lighting. These flutes have been exclusively created for Bentley by the renowned British designer, David Redman of London and echo the racing spoke design of the Mulsanne’s 21” 5-spoke Sports alloy wheel.

The flutes can be placed in the bespoke-design bright chrome holders that deploy from the centre seat cushion. These also adapt cleverly to work as normal cup holders when required. As is traditional at Bentley, the bottle cooler and flute holders are discreetly concealed when not in use and the elegant design of the cooling system means that no boot space is compromised.

The cabin of the Mulsanne is whisper-quiet, utilising the latest double-glazing and sound‑proofing technologies to isolate it from the hectic world. However, should you want to let the outside in, there is now the option of a large tilt-opening, tinted glass sunroof in the front cabin. It floods the cabin with light and gives an extra dimension of space, providing additional ventilation while avoiding the security risk of open windows.

The ultra-slim sunroof mechanism retains the Mulsanne’s fast, sweeping roof profile with negligible effect on cabin headroom. To provide welcome shade on the hottest days, a colour-matched Alcantara blind closes quietly at the touch of a button.

Mulliner Driving Specification – Key Features

Unique 21” MDS, two-piece, light aluminium alloy wheels with 265/40 ZR 21 tyres underscore Mulsanne’s potent yet elegant stance while providing even more dynamic handling.
New driver-selectable ‘Sport’ setting for air suspension and steering systems offers an even more focussed and rewarding driving experience.
‘Flying B’ wing vents in polished stainless steel accentuate the sporting appearance.
Diamond-Quilted leather hides to seats and door casings provide a classic and sporting Bentley ambience.
Range of bespoke, hand-crafted interior detailing including highly tactile ‘knurled’ and ‘coined’ finishes to major controls, and drilled pedals.

13MY Bentley Mulsanne – Standard Specification

Drivetrain

6.75 litre twin-turbocharged V8
512 PS / 505 bhp / 377 kW at 4200 rev/min
1020 Nm / 752 lbs ft at 1750 rev/min
Cam phasing and variable displacement – a first for the ultra-luxury sector
EU5 and LEVII emissions compliant
8-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift interface, sport mode and steering‑wheel mounted paddleshift
Rear wheel drive

Chassis

Mulsanne 20″ light-alloy wheels with 265 x 45 x ZR20 tyres
Double wishbone front suspension
Multilink rear suspension with toe and brake reaction control. Uniquely developed for Mulsanne to handle extreme torque
Electronically-controlled air springs with Continuous Damping Control (CDC) to continuously monitor and adjust the vehicle’s damping, ensuring optimum control
Automatic ride height control sensitive to speed and load
Servotronic speed-sensitive power steering with two settings selectable by Drive Dynamics Control
Drive Dynamics Control – four driver-selectable settings for CDC and power steering
Three standard modes: Bentley, Sport and Comfort
A fourth mode, Custom, allows driver to ‘tune’ system to a preferred driving style
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with ABS, traction control, hydraulic brake assist, electronic brake prefill and automatic hill-hold control
Twin-booster braking system with ventilated discs and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD)
“Bentley” branded front brake calipers
Front brake discs: Two-piece assembly with 400 mm diameter x 38 mm thick iron disc and lightweight aluminium hub
Rear brake discs: 370 mm diameter x 30 mm thick iron disc with lightweight aluminium hub
Electronic Parking Brake with drive-away assist and hill hold feature
Choice of tyre repair/inflation kit or spacesaver spare wheel & toolkit

Body & Exterior

Steel monocoque body structure with front and rear energy-absorbing crumple zones
Aluminium closures
Superformed aluminium front wings
Aluminium bonnet
Aluminium doors with superformed structure and extruded aluminium side impact beams
Composite polymer bootlid housing fully concealed antennae systems
Painted radiator shell with bright stainless steel matrix grille and 2-D Bentley winged “B” badge
Paintwork applied and polished by hand to a mirror-finish
Choice of 28 paint colours especially selected for Mulsanne
Black matrix grille to lower bumper apertures
Front wing vents with black matrix grille
Polished stainless steel brightware to glass surrounds
Polished stainless steel embellishers to doors and bumpers
Door pillar finishers in steel with gloss black painted finish
Polished stainless steel “Mulsanne” treadplates and commissioning plates
Wide oval polished stainless steel exhaust tailpipes
Twin bi-xenon projector headlamps with LED halo for supplementary main beam, light‑sensing auto operation, daytime running light signature and integrated washer jets
Floating-ellipse style, LED rear light clusters and discreet high-level stop lamp to rear screen
Colour-keyed, electronically adjustable door mirrors with heating, power folding, reverse‑dip, two memory positions, electrochromatic dimming and integrated puddle lamps
Keyless entry system with chromed metal door handles and engine start button
Soft close power latching to all doors for easy entry/exit
Power boot lid operation with emergency releases inside boot and under rear seat
Park distance control to front and rear with audible signal and graphics displayed via infotainment screen

