Unveiled at the Frankfurt Car Show in September, the new Bentley Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder WO Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-Litre. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now.

While the new Bentley Mulsanne pays respect to the past, it is a thoroughly modern luxury car that offers the world’s most exclusive driving experience – a unique fusion of power, refinement and elegance.

The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s 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.

Designing a grand car that looks powerful, yet agile is no easy task. Yet this is precisely what has been achieved with the Bentley Mulsanne. Like a powerful athlete that is also a swift and graceful runner, it captures a unique fusion of power, elegance and sporting style.

The entire body is sculpted to create rich design contrasts. It appears to be solid, as if sculpted from a single block, yet simultaneously graceful and elegant. Solid yet sleek. Classic yet modern. The design is made to accommodate customised materials, not to reduce their usage. For example, the hand brazing of different thickness of steel is required to create that exclusive, seamless, flush-fit feeling. Indeed, it takes a full 45 minutes to braze one lengthy section of metal behind the rear doors!

Bentley customers have a world of infinite choice when commissioning their cars. There are 114 paint colours in the range that include everything from unusual heritage colours, special satin and pearlescent finishes and duo-tone combinations. But the choice does not end there. Through the bespoke world of Bentley Mulliner, unique colours can exactly match a customer’s vision and
taste.

Inside the Mulsanne, the senses are teased by the use of contrasting materials. Mirror finished brightware is artfully mixed with tactile knurling. Classic tones are set off by daring luxury accent
colours. The Bentley interior design team has continued to develop and evolve the luxurious interiors for which their cars are renowned, based on a large-scale, research programme to identify the classic signature features that have defined Bentleys from the 1920s to the present day.