Bentley officially launched its new Mulsanne flagship at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week and now word comes that the massive luxury sedan will also spawn a coupe and convertible model.

The news is hardly a surprise, as the car it replaces (the Arnage) was used as the basis for the Brooklands coupe and Azure convertible. It also suits Bentley’s three-pronged approach with its “entry-level” lineup of vehicles, the Flying Spur sedan, Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible. The new lineup of Mulsanne-derived vehicles will also compete head-on with similar products from Rolls-Royce, which will be based on that company’s latest model, the Ghost.

Full specifications on the Mulsanne aren’t yet available, but we do have most of the details, including a  new 6.75-liter V8 motor that makes 510hp and an astonishing 752 ft-lbs of torque.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

[Source: AutoExpress]

AutoGuide was one of the few media outlets that posted live coverage of the Bentley Mulsanne’s unofficial debut at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance, but the regal British automaker wasn’t willing to cough up any details. Now that the car has been officially unveiled, we have some info - but not all of it.

Bentley has hidden all the tasty tid-bits of info about the Mulsanne deep in its press release, preferring to boast about how there are 114 different paint colors to choose from and how it takes nine weeks to complete a car.

But we know you want the hard numbers, so here goes. The Mulsanne, like the Arnage it replaces, uses a 6.75 liter V8 engine. The new engine has, however, been completely reworked with light weight pistons, con-rods and a forged crankshaft. Power is an expected 505hp, while torque rises impressively to 752 ft-lbs – which is available from just 1800 rpm.

Bentley has made big promises in the fuel economy department (even if its customers don’t care), and has equipped the Mulsanne with a new 8-speed automatic transmission. Fuel-consumption is down by 15 percent – in part due to the engine’s ability to run on just four cylinders while cruising.

Actual fuel consumption numbers have not yet been provided. Nor has the flagship Bentley’s curb weight.

Additional highlights include an air suspension with variable dampers four settings: Bentley, Sport, Comfort and Custom.

As for wheels, the Mulsanne comes with 20-inchers but we’re certain most owners will opt for the 21-inch set.

We’ll be sure to update you when more info is available, but in the mean time take a gander at the second Mulsanne to roll our of the Crewe factory. Not only are we liking the car more each time we see it, sitting amongst pedestrian vehicles from VW, Skoda and Seat, we really had a chance to appreciate just how enormous this new model is.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

Official release after the jump:

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Technically speaking, Bentley already unveiled its Arnage successor at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but the regal British automaker was tight-lipped about any specifics.

Details of the new Mulsanne will be unveiled tomorrow (September 15th) at the Frankfurt Auto Show, where we expect to learn about the impressive fuel-economy improvements Bentley has made with this new model. About all we do know is that the Mulsanne, much like the Arnage, is powered by a 6.75-liter V8. The engine has been reworked almost entirely, however, and we expect this model to be able to run on ethanol as well as gasoline. And of course, the engine’s power output will increase as well.

The design is certainly impressive with a massive front grille with huge circle headlights and lots of chrome.

As for the car’s name, it comes from the same place as the Arnage – France’s famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe race track. On that track the Mulsanne straight is actually two straights, which have been divided up with a chicane so as to limit the overall speed that race cars can achieve. Modern racers have to slow from over 200 mph to 65 mph to run the chicane, before taking to the second-half of the straight.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

When Bentley unveiled its new Mulsanne flagship at the Pebble Beach Cncours d’Elegance, CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen announced that the very same car (chassis #1) would then be auctioned off to the highest bidder at the Gooding & Co. auction.

No doubt valued at a quarter of a million dollars, the newest Bentley went for just double that number, somewhat lower than we might have expected. It almost went for less, however, as the starting price of $500,000 didn’t find any offers at first. The starting value was then placed at $300,000, which finally found its way back up to the half a million dollar mark thanks a a phone bidder.

Perhaps the “low” value had to do with the fact that Bentley is keeping tight-lipped about all the details regarding the Mulsanne until its official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

All the proceedes of the auction went to the official charitable organization of the Concours, the Phil Hill Foundation.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne

[Source: Autoblog]

There couldn’t be a more perfect venue to debut the latest Bentley product and successor to the fabulously-regal Arnage than the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Accompanied by bagpipers, the “Grand Bentley”, now officially named the Mulsanne, drove up on to the awards show platform – a stage many Bentleys have graced before.

Many past Bentleys have taken their names from the famous Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans race track and this Bentley is no different. Whereas the previous Bentley flagship, the Arnage, was named for a tight corner, this car is named after both a corner and a straight. On the long Mulsanne straight race cars have to slow from over 200mph to 65mph, then run through the a tight chicane and down the second half of the straight.

Bentley is keeping tight-lipped about much of the rest of the details of its new flagship until its auto show debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

What we do know is that it will continue to use a twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 engine that has almost been completely redesigned to no doubt make even more horsepower and torque while using less fuel.

As for the design of the car, it’s as familiar as the engine, with a massive flat nose, huge circle headlights and plenty of chrome.

GALLERY: 2010 Bentley Mulsanne