Interior

Hand-selected leather to all trimmed surfaces including seating, fascia, console, door panels, door pillars, parcel shelf, cantrails, headlining, sunvisors, all stowage compartments and glovebox
25 ‘standard’ colours in single tone or duo-tone combinations in four different styles (colour splits) allowing the customer to choose not just the colour scheme but the mood of the interior – from very elegant to sporty
Specially developed, flat-cut and leather-bound carpet. Choice of 22 colours to match interior hide
Set of four carpet overmats to match cabin carpet, leather bound and with polished stainless steel fixings
Choice of 23 seatbelt colours with buckles colour-matched to interior hides
Veneer to fascia, continuous “Ring of wood” waistrails, centre console, rear centre armrest, and front & rear roof consoles in Burr Walnut, Dark-Stained Burr Walnut or Piano Black. Six further veneer species are available
Bright finish interior fittings in polished stainless steel
Unique, glass switchgear
Driver’s instrument panel featuring inverted, aviation-style dials for vehicle and engine speed; Supplementary colour screen displaying a driver-configurable choice of navigation prompts, compass, infotainment, vehicle or trip information
Minor gauges panel in centre fascia with fuel gauge, analogue clock with “Bentley Motors” inscription and coolant temperature gauge
Concealed passenger-side map lamp
Boot trimmed in leather and carpeted to match interior cabin with polished stainless steel sill plate

Comfort & Convenience

Tinted glass sunroof to front compartment with powered Alcantara roller blind (Standard in North America and China, cost option in rest of world)
Front seats with 12-way electrical adjustment, including lumbar support, two memory positions, easy entry/exit function and adjustable heating
Front passenger seat – full adjustment from rear cabin. Controls housed in rear centre armrest
Two-plus-one rear seat configuration with 8-way electrical adjustment to outboard seats, including lumbar support, two memory positions and adjustable heating
Four-zone air conditioning including additional rear cabin A/C unit with front and rear controls for fan speed and temperature
Traditional, polished stainless steel bullseye air vents & organ stop controls
Four-spoke, hide trimmed, multi-function steering wheel with electric adjustment for tilt and reach with two memory positions, easy-entry function and paddle shift
Twin front centre armrests with hide-lined storage and cordless telephone handset.
(Telephone handset not available in North America and Japan)
Electrical height adjustment for front seatbelts with two memory positions
Cruise control
Electrochromatic auto dimming interior rear view mirror with on/off button
Remote-controlled three-button garage door opener integrated in roof console
(Standard in North America, cost option in rest of world)
Rain sensing windscreen wipers
Sentinel headlamp functions
Folding rear centre armrest console with controls for seating and air conditioning and leather-lined stowage compartment with 12 V socket
Remote control with dedicated stowage in centre console for rear-seat control of main infotainment system including Navigation
Power windows with one-touch operation and anti-trap protection
Acoustic glazing with infra-red reflective interlayer (except front screen to allow use of mobile communications and toll readers)
Electrically operated privacy blinds for rear windows and rear screen, controlled from front or rear cabin with one-shot operation and anti-trap
Twin adjustable front cupholders
Twin hand-crafted rear cupholders with dedicated stowage
Front and rear cabin cigar lighters and solid metal ashcans in rear doors
Hide-lined glovebox with illumination and 12 V power socket
Leather-bound owner’s handbook housed in dedicated stowage shelf within glovebox
Document stowage compartments to front seatbacks

Infotainment

8″ high-resolution colour screen to display infotainment and vehicle systems information. Automatically concealed behind veneered panel when not in use
Central Multi Media Interface (MMI) rotary controller with convenience keys for instant access to main system menus of: Navigation, Telephone, Radio, Media (Including TV when fitted), Tone, Information and Car systems
60 GB hard disc drive unit fitted in glovebox with 20 GB of personal storage space, single slot DVD drive and 2 x SD card readers. Includes inbuilt Gracenote database that displays artist/album/song names from CDs
6 x CD changer fitted in glovebox
Voice control for all major systems and operations
Satellite navigation system integrated in vehicle’s hard disc, ensuring fast route calculation
Four map configurations including 3-D topographical maps and city views and day/night display modes
Seven-digit post code destination entry, active traffic information (market dependent)
Mulsanne audio system with 14 speakers
Two subwoofers, powered through six channels, with digital sound processing
Full iPod® and MP3 player compatibility including full-colour album art display and video playback
Digital radio (DAB) or satellite radio (SDARS) depending on market
Unique, hide-lined iPod® drawer, with integrated connector, designed for storage and connection of multimedia devices. Supplied with two fly-leads with connectors for
iPod® / iPhone®
Micro USB for other smartphones including Blackberry
Telephone system with Bluetooth wireless connectivity
Cordless telephone and cradle mounted in front armrest with SIM card reader in hard drive unit (rSAP). (Except North America or Japan)

Safety, Security & Charging

Intelligent driver’s and front passenger air bag with front passenger air bag deactivation facility
Head and thorax airbags fitted to front and rear seats
Fitting to seats rather than car body ensures optimum positioning relative to occupants at all times as the airbag moves with you as you adjust the seat position
3-point seat belts to front seats with electric height adjustment and memory function, pyrotechnic pre-tensioners and force limiters
3-point seat belts to outer and centre rear seats with pyrotechnic pre-tensioners and force limiters to outer seats
Rear seat ISOFIX child seat fixings with top tether points
Direct tyre pressure monitoring system with provision for speed related warning
Vehicle Immobiliser & Interior volumetric alarm system
Battery conditioner with magnetic trickle charging point concealed in rear registration plate recess
12 V power sockets located in glovebox, rear centre armrest and boot in addition to cigar lighter sockets in front and rear cabin