Birkin Edition Bentley Mulsanne

There are only 22 vehicles in this edition

The celebrated Bentley Boys of the 1920s helped to pave the way for today’s Bentley. They were a group of wealthy British automotive enthusiasts…adventurous, forward-thinking, and dedicated. They were all about serious automotive performance to the extremes. Two things that were foremost to car buyers in the 1920s were speed and reliability. Bentleys are notoriously blowing right past the competition.

It was the indomitable spirit of Sir Henry Ralph Stanley “Tim” Birkin…3rd Baronet of Ruddington Grange…aka Tim Birkin and his lust for speed spawned the fabled Bentley 242 hp “Blower.” Tim Birