Review: Bentley 3Y Mulsanne (2010-20)

Review: Bentley 3Y.I Mulsanne (2010-16)

Overview

Released in July 2010, the Bentley 3Y Series I (3Y.I) Mulsanne was a prestige sedan. Manufactured in Crewe, England, the rear-wheel drive Mulsanne was powered by a 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine that was mated to an eight-speed ZF 8HP70 automatic transmission which could be controlled via steering wheel gearshift paddles.

Production of the Bentley Mulsanne Speed commenced in November 2014 and it was released in Australia in 2015.

Bentley Mulsanne: CZM V8 Engine

The Bentley Mulsanne’s 6752 cc pushrod V8 engine had an aluminium alloy block with 104.1 mm bores and a 99.1 mm stroke, a forged crankshaft that operated on five bearings, forged connecting rods and pistons, an aluminium alloy cylinder head, a single central camshaft with phaser, two valves per cylinder that are actuated by hydraulic lifters, two low-inertia Mitsubishi TD04 turbochargers which provided maximum boost pressure of 16.0 psi, port injection and a compression ratio of 7.8:1; its redline was 4500 rpm. For the Mulsanne, the CZM V8 engine had a variable displacement system whereby four cylinders could be shut down under light loads for greater fuel efficiency.

It is understood that the engine’s block was cast by Grainger and Worrall in Bridgnorth, England, before being fully machined and partially assembled at the Bentley’s machining facility in Telford. The engine was assembled by hand in a process that took 26 hours for each engine and every engine was subjected to an 80-minute test cycle prior to installation.

The Bentley Mulsanne could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds.

Bentley Mulsanne Speed: CZM V8 Engine

For the Bentley Mulsanne Speed, the V8 engine had a ‘redesigned combustion system’, which included changes to the combustion chamber, inlet ports, fuel injectors, spark plugs and a high compression ratio (8.9:1) for a ‘faster and more controlled combustion process’. According to Bentley, the Mulsanne Speed’s engine also had new variable valve timing and optimized turbocharger control. The Mulsanne Speed could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

For the Bentley Mulsanne Speed, the driver could engage an ‘S’ drive mode which kept engine speed above 2000 rpm so that the turbochargers were always spooled for greater performance.

Dimensions and suspension

Compared to the Bentley Arnage which it effectively replaced, the Mulsanne was 172 mm longer (at 5562 mm), 6 mm narrower (1926 mm), 11 mm taller (1526 mm) and had a 150 mm longer wheelbase (3266 mm).

The Mulsanne had double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension, both with adjustable air springs and continuously variable dampers. Furthermore, a ‘Drive Dynamics Control’ system enabled the driver to select from ‘Bentley’, ‘Sport’, ‘Comfort’ and ‘Custom’ settings via a rotary switch mounted next to the gearshift selector.

Steering

The Bentley Mulsanne had rack-and-pinion steering with variable hydraulic power assistance; the steering had a ratio of 18.2:1, while the steering wheel required 3.3 turns from lock to lock. Furthermore, the Bentley Mulsanne had a turning circle of 12.6 metres.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Bentley Mulsanne included dual front airbags, front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, anti-submarining seats and front and outer rear seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

Brakes

The Bentley Mulsanne had 400 mm by 38 mm ventilated front brake discs and 370 mm by 38 mm ventilated rear discs.

Features: Bentley Mulsanne

Standard features for the Bentley Mulsanne included 9.0J x 20-inch alloy wheels with 265/45 ZR20 tyres, a fourteen speaker stereo with a six-disc CD player, auxiliary inputs (USB/SD card/iPod/3.5 mm) and 60 GB hard drive, four-zone climate control air conditioning, DVD-based satellite navigation, leather seats and upholstery, twelve-way power adjustable front seats, power adjustable and heated seats (front and rear) with massage function and memory settings, bi-xenon headlights with washers, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, front and rear parking sensors, voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, a car phone, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles, remote central locking with proximity key, power windows and mirrors, power retracting and heated mirrors, automatically dipping mirrors when reversing, a power adjustable steering column (height and reach), powered rear blinds, soft-close doors, 12 volt power outlets, trip computer, tyre pressure monitoring, an alarm and immobiliser.

Features: Bentley Mulsanne Speed

Inside, Bentley’s ‘Mulliner Driving Specification’ features were fitted as standard to the Mulsanne Speed and included:

• Diamond quilted hide door panels and seats;
• Indented hide headlining;
• Embroidered Bentley emblems to all seats;
• A coined finish to interior door handles;
• Knurling to the sports gear lever and “organ stop” ventilation controls; and,
• Drilled alloy sports foot pedals.

Furthermore, the Bentley Mulsanne Speed had 9.0J x 21-inch alloy wheels with 265/40 ZR21 tyres and could be identified by its:

• ‘Directional style’ alloy wheels available in painted, polished and dark tint with machined accent finishes;
• Dark tint finish for the stainless steel matrix grilles, radiator grille, lower bumper grilles and wing vents;
• Dark tint application for the headlights and tail-lights;
• Twin rifled exhaust tailpipes; and,
• Polished stainless steel ‘Speed’ badging for the front fender and door tread plate areas.

Brochure

• Brochure: Bentley 3Y Mulsanne (April 2010)

Review: Bentley 3Y.II Mulsanne (2016-20)

Overview

Released in May 2016, the Bentley 3Y Series II (3Y.II) Mulsanne introduced an expanded range with an Extended Wheelbase variant that had a 250 mm longer wheelbase. Other changes included revised styling, an updated infotainment system, active engine mounts, revised suspension bushes and noise absorption technology for the tyres.

Visually, the Bentley 3Y.II Mulsanne could be identified by its revised one-piece bumper, radiator shell and bonnet, stainless steel vertical-vane grille (80 mm wider than previously), ‘floating’ all-LED headlamps with adaptive technology, new B-shaped wing vent in the lower section of the front fender, new tail lights and redesigned rear bumper (with 26 mm wider lower corners).

Safety equipment

As standard, the Bentley 3Y.II Mulsanne was equipped with:

• A Blind Spot Warning system: operating at speeds between 10 km/h and 250 km/h, the system could detect vehicles behind the Mulsanne and in the driver’s blind spots. If the driver indicated to change lanes and a vehicle presented a hazard, the driver would be alerted via flashing lights in the door mirrors; and,
• High Beam Assist: would automatically switch from high beam to dipped headlights when oncoming vehicles were detected; the system could also adjust the shape of the light beam according to vehicle speed in four modes: Town, Country, Motorway and High Beam.

Features

Inside, the Bentley 3Y.II Mulsanne featured redesigned seats (in fluted or quilted styles) and new door trims and armrests, unique glass switchgear. Most significant, however, was the new infotainment system which had an eight-inch touchscreen and a 60 GB solid-state hard drive for media storage.

The Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase was distinguished by its airline-style extending leg rests and a rear compartment sunroof.

Related links

• Rolls-Royce and Bentley: Bentley Mulsanne
• Bentley Motors: Bentley Mulsanne
• Wikipedia.org: Bentley Mulsanne