2010 mulsanne – dk10 fej
In 2009, Bentley revealed a new luxury flagship, the Mulsanne four-door saloon, named after the corner at Le Mans where the marque had made its racing reputation. The new model was entirely hand-built at Crewe and offered customers greater scope for bespoke personalisation than was possible with the Continental Flying Spur saloon.
Power with Efficiency
Like the Arnage which it succeeded, the Mulsanne was powered by an evolved version of the Bentley 6.75-litre V8, now featuring cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing to further improve fuel efficiency. Fully compliant with all emissions regulations of the time, the V8 developed 505 bhp and 1020 Nm of torque, giving the Mulsanne a top speed of 184 miles an hour and a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds. The Mulsanne’s chassis featured double-wishbone front suspension, with three driver-selectable settings for the all-round air suspension. Continuous Damping Control reconciled the conflicting requirements of roll resistance in the corners and a supple, cosseting ride.
Handrafted in Crewe
The bodywork combined advanced aluminium superforming techniques (seen on the front fenders) with hand craftsmanship, exemplified by the hand-brazed D-pillar join that gave the rear its ‘hewn from solid’ look. The interior trim was designed to enclose driver and passengers in a continuous ring of wood that continued from dashboard via the door waistrails to a corresponding band along the rear screen. Each Mulsanne took over 400 hours to build, with over 70% of this time spent upon the sumptuous interior.
DK10 FEJ
The first Mulsanne off the production lines, chassis 00001, was auctioned at Pebble Beach in 2009 for US $500,000. The model in the Heritage Collection is the second to be built, chassis 00002. It is finished in Imperial Blue with an interior trimmed in Shortbread as the main hide and Imperial Blue as secondary hide. The veneer is Burr Walnut.
Date Produced | 2010-2020; this model 2010, the second off the production line |
Number Built | 8,188 |
Body | Saloon; 4-doors, 4 or 5 seats; weight 2,650 kg |
Engine | 6,750 cc twin-turbocharged V8, 2 valves per cylinder. Variable cam phasing and cylinder de-activation |
Power | 505 bhp @ 4,000 rpm; 1,050 Nm @ 3,200 rpm |
Transmission | Rear wheel drive; 8-speed ZF 8HP automatic transmission |
Chassis | Steel monocoque; double wishbone front suspension; multilink rear suspension with toe and brake reaction control. Electronically controlled air springs with Continuous Damping Control (CDC) |
Dimensions | Wheelbase 3,266 mm; width across body 1,926 mm; length 5,575 mm |
Performance | Maximum speed 183 mph (296 kph); 0-100 kph (62 mph) 5.3 sec |