If you're a petrol head and live in or are considering a trip to England, you may want to make plans to visit Bentley's headquarters in Crewe and check out a new design exhibition called "An Unbroken Line", which offers a rare glimpse inside the company's usually secret studios. The exhibition follows the development of a Bentley from the first sketch right through to the final product, and includes drawings from the prototype phase of models such as the new Continental GT that are being shown to the public for the first time ever. Furthermore, the exhibition also captures key moments of the company’s lineage with signature characteristics that define a Bentley to this day such as the positioning of the headlights, the use of inverted needles on the dashboard and the pronounced ‘powerlines’ that sweep down the flanks of the car.
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Set to replace the Arnage, the British firm's flagship model is motivated by a twin-turbocharged 6¾-litre V8 churning out 512 horsepower and a massive peak torque of 1020 Nm / 752 lb ft. Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a new eight-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel mounted gearshifts. Watch the video after the jump.
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Bentley's new flagship limousine, the Mulsanne, will arrive in the United Kingdom in the Summer of 2010 with a starting price of £220,000 (including taxes and delivery charges), which comes to about US$365,000 or €242,000 with the current exchange rates, the company announced today. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 6¾-litre V8 engine that delivers a hefty 512 horsepower, the luxury Bentley flagship will offer buyers a wide variety of personalization options including a palette of 114 paint colors, 21 carpet colors, nine wood veneers and 24 different interior leather hides to choose from.
Bentley said it has already held more than 1,000 private customer previews of the Mulsanne at the company's factory in Crewe, England as well as a series of preview events held at dealerships across the UK, Continental Europe and the United States, and that early customer interest exceeds 2010 production targets
"Even at this very early stage, the expression of interest we've received easily exceeds our 2010 production targets," said Stuart McCullough, Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing for Bentley.
"The Mulsanne's credentials are a pure expression of Bentley design and craftsmanship, and that's struck a chord with Bentley enthusiasts across the globe as well as many of the potential customers we have welcomed for tours in Crewe this year. We've been encouraged by the positive commentary, notably from our American customers as the Mulsanne was privately previewed in seven metro markets across the country."
Production of the Mulsanne will commence at the firm's Crewe headquarters in England in the second quarter of 2010 with each example taking about nine weeks to build.
