cars news 10: Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine Previews Mulliner Capabilities

The upcoming six-seat Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine is the first new model that will preview the capabilities of the automaker’s bespoke Mulliner division, Autocar reports.

While the British luxury carmaker’s Mulliner customization arm specializes in custom interior and exterior colors and options, Wolfgang Dürheimer, head of Bentley, believes the division “can do more.”

“Mulliner is an asset with a history nearly 500 years old, but it is not a well-known name and we must change that,” Dürheimer said. “It’s an asset, both for customers and for us to develop one-off ideas and see where they lead. It is somewhere exceptional ideas can take shape, and small scale ideas can be developed to larger scale ones.”

Although Dürheimer acknowledged that Mulliner could return to one-of-a-kind coachbuilt vehicles, he said that Stefan Sielaff, head of the division, has the final say. “If someone wants a Bentley that looks like a tank, then he will say no. But if a customer demands something unusual but tasteful, then why not? We’ll explore all ideas – our capabilities do not end with the standard option list, but extend to Mulliner.”

Just don’t expect any changes that would affect the vehicle’s balance when driven at high speeds: “All I add is that our customers’ safety must come first. Anything that alters the aero, suspension or weight balance needs careful consideration – you can’t just play with these things in cars capable of 190 mph.”

Source: Autocar