The good old 6 and 3/4 litre twin-turbo V8 of the new 2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed has been massaged to produce a staggering 811 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750 rpm. This motor has been around for a long time, and it’s always been about the torque. After all, torque plus comfort equals luxury, as far as Bentley is concerned. Mind you, this V8 motor run on gasoline and not on diesel. Although, it’s making nearly as much torque as your latest HD pickup truck.
By the way, it also happens to make a maximum 530 horsepower @ 4,200 rpm. This motor does not like to rev too high, but it doesn’t have to. The result is that this 5,977 pound ultra-luxury sedan can glide 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds and go up to 190 mph on the top end. It’s not the quickest or fastest sedan in the Bentley stable, but the numbers are still difficult to comprehend.
The 8-speed automatic transmission has been recalibrated and adds an “S” mode to keep the revs above 2,000 rpm for more spirited driving. The Mulsanne Speed also takes a pause and includes a fuel saving V4 mode, where it deactivates four cylinders under light load. It means that owners can eek out extra driving range out of their Mulsanne between refills. Although, most of these are likely chauffeur-driven, and the owners have their own fueling station at the mansion.
Of course, the interior is hand-crafted and assembled. It takes many cow hides and days to complete a single car. And if you have to ask about the price, then … you know the rest.
The Bentley Flying Spur W12 is another option if you are looking for all out performance and speed in a Bentley.
Check out the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible frolicking on top of a frozen lake in the Colorado mountains.
Andre Smirnov is a life-long automotive enthusiast, software engineer, writer, and reporter. He has been writing and reporting at TFLcar since 2011.