Bentley bids bye to Mulsanne and its 1100Nm V8

Bentley’s final Mulsanne and its last 6.75-litre V8 have rolled off the production line, marking the end of a decade-old model and an engine that’s spanned more than six decades.

As previously announced, the Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition marks the end of both the current Mulsanne and the long-running L-series V8. The last of 30 of them was produced this week.

Slamming down no less than 395kW of power and 1100Nm of torque, the twin-turbo V8 accelerates the 2.7-tonne Mulsanne to 100km/h in just 4.8sec and all the way to a 305km/h top speed.

The 6.75 Edition spells then end of the second-generation Mulsanne, which was launched in 2010 and has already been replaced by the new Flying Spur sedan, and its stonking big-bore V8, which is superseded by the Volkswagen Group-sourced 5.95-litre W12 that delivers up to 467kW/900Nm in the Bentley Bentayga Speed.

Known as the L-Series, Bentley’s most famous V8 has been in production for the last 61 years, with the same configuration and bore spacing used by the very first example built in 1959.

Bentley says every one of the 36,000 L-Series V8s built was hand-crafted for 15 hours at the British luxury car-maker’s headquarters in Crewe, England.

Over the years, the engine has had its share of updates, including a new crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods and cylinder-heads that brought variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation in 2010.

Bentley’s manufacturing chief Peter Bosch said the 6¾-litre V8 engine has earned its retirement.

“I am extremely proud of the generations of skilled craftspeople that have meticulously assembled every one of these engine by hand over the years,” he said.

“That this engine stood the test of time for so long is testament to the ingenious engineers who kept making the engine more powerful, refined and reliable.

“Now, we look forward to the future of Bentley, powered by our exceptional W12, sporting 4.0-litre V8 and of course our efficient V6 Hybrid – the start of our journey to electrification.”