It"s the amazing new...
It"s the amazing new Bentley that sets fresh standards for performance and driveability ň€“ and it will spawn a family of models, including a coupé and convertible, too! This is the Mulsanne, a luxurious limousine with a 6.75-litre V8 that produces 510bhp and 1,020Nm of torque, plus boasts a hand-finished chassis and state-of-the-art air suspension. And Bentley is planning fresh replacements for both the Brooklands coupé and Azure convertible based on the newcomer, which made its public debut at Frankfurt. The company is certainly confident the Mulsanne will reset the luxury car benchmark for years to come. Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Bentleyň€™s Dr Ulrich Eichhorn said: ň€śWith this car, we assessed the performance, craftsmanship and refinement of the Arnage ň€“ and enhanced it in every way. We have produced a car of the highest possible quality.ň€ťPowered by a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8, the Mulsanne offers a number of firsts for the luxury sector, such as cam-phasing, which adjusts engine performance and fuel efficiency. Variable displacement technology is also featured, which shuts down cylinders to save fuel at cruising speed. Inside, thereň€™s a 2,200-watt Naim audio system with 20 speakers ň€“ all connected to a 40GB hard drive boasting the latest navigation technology and Internet connection.Buyers keen on the cabrio and coupé are likely to have to wait at least a couple of years for their introduction, however.
Auto Express can reveal...
Auto Express can reveal Pagani is planning to produce a baby Zonda, which will use Mercedes power in a bid to teach its Italian rival a thing or two about exotic performance. Talks are underway with the German firm"s in-house tuner AMG about donating the supercharged V8 from the SL55 to the newcomer. The Zonda already uses a 7.3-litre version of AMG"s V12 powerplant, tuned to produce 555bhp. In the new model, the smaller V8 is likely to provide at least 490bhp and a sub-4.5-second 0-60mph time.
As our exclusive images in this week"s issue show, the car will be a more compact evolution of the Zonda"s shape, with a far more muscular stance than the Lamborghini. What"s more, it will lose some of the larger Pagani"s outrageous styling, giving a cleaner look. It will still be easily recognisable, with the familiar shape of the glass area and bulging wheelarches complementing the drooping rear end and sharp nose. The design will be finished by two raised, centrally mounted tailpipes, which will no doubt emit a suitably sporty exhaust note.
The project is still in its early stages, so don"t expect to see the baby Pagani on the road until 2006. With the full-size Zonda costing í‚áŁ350,000, the newcomer will make the exclusive marque far more accessible, with prices likely to start at around í‚áŁ130,000.