2011 Bentley Azurev expected price and complete specifications

The new Bentley Mulssane will be launched into the UK market very soon to become the British firm’s new flagship, replacing the mighty Arnage. But the lofty Mulsanne is way more important than just a new sedan. It will spawn a number of new models during its lifecycle, first of which will be the new generation Azure.

As the insiders tell us the new Bentley Azure will use the same platform as the Mulsanne, with some adjustments here and there since it’s a convertible. Apart form technicalities, it will also look pretty much the same as the big daddy only it will be a two-door obviously. As you see in these renderings, that goofy face of the Mulsanne actually fits better with the drop-top style than the limousine!

2011 Bentley Continental GT Design Series China and 2011 Continental Flying Spur Speed China

Continental GT Design Series China

The Continental GT Design Series China will be available in unique Orange Flame or Magenta Metallic paint. The interior surfaces feature a three-tone design that contrasts the primary leather, the seat and door inserts, and the interior accent trim. Accents are offered in orange or magenta—depending on exterior paint, of course—and can be applied to the seatbelts, floor mats, seat piping, or steering-wheel stitching. Lining the cabin is the customer’s choice of piano black, burr walnut, or exotic amboyna wood veneers. Design Series China badges adorn the center console, door sills, and front fenders. Although this package sounds really gaudy and tasteless, we think the orange car shown here actually works. We’ll withhold judgment on the magenta until we see some photos.

Continental Flying Spur Speed China

There’s also a special-edition Flying Spur Speed revised to suit Chinese tastes. Complementing the car’s performance abilities—we clocked a 4.2-second 0–60 sprint—the Spur Speed China has a new “Comfort” suspension setting and a quieter exhaust. Bentley says this achieves the higher levels of refinement and comfort sought by Chinese customers. We say the Speed’s exhaust note is too quiet to begin with, and the suspension is already adjustable. Don’t buy the Speed if you want soft.

Rear-seat passengers get treated to leather cushions embroidered with the Bentley winged logo, and the car comes with an extremely useful display case for the ignition key. The exterior C-pillars wear the Bentley “B” logo, and, like the Conti GT above, wears special badges on the center stack, door sills, and front fenders.a

Bentley Mulsanne hits the red carpet!

The Bentley Mulsanne, the new flagship of the prestigious English brand, made its Canadian debut yesterday in Montreal. The scene was quite glamorous, with lovely young ladies dressed in samba costumes walking and dancing around $15-million Learjets!

The Mulsanne is Bentley’s new flagship and, even at $313,500 US, the order sheet for 2010 is already full. Customers will have to wait a year before taking delivery of their car. (

The exclusive event took place in the hangars of Starlink inside the Montreal-Trudeau Airport Terminal. On hand were select customers of Bentley Montreal, a division of Decarie Motors, as well as Christophe Georges, President and COO of Bentley Motors.

The media were there, too, which made it a great opportunity to wrap up the latest fund-raising campaign for the Quebec Cerebral Palsy Association, represented by Olympic champion Alexandre Bilodeau.

The finest automobile in the world!
Replacing the Arnage (1998-2009), the Bentley Mulsanne is an ultra-high-end sedan that rivals Rolls-Royces and Maybachs. Its world premiere was part of the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The car will only become available to North American customers at the end of 2010, since production hasn’t even started yet. However, the entire run has already been pre-ordered. "Demand currently exceeds our production capacity, so if you order one today, it will be delivered to you in about a year," explains Georges.

The Mulsanne was actually designed to become a highly-exclusive model. The president didn’t give any specific number, but he mentioned a few hundred units per year at the most. (The Arnage, meanwhile, used to sell from 1,000 to 1,500 copies in its prime.) "Fifty years from now, the Mulsanne should and will become a collector’s item," he predicts.

Pricing for the Bentley Mulsanne has been set at $313,500 US. Of course, that number will be adjusted when the first Canadian models arrive in showrooms.

Sporty heritage
At the start of the project, designers were asked to create the "finest automobile in the world." The Mulsanne’s exterior captures a unique fusion of power, elegance and sporting style. "Charisma without arrogance" is how the president of Bentley Motors puts it.