Bentley previews flagship sedan for the 21st century

John LeBlanc

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.–Amidst the party atmosphere at this year's 59th Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and show, Bentley revealed a new flagship sedan.

Named Mulsanne in honour of one of the three towns that made up the original triangular Le Mans race course in France (along with Le Mans and Arnage), the $300,000 sedan will eventually replace the current top-of-the-line Arnage – a car that has been around for more than a decade.

As big a leap forward as the '10 Mulsanne may end up over the Arnage, current global economic woes mean there's little hope the new car will add to Bentley's production volume.

According to company officials, Bentley will likely sell about 5,000 vehicles in 2009 – compared to the 10,000 cars it sold in its best year, 2007. Its British assembly plant shut down this year for almost two months.

Exclusivity will be a Mulsanne hallmark. Once launched, the hope is to sell about 700 vehicles a year.

Despite similar proportions and traditional Bentley styling cues, the Volkswagen-owned British brand is making the point that this isn't just a restyle of the Arnage.

The 2010 Mulsanne will be the first "real" Bentley since the brand's four consecutive victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans from 1927 to 1930 and the subsequent takeover by Rolls-Royce.

The current Arnage shares a platform with the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph that died seven years ago, while the smaller Bentley Continental is based on a VW large sedan chassis that has also underpinnings of the VW Phaeton and Audi A8.

Bentley admitted that the Mulsanne unveiling here at Pebble Beach was more of a taste for potential customers than a full briefing for the media.

There were few details, with more to come at next month's Frankfurt auto show, but we can share some information gleaned from Bentley officials.

Although Bentley says every component of the Mulsanne's powerplant has been redesigned, its V8 engine will have the same dimensions as the Arnage's 6.75-litre V8 – a mill that dates to the 1950s.

As reference, the final 150 Arnage models received a 500 hp twin-turbo version of that engine, which has 735 lb.-ft. of torque .

Styling presence has always been a big appeal with the top Bentley sedans. And Dirk van Braeckel, Bentley's director of design, has certainly retained that quality with the Mulsanne.

All the traditional big Bentley elements are here. But the Mulsanne looks as modern as its decade-old predecessor looks dated.

The new Bentley's headlight design is a take-off on the historic 8-litre Bentleys from the 1920s, an example of which was parked beside it on the Pebble Beach lawn.

Front fenders are reminiscent of the Arnage. Rear-quarter panels are reminiscent of the Brooklands coupe. The shoulder line is more pronounced. The C-pillar is rakishly swept back. And all the metal creases are as sharp as the cut on a custom tailored Saville Row suit.

On the inside, the Mulsanne moves into the 21st century, as well.

There's an actual (gasp!) joystick controller for the central screen interface. Its ergonomics seem less Neanderthal.

But don't panic Bentley fan: Its cockpit is chockablock with chrome-accented dials and swathed in metres of leather.

As the Arnage ends production by the end of this year, expect the Mulsanne to go on sale sometime next spring.

More videos from Wheels.ca and our partners