There is nothing sadder than a day in the world of the automobile when a model is being discontinued. Here, we are talking about Bentley Mulsanne which goes out of service today for once and all. And, along with it, the legendary 6.75-litre V8 Rolls-Royce/Bentley engine, which has been in production for almost 61 years, has been put to rest. The reason for the discontinuation of the 6.75-litre V8 engine, first introduced in 1959 and heavily updated in 2010, is due to its failure to meet the new stricter emission standards regarding Co2 emissions.
The last unit of Bentley Mulsanne made its way out of the production line in Crewe, England. After more than a decade in service, the final Mulsanne Speed 6.75 Edition is going to be shipped to its buyer in the United States of America. Painted Rose Gold and Tungsten with customizations done by Mullner, there is very little information about the model’s design, specification and even the owner’s identity is kept a secret.
Over 7,300 plus cars were produced at Bentley’s production line at Crewe, England. The iconic luxury Bentley Mulsanne is named after the Mulsanne Corner of the Le Mans racing circuit, where Bentley cars have won the race stunning six times. Bentley Mulsanne was revealed to the world at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, sporting unique exterior, interior styling and twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 engine. The first updates to the Mulsanne came in the form of Mulliner Driving specifications in 2012. New features like 21-inch aluminium alloy wheels with titanium fasteners, 100 exterior colour options, Drive Dynamics Control system, brightly painted wheels etc. were introduced. The second update came in the form of Mulsanne Speed, which was unveiled in 2015. Powered by a 6.75-litre V8 engine, the engine churned out 530 bhp of maximum power and 1,100 Nm of peak torque. Transmission duties in all the Mulsanne models were handled by an 8-speed ZF automatic unit with electronic shift interface and paddle-shifters mounted on the steering wheel.
The Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase, the third Mulsanne variant, was produced keeping in mind the comfort of rear seat passengers. Increasing the wheelbase from 3,266 mm up to 3,516 mm increased the legroom for the rear-seat passengers. New exciting additions were electronic leg rests, privacy curtains and ornate folding table plus a console to separate the two rear seats.
In 2020, the final model came in the form of the 6.75 Edition by Mulliner. Only 30 production units were made available for the buyers. The model took its name from the famous 6.75-litre engine. The Bentley Continental Flying Spur is going to replace the Mulsanne series, and the VWAG W12 will succeed the 6.75-litre V8, but nothing is going to take away the nostalgia of V8 engines.
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