Orig Msrp $213,845; +$19,000 Carbon Fibre Mulliner Pkg; Glacier White/beluga on 2040-cars

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2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed Video Review

"It feels like a million bucks and it's only $400,000." I completely agree with this statement from editor-in-chief Mike Austin, that you'll hear in the video above. I spent a weekend with the 2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed and can honestly say that taken as a whole, every single part of this sedan works together to make it feel like the absolute fanciest car in the world. The big story with this Mulsanne is the Speed part of its name. Bentley's 6.75-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 is massaged to produce 530 horsepower and an absolutely astonishing 811 pound-feet of torque. Still, this is a nearly 6,000-pound car, so even with all that power, the Mulsanne Speed isn't a rocketship. A sub-five-second run to 60 miles per hour is, of course, nothing to scoff at – especially in a car that's built like a bank vault. But that quickness is masked by the stately, luxurious, wafty nature of the Mulsanne. This is a Gentleman's Car, after all. Despite its overwhelming luxury, the Mulsanne isn't the most modern car around. A lot of the switchgear screams last-generation Volkswagen to us, and in contrast to the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600, a lot of the Bentley's interior feels a little behind the times. No matter, it's still a rolling embodiment of class, refinement, and upper-crust exclusivity, and it'll turn heads in a way that the long-wheelbase Mercedes simply cannot. Don't just take my word for it, though. Let editor-in-chief Mike Austin tell you all about the super-luxurious, super-fast Mulsanne in the video, above. Bentley New Car Reviews Luxury Performance Videos Original Video Sedan bentley mulsanne bentley mulsanne speed Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.

Bentley Mulliner Batur celebrates the W12, previews EV style

Bentley has revealed its second special Mulliner coach-built model, and it represents a crossroads for the brand. It's called the Bentley Mulliner Batur, and it's a sendoff for the core engine for Bentley, the twin-turbo W12. It's also a sign of things to come. The styling you see here will be adapted for Bentley's future electric cars. The car is clearly Bentley right from the get-go. It has the long front end, the prominent, rounded rectangular grille, rearward placed cabin and wide, flowing rear fenders. But it has a more aggressive look than some recent Bentleys. The grille looks as though it's leaning more forward. Instead of round headlights, it has sweptback units that look like eagle eyes. The rear glass, instead of kicking up, stays low along the belt line. The tail has almost a boattail look and has slender taillights. It's Bentley, but it's also new. The inside is clearly closely related to the Continental GT, which is no bad thing. But it can be set apart with special materials. Buyers of the Batur will have the ability to customize almost every aspect of the car with different leathers from different locations, different interior trimmings and upholstery designs. Bentley is offering some very unique materials, too. Metal pieces such as the organ stop vent switches can be made from titanium or even 3D-printed 18-karat gold. Some of the interior trim can be made from a natural fiber composite, which is like carbon fiber, but made from naturally occurring fibers rather than synthetically created carbon. The natural fiber can be used for the front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser as well. And of course the exterior can be customized with just about any paint and graphics imaginable. Bentley says that the Batur is powered by the most powerful iteration of the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 yet. It makes 730 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It's paired with adaptive air suspension, active anti-roll bars, all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, an electronic limited-slip differential and torque vectoring to help it handle as well as it can go in a straight line. Stopping it are a set of carbon silicon carbide brakes with 10-piston front brake calipers and four-piston rears. Only 18 Baturs will be built, and they're all spoken for. Pricing started at 1.65 million British pounds, or $1.95 million. Though there will only be a few of these Baturs, keep an eye out for its design to show up in the Bentley EVs that are coming starting in 2025.

Audi CEO's Dieselgate arrest threatens fragile truce among VW stakeholders

FRANKFURT — The arrest and detention of Audi's chief executive forces Volkswagen Group's competing stakeholders to renegotiate the delicate balance of power that has helped keep Audi CEO Rupert Stadler in office. Volkswagen's directors are discussing how to run Audi, its most profitable division, following the arrest of the brand's long-time boss on Monday as part of Germany's investigations into the carmaker's emissions cheating scandal. The supervisory board of Audi, meanwhile, has suspended Stadler and appointed Dutchman Bram Schot as an interim replacement, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Schot joined the Volkswagen Group in 2011 after having worked as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italia. He has been Audi's board member for sales and marketing since last September. The discussions risk reigniting tensions among VW's controlling Piech and Porsche families, its powerful labor representatives and its home region of Lower Saxony. VW has insisted the development of illegal software, also known as "defeat devices," installed in millions of cars was the work of low-level employees, and that no management board members were involved. U.S. prosecutors have challenged this by indicting VW's former chief executive Martin Winterkorn. Stadler's arrest raises further questions. Audi and VW said on Monday that Stadler was presumed innocent unless proved otherwise. Munich prosecutors detained Stadler to prevent him from obstructing a probe into Audi's emissions cheating, they said on Monday. Stadler is being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising. Here are the main factors deciding the fate of Audi. Background: Audi's role in Dieselgate Volkswagen Group was plunged into crisis in 2015 after U.S. regulators found Europe's biggest carmaker had equipped cars with software to cheat emissions tests on diesel engines. The technique of using software to detect a pollution test procedure, and to increase the effectiveness of emissions filters to mask pollution levels only during tests, was first developed at Audi. "In designing the defeat device, VW engineers borrowed the original concept of the dual-mode, emissions cycle-beating software from Audi," VW said in its plea agreement with U.S. authorities in January 2017, in which the company agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine to reach a settlement with U.S. regulators.