Despite the success of the Flying Spur Bentley still deserved a flagship model to replace the outgoing Arnage in 2010. That role fell on the Mulsanne which took the brand to places where the Arnage never even came close to. The 2011 Mulsanne directly rivaled the Rolls Royce Phantom which was the first time a Bentley had its sights on it ever since it switched ownership to VW. And while that ownership change brought a ton of parts sharing for the Continental GT and the Flying Spur, the Mulsanne would have none of it. It was built on a bespoke platform using the original 6.75 liter V8 which came as a huge surprise to everyone. That made the Mulsanne the only model developed and built independently by Bentley ever since Rolls Royce took over in 1931. And it definitely shows. The front end is an obvious throwback to the 1930 Bentley 8-Litre while the interior was as bespoke as it gets with virtually no parts sharing with VW or any other brand. And while it’s often overlooked today, the Mulsanne is possibly the last unique Bentley model. That means there are a lot of interesting things to talk about, but before that, check out the ones currently for sale here at Exotic Car Trader.
With Rolls Royce taking over in 1931, virtually all Bentley built after were nothing more than rebadged Rolls Royce models, although sometimes with a bit more power. Even after VW took over, the new Arnage continued on the old Rolls Royce platform while the Flying Spur was built on the D1 VW Phaeton platform. The 2011 Mulsanne being entirely unique and developed in-house is one of its major features that makes it so unique as Bentley hasn’t done that since 1930. Even more interestingly, the 6.75 liter, twin turbocharged V8 engine was kept in favor of the VW W12 which was welcomed by everyone as the engine can be dated back to the 1970s and heritage is always a major plus for a Bentley. During its ten years of production, Bentley sold around 7,300 examples which is more than impressive considering its price and the fact that it came out at the same time as the entire world was still suffering from a recession. Over the years, the Mulsanne saw some interesting iterations such as the 2014 Mulsanne Speed and the 2016 Mulsanne EWB. Those two models also introduced the two facelifts the Mulsanne got before it went out of production in 2020. And with the current Bentley models all being built on VW platforms using their engines, the Mulsanne is quite possibly the last authentic Bentley.
Being an absolutely humongous vehicle, the 2011 Mulsanne interior is bound to be proportionately big. There is enough rear legroom to make even the tallest passengers feel small while those equipped with the executive package get two fully adjustable captain’s chairs. And despite it being built in the early 2010s, the 2011 Mulsanne isn’t lacking in technology even when compared to modern cars. The rear cabin could be optioned with front seat integrated laptops including additional screens in the headrests and a huge fold down display mounted centrally on the ceiling. The seats as well as the AC are controlled by yet another touchscreen on the center console. And the car being as huge as it is, a total of 17 bulls gave their lives to grace the Mullsane’s interior which took 136 hours to finish. Up front, the dashboard sits tall with three gauges sitting just above the AC controls as a throwback to the nineties Bentleys. And then there is the wood trim, a lot of it. From the look of it, about 80% of the dashboard and center console is covered with wood. The leather color splits and colors themselves are absolutely gorgeous, while the gauge cluster is another unique feature as all the dials are essentially upside down. The only downside to the 2011 Mulsanne interior is the old infotainment system, but it will do the trick even today.
We already mentioned that the 2011 Mulsanne is huge, but in case you didn’t believe us, these numbers are all the proof you need. At 219 inches of length, the 2011 Mulsanne is nearly ten inches longer than the 2023 Escalade and around 6 inches wider. Shaping and putting together all this metal, which is mostly steel, takes more than 250 hours. But even more impressively, the Mulsanne doesn’t look out of proportion or even bland as Bentley fills it with all kinds of interesting details. Starting at the front, the enormous round LED headlights sit fairly low in reference to the grille which is what makes it look like the old 8-Litre so much. The signature grille is big as it ever was while the front bumper looks surprisingly aggressive. Down the side, the usually enormous 21 inch wheels are almost dwarfed by the Mulsanne. A nice wing vents sitting low on the front wing carves through the doors adding complexity to such a huge car. The shoulder line is muscular but not too pronounced as it is on the Flying Spur. A thin chrome trim piece starting at the wing vent wraps around the rear bumper making it look even more expensive. The only part of the 2011 Mulsanne exterior that isn’t so bespoke is the rear end which still looks a lot like the Arnage and the Brooklands, but both of those are very good looking cars and it works perfectly with the rest of the design. And the last detail are two very thin and elegant oval exhausts reminding you that the 2011 Mulsanne packs some serious punch.
All the 2011 Mulsanne performance figures are impressive and it’s all thanks to that mighty 6.75 liter V8 engine which makes more power than ever. The two turbochargers strapped to the lump coupled with its massive displacement give the 2011 Mulsanne 505 horsepower. And while that isn't all too impressive, keep in mind that it also gives it 752 lb-ft of torque which is much, much more than the W12 ever made in its 20 years of production. But then again, the 2011 Mulsanne is a hefty thing so it does need all the torque it can get. At 5,700 lbs it’s much heavier than the W12 Bentayga and heavier even than most full size SUVs. Its steel chassis and body are largely to blame, but Bentley purposefully makes its cars heavier because it adds to the authentic driving feel while also improving comfort and composure at high speeds. And that’s good, because the 2011 Mulsanne can reach 190 mph leaving us thinking that its tires might be even more impressive than the car itself. The Mulsanne also accelerates like something is chasing it with a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds, just 0.3 seconds slower than the Flying Spur of its generation. After all these figures we can only say that the ancient V8 really went out with a bang.
With a starting price of $280,000 back in 2011, the Mulsanne was the most expensive Bentley and by some margin. Even the Bentayga Speed had a starting price of $240,000, and that’s in 2020, nearly ten years later. And let’s not forget that with a few options, the Mulsanne’s price reaches $330,000, sometimes even more. Now, the big question is, how much is a 2011 Mulsanne worth today in 2024? Examples with 40,000 to 50,000 miles on them have recently sold for around $50,000 to $60,000. Yes, you read that right. Even showroom examples with just over 10,000 miles barely cross the $80,000 mark making the 2011 Mulsanne very tempting indeed.
After everything is said and done, the 2011 Mulsanne has the highest potential to increase in value of any Bentley model built in the past twenty years, save for maybe a few special editions and possibly the Brooklands/Azure. But besides being such an important car for the brand’s history, it’s also ridiculously cheap, at least for the time being. But sooner or later the Mulsanne will be recognized by a wider audience for what it is, the first authentic Bentley in the last 90 years, and possibly the last one. Once you are ready to pull the trigger, using Exotic Car Trader for buying your very own Mulsanne or any other luxury vehicle is one of your safest options. Exotic Car Trader ensures everything goes as smoothly as possible with escrow protection, delivery and first inspection while also being the most convenient method for buying a luxury car. The same goes if you are looking to sell a car through Exotic Car Trader.
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