It's an all-new Bentley, it's called the Mulsanne, and it's a vehicle that more than a few auto aficionados have been waiting for. Introduced this afternoon at Pebble Beach, the Mulsanne is a clean sheet redesign of Bentley's ever-enduring flagship and according to Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen, when they sat down to figure out everything they wanted to change on the Arnage, by the time they were finished, nearly nothing remained.

The Mulsanne is about eleven inches longer than the Flying Spur and rides on a new, bespoke chassis that sits so low on its wheels you can barely get a finger between the top of the front tire and the wheel well. The swelling line of the rear-quarter panel is reminiscent of the Brooklands. However, we were told that since Bentley had a good idea of what the Mulsanne was going to be when they were designing the Brooklands, they incorporated features that became aesthetic stepping stones to the Mulsanne.

The headlight arrangement is an homage to the historic 8-liter Bentleys from the brand's pre-Rolls-Royce days, that had their smaller lamps mounted slightly outboard from the mains. The central headlight element is ringed by daytime-running-light LEDs – when you see the car coming at you, it'll be unmistakable. In back, the taillight treatment is Continental series, but if you step away, it doesn't look like a Continental at all; the mass is broken up by gentle curves and accent planes. And get a load of that C-pillar...

Inside, the overhaul continues. Gone are the mid-century ergonomics and design of the Arnage, replaced by a cabin that showcases chrome-accented dials and modern switchgear -- like a joystick controller for the screen – among a forest of wood. Oh, and a brand new steering wheel.

You can find the press release after the jump and the high-res photos below, but what you won't find are things like engine and powertrain details. Those will remain secret until the Mulsanne's European reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show. For the time being then, we can probably all be content to feast on the Mulsanne's looks.

Bentley today announced more details of its all-new flagship sedan, the 2011 Mulsanne, which is set to go on sale across the nation in the fall of 2010.

Production of the car, however, will commence at the automaker’s facility in Crewe, England this spring and already customer interest has been exceeding the original targets Bentley had planned.

That’s because the new Mulsanne has already been showcased to more than 1,000 customers in both Crewe and during an exclusive seven-city U.S. tour earlier this year. There’s also the fact that the new Mulsanne, which will compete with the Rolls-Royce Phantom, will be priced from $285,000 (excluding taxes and delivery charges), undercutting its rival by almost $70,000.

For the money, Bentley will be offering customers a palette of 114 paint colors, 21 carpet colors, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides. In fact, with more standard leather and wood veneer than any other Bentley in the modern era, the Mulsanne will take nine weeks to build.

All models come with a 6.75-liter V-8 engine that’s good for 505 horsepower and a massive 752 pound-feet of torque, the latter delivered at just 1,800 rpm. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission equipped with steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters.

Technology also abounds inside, including a multimedia system with a 40 GB hard disc drive that incorporates the satellite navigation, audio/video, personal data, telephone, 8 inch touchscreen display and Bluetooth connectivity. A 14-speaker stereo system is fitted as standard but a 20-speaker Naim system is offered as an option.

Today, Bentley Motors unveiled the Mulsanne, the companys all-new flagship grand tourer, at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in Monterey, California. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentleys crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. And it was W.O.s own sensitively conserved company car that shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now.

Nearly 80 years later, while paying respect to this illustrious past, the new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern statement of luxury driving and grand touring. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentleys headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new and unique platform, goes into production next year in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory.

Introducing the Bentley Mulsanne at Pebble Beach, where Bentley was the featured marque, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said:

The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the worlds most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned.

The Bentley design team, lead by Dirk van Braeckel, have created a flagship that offers the classic sporting, styling cues long-associated with Bentley - expressed in a thoroughly contemporary way.

From the very first hand sketches in the styling studio, we were inspired by the traditions of the grand touring Bentleys and have sought to evolve this story for a new generation of Bentley enthusiasts.

The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentleys iconic Winged B emblem underlines the companys racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit, the scene of no fewer than six Bentley triumphs. Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner.

The Bentley 8-litre displayed alongside the Mulsanne in California was first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show. It was the second-built and was W.O. Bentleys company car for two years. Capable of reaching more than 100 mph, the 8-litre demonstrated W.O. Bentleys ambition and ability to build a grand luxury car capable of surpassing every other leading manufacturer of the day. A total of 100 cars were built in 1930 and 1931.

The 8-litres breathtaking performance and quality was perhaps the finest example of a pure grand Bentley. Every mechanical detail carried W.O. Bentleys unique stamp and it was the clearest demonstration of a car built without compromise, commented Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board Engineering.

The Mulsanne has been designed with exactly the same guiding principles, so it is entirely fitting that these Bentleys from different eras share the same stage.

The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010. It will also be displayed at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show (15-27th September, 2009) where Bentley Motors will provide additional product information.

Bentley will unveil a highly distinctive and sporting interpretation of the Mulsanne at the Geneva Show next month. 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 saloon.

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 saloon. 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.”

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 modelsmay 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 – At a Glance

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.

1. Bentley Motors is the third largest R&D investor in the UK's automotive sector and the 18th largest nationally. The company employs almost 4,000 people in Crewe which is home to all its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury vehicle manufacturers such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley exports over £500m worth of goods every year to established markets like the US, as well as emerging markets such as China and South America.

2. Bentley’s global sales for 2011 increased by 37% with 7,003 cars delivered. This growth was led by the Chinese region (1876 cars sold) with mainland China (excl. Hong Kong and Taiwan) up 104.17% (1664 cars). However, the Americas remains the biggest market for Bentley with 2,021 cars delivered (up 32%) in 2011. All major markets were up with Europe up by over a half, due mainly to high demand in Germany (up by nearly 90%). The UK market proved to be more challenging, but still saw an increase of over five per cent. The surge in sales was led by demand for the new Continental GT. Over one third of all Bentley sales in 2011 were GTs with 2404 delivered. December 2011 was Bentley’s best month since the recession and the second highest ever, boosted by the first deliveries of the new soft-top Continental GTC. We have ambitious but realistic plans to continue this growth in 2012.

13MY Bentley Mulsanne - Standard Specification

This is a detailed specification of standard equipment for 13 Model Year Mulsanne. Slight variations may occur in some markets. Please consult your dealer for details.

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