new auto cars 2012: 2013 Bentley Mulsanne

2013 Bentley Mulsanne

2013, Bentley, Bentley Mulsanne, Cars 3:41 AM

The Bentley Mulsanne is a performance luxury car which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1980 until 1992, though derivative models like the Continental T and Azure continued in production into the 2000s. The name "Mulsanne" is derived from Bentley famous history, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1930 . The Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racecourse where cars reach their highest speeds.

The new Bentley Mulsanne is a high-end luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom. The name is derived from Bentley's historical racing pedigree, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racing circuit where cars reach their highest speeds.

Bentley new flagship model brings back the Mulsanne nameplate last used in 1992, and replaces the Bentley Arnage. The Mulsanne was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours Elegance, on 16 August 2009. Coupe and convertible variants are expected to follow at some point as replacements for the Arnage-based Brook-lands and Azure respectively.

Like the Arnage, the Mulsanne retains the iconic 6.75 L OHV V8 engine, albeit heavily modified to meet Euro V emissions regulations. To achieve improved fuel consumption, the re-designed engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing. Unlike the less expensive Bentley Continental Flying Spur and Bentley Continental GT, the Mulsanne shares very few components with other marques in the Volkswagen Group. The Mulsanne is also notable as it is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years; the last being W.O. Bentley's iconic 8 litre model in 1930. Afterward, most Bentleys had shared platforms with Rolls-Royce cars.

The Mulsanne aims to recreate as much of Bentley's heritage as possible. For instance, the stainless steel knobs on the dashboard that control the vent plungers are electronic micro switches that send signals to the digital servos that handle the job. However, Bentley engineers painstakingly replicated the feedback of a precisely polished steel rod sliding over smooth felt to pull a soft leather damper closed.