FRANKFURT, Germany — Bentley on Tuesday filled in some of the blanks on its 2011 Mulsanne flagship at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. But up in the air are such critical details as final U.S. pricing and fuel-economy numbers.
The Mulsanne made a showy debut last month at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. As promised, Bentley in Frankfurt released a raft of technical specifications on the car. The V8 engine, an update of the existing motor that includes cylinder deactivation, displaces 6.75 liters and is mated to an eight-speed transmission. The engine churns out 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque.
When Inside Line on Tuesday asked Bentley's U.S. spokesman David Reuter for official fuel-economy numbers, he replied in an e-mailed message: "We'll release specific numbers a bit closer to launch. We expect real-world fuel economy improvements to be significant."
Bentley says a new Drive Dynamics Control system offers three standard modes: Bentley, Sport and Comfort. A fourth mode, Custom, allows the driver to select personalized settings via the multimedia system to "tune" the Mulsanne to a "preferred driving style."
As expected, virtually all of the specifications on the Mulsanne are supersized. The car comes equipped with 20 audio speakers, it takes 15 hours to hand-stitch the steering wheel, and optional wheels are 21 inches across. Buyers can select from 114 exterior paint choices, including duo-tone combinations. A personalized keyless entry system can even preprogram the blinds for the side and rear windows.
The automaker noted in a statement that it takes more than 170 hours to put the interior together. "Following detailed customer feedback, a traditional tanning process has been reinstated to match the rich, worn leather smell that is so evocative of vintage Bentleys," it said.
Reuter said the Mulsanne will cost "more than an Arnage, which runs from $224,000 (regular model) to $264,000 (long-wheelbase model)."
The Mulsanne goes on sale in the U.S. in summer 2010.
Inside Line says: Still some blank pages in the Mulsanne's playbook, but then again, are the rich-as-Midas buyers really worried about the price and how much they can expect to pay at the pump? — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
imreal says:
05:42 PM, 01/17/2010
The best style for the new car very,very different in all aspects