The Mulsanne’s days as Bentley’s range-topping model could be numbered. The British carmaker is looking into using its flagship as the basis of an even more lavish sedan that would be sold to connoisseurs in strictly limited numbers.
The news comes directly from Rolf Frech, Bentley’s board member of engineering. He added that the sedan will share its basic architecture — but not its name — with the Mulsanne, though it will be positioned further up in the company’s lineup. It won’t be any bigger than the Mulsanne, however, because that segment of the market is occupied by the Extended Wheelbase model (pictured) that debuted earlier this year at the Geneva Auto Show.
“That doesn’t mean we then have to make a bigger car than the Mulsanne. But maybe there are some possibilities for additional edges in this exclusive realm,” noted the executive in an interview with industry trade journal Automotive News.
While Frech stopped short of providing more details, his comments hint that the model will feature an even more luxurious interior and a specific design. The mystery sedan could also receive mechanical upgrades, though it’s too early to tell whether it will keep the standard Mulsanne’s 6.75-liter V8 engine or adopt the 6.0-liter V12 found under the hood of the Bentayga.
Frech didn’t provide a timeframe for when Bentley will decide whether or not to move forward with the project. It’s reasonable to assume we’ll hear more about it in the fall during the Paris Auto Show. Production will be strictly limited to anywhere between 50 and 100 examples — assuming the project receives the proverbial green light.
Read more: 2017 Bentley Mulsanne Speed driven
The ultra-exclusive sedan isn’t the only new, Mulsanne-based model that Bentley has in the pipelines. Earlier reports suggest that executives are considering launching a highly-desirable Mulsanne convertible whose production will be capped at just 20 units.
