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Bentley to retire aging 6.75-liter V8 with current Mulsanne

The massive 6.75-liter V8 in the Bentley Mulsanne is one of the oldest engines still in production. But it may not be around for much longer. According to Car and Driver, Bentley intends to finally put the big old pushrod V8 to pasture once the current Mulsanne is phased out, thus putting an end to a saga that goes back some 57 years. Powerful as it may be, ever-stricter exhaust emissions and fuel-consumption regulations will see that the L Series V8, originally introduced way back in 1957, doesn't stay in production forever. Whenever the Mulsanne is replaced, it will reportedly get a brand-new twelve-cylinder engine. Bentley is currently the world's largest producer of dozen-pot powerplants. Production of the British automaker's 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 far outpaces anything from Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ferrari, or Lamborghini. Over the decades since its introduction, Bentley's long-serving V8 has gone from making an "adequate" amount of power and torque to an impressive 530 horsepower and a positively massive 811 pound-feet (with the help of a couple of turbochargers). Its eventual discontinuation wouldn't be the first attempt on the life of the 6.75-liter engine. When BMW briefly took control of both Rolls and Bentley, it replaced the big engine by a smaller 4.4-liter V8. Customer demand led Bentley to bring the old engine back. It will likely be some time before we get details of Bentley's next powerplant. Models like the Mulsanne and Rolls-Royce Phantom tend to stick around for a long time, and the latest version of Bentley's flagship was just released earlier this year. Related Video:

Bentley introduces tweed interior trim option for all models

Attention Bentley shoppers: Tweed is now on the menu. The woolen fabric can now be specced in any of its models (Bentayga, Flying Spur or Continental GT) as interior door trim as a replacement for whatever wood, metals or stone(!) you would have there normally. It’s so delightfully British in the best possible way. You can pick between four different tweed patterns. HereÂ’s how Bentley describes them: “Cheltenham, with its countryside greens, offers a more traditional choice for customers whereas Glen Plaid–Tolsta Beach, named after the shores of the rugged Outer Hebrides, makes a confident statement with its bold check pattern. Providing a more subtle, contemporary choice, the Charcoal and Sand Herringbone tweeds complement dark and light interiors respectively on the two-door and four-door Grand Tourers.” The Glen Plaid-Tolsta Beach is our favorite with Cheltenham coming in at a close second. Both Herringbone trims are still cool, but the checked pattern really pops. It feels right at home in such an elegant and luxurious interior. Bentley says itÂ’s sourcing the tweed from a Scottish distributor named Lovat Mill. ItÂ’s made using sustainable processes, furthering BentleyÂ’s goals of minimizing its carbon footprint. If you want tweed in your new Bentley, youÂ’ll need to order it through Mulliner, BentleyÂ’s bespoke commissioning division. ItÂ’ll be expensive, but what else did you expect? This isnÂ’t the first time weÂ’ve seen tweed featured in Bentley products before. The stunning Mulliner Bacalar used tweed extensively throughout its interior, going so far as to use it on the instrument panel, seats and bespoke luggage set. You canÂ’t get that much tweed in the rest of BentleyÂ’s range, but itÂ’s a lovely touch nonetheless. Related Video:

Bentley plotting Mulsanne performance model for Paris debut

Between three distinct body styles and numerous engine specifications, Bentley has made more versions of the Continental over the years than we would care to count. But one thing it has, by and (very) large left alone is the Mulsanne. Sure, it's done some special editions and some extra equipment packages - it's even toyed with the idea of a two-door convertible version - but at the end of the day, the Mulsanne soldiers on as a four-door sedan with one engine and one engine alone. That may be about to change, however.
Fueled by ambiguous pronouncements from Bentley's returning chief Wolfgang Dürheimer, rumors from the UK suggest that the Flying B marque is preparing a more performance-focused version of the Mulsanne to debut at the Paris Motor Show this October.
Details are few and far between, but we'd expect the Mulsanne's long-serving 6.75-liter V8 engine to be further tuned beyond its current specification of 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque, accompanied by a stiffer suspension, bigger brakes and other upgrades. Historically Bentley would turbocharge the Mulsanne's predecessors (to turn the 90s-era Brooklands, for instance, into the Turbo R), but the Mulsanne's engine is already spooled up, so the British automaker will likely have to massage the extra muscle out another way.