Bentley Motors to introduce 'Mulsanne' super-luxury car by 2011 in India

2010 Bentley Mulsanne

Bentley Motors, which had unveiled its new flagship model – the Mulsanne – at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event in August this year, is looking to launch it in the Indian market too, probably in the next couple of years if media reports are to be believed.

According to Business Standard, though the details of the launch have not been officially confirmed, it has been learnt that the super-luxury car will be handcrafted as per the customers and will attract over 100 per cent import duty. It is to be mentioned that the British ultra-luxury carmaker had already announced that production of the car will start early next year globally. Prices for the 2010 Bentley Mulsanne will start at £220,000 (Rs. 1.69 crore) in the UK, which means this V8-engined luxury grand tourer is likely to cost more than Rs. 3.5 crore when it finally comes to India, which will probably not happen before 2011. Like all its other models, the aforesaid model would be rolled out from its factory in Crewe, England.

The car is equipped with a revised version of Bentley’s 6.8-litre twin-turbo V8, which produces 512 horsepower and 1,020Nm of torque. The new Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale in the US and in Europe by mid-2010 and was also displayed at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show (15-27th September, 2009) where Bentley will provide additional information about the car.

The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the Bentley 8-litre, which was first shown in 1930 and 100 units of which were built from 1930-31. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new platform, will go into production in 2010. The car will be made in a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory in the UK.

According to Bentley, “Expression of interest in the new Mulsanne easily exceeds 2010 production targets for the car, which will be built at the company’s facility in Crewe, in the UK. To give you an idea of exactly how a Bentley Mulsanne is in a different league from, say, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7 Series car, the Mulsanne will be offered in 114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leather hides. Hand-built to a large extent, each Mulsanne will take up to nine weeks to assemble.”

Read more: Bentley Motors to introduce 'Mulsanne' super-luxury car by 2011 in India - WheelsUnplugged Automobile Industry News
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