With Rolls Royce owning Bentley for more than 70 years, it steered the brand in a slightly different direction from its own models, and that direction is performance. That’s quite fitting for a brand whose racing roots can be traced back to the first car it ever made over 100 years ago. With the Mulsanne being the first independently developed model and an obvious throwback to those first Bentley automobiles, it’s not surprising it eventually got the “Speed” treatment. What that means is that the 2018 Mulsanne Speed gets even more power than the standard model, a sportier suspension and noticeably better performance despite being the brand’s flagship luxury sedan. Moreover, it also includes the 2016 update which has a much more modern looking exterior, interior and more advanced technology, on top of which the Speed trim adds sporty details all around. All of this makes the 2018 Mulsanne Speed one of the best iterations and one of the best model years available, but before we uncover all the interesting details, check out the ones currently available at Exotic Car Trader.
The Bentley Mulsanne didn’t sell nearly as well as the Flying Spur, but given its price and status, it was never supposed to, not to mention it would be impossible to build that many. What’s a more revealing piece of information is that at 7,300 examples made, it was sold in a few thousand more examples than its main competitor, the Rolls Royce Phantom. That’s not surprising considering it was the first Bentley in decades that didn’t share its platform or engines with any other brand or model, and so far the last. Both the Continental GT and the Flying Spur used VW platforms while the Arnage and all models that came before used Rolls Royce platforms. The Mulsanne is then the most bespoke Bentley of the past 100 years or so. Still, some are more bespoke than others one of which was the EWB model which came out in 2016, and the Speed that was unveiled two years earlier. The post 2016 model years are substantially more modern as they received the last update making the 2018 Mulsanne Speed among the most sought after models. It’s made even more special by the fact that a new model will not be coming any time soon, if ever.
The 2018 Mulsanne Speed gets about the same interior treatment as all other Speed models. That means more interesting and more fun colors with a few sporty details here and there. So, the Mulsanne Speed got a new color split with contrasting leather inside the dashboard and center console outline which had already been seen on other Speed models. The color split adds just the right amount of flare without being obnoxious. That same color is then transferred to the contrasting stitching, including the leather quilting and the optional quilted roof liner. The sporty details include a knurled metal shifter and aluminum pedals. And apart from new door sills with “Speed” inscriptions, that’s about where the differences end. Even so, the interior is much more interesting and exciting. As for the 2016 update, it gave the 2018 Mulsanne Speed a new touchscreen infotainment system, redesigned door trim and hand rests, plus Android Auto and Apple Carplay. The infotainment alone makes the 2018 Mulsanne miles more convenient today, plus the rear cabin also gets two 10.2 inch retractable Android tablets with a ton of different features.
The go faster trim doesn’t change the 2018 Mulsanne Speed exterior that much. The differences are extremely subtle although they do make the Speed easily distinguishable from the standard model once you know what they are. In the front for example, the Speed gets integrated fog lights in the outer two bumper vents, while the side profile is graced by bigger 21 inch wheels. The wheels are bespoke to the Speed and are concave five spokes mostly finished in a single color. Walk around the rear and you might just notice that the tail lights are covered by a slightly darker tint while the dual oval exhausts have riffles inside. Again, all very subtle. But the 2016 update does modernize the exterior substantially with full LED headlights, a sportier bumper with three separate vents, and new flying B logo tail lights. The grille featured new vertical bars I stead of a mesh which is a nice throwback to the 1930 8-Litre and other Bentleys of its generation.
Looking back at the Speed trim, it always added just enough power to make a difference or break a record or two. And while the 2018 Mulsanne Speed doesn’t break any records, it’s certainly different from the standard model. With 30 horsepower and 60 lb-ft of torque more, the Mulsanne Speed is noticeably faster. Not to mention that with a total of 530hp and 811 lb-ft of torque, it pulls its 5,700 lbs of weight effortlessly. What’s more interesting is that the old 6.75 liter lump suffers from almost no turbo lag at all with maximum torque available at just 1,750 RPMs which isn’t something even the W12 in the Flying Spur can match. As for performance, the 0-60 time dropped by 0.3 seconds down to 4.6 and top speed is now 190 mph, just 9 mph lower than that of the period Flying Spur. The 2018 Mulsanne Speed also gets a firmer air suspension setup while the 2016 update made the engine even more efficient helping it achieve an impressive 19 mpg considering the size of the engine and the car itself.
Finding a 2018 Mulsanne Speed for sale is fairly difficult as sales had dropped considerably by then. And possibly a part of the reason they did is the fact that a brand new 2018 Mulsanne Speed had a starting price of $335,000. Still, those that do come up for sale usually go for around $150,000 to $180,000. That means the Speed trim now costs the same as the standard model despite having a $35,000 higher starting price back in 2018. That brings the choice between the two entirely down to personal preference.
Not only is the 2018 Mulsanne Speed one of the most impressive Bentleys ever made, it’s also one of the most impressive cars ever made in general. No other car carries so much weight and yet achieves such performance. At the same time, only the likes of Rolls Royce can match its luxury and craftsmanship, putting it at the very top of the luxury car food chain. Lastly, if you are looking to buy your next luxury vehicle, doing so using Exotic Car Trader is one of the safest and most convenient methods available. The buyer gets escrow protection, delivery and first inspection just to name a few perks which means Exotic Car Trader leaves nothing to chance. The same goes if you are looking to sell your luxury vehicle through Exotic Car Trader and in both cases you can finish the entire process without having to leave your house.
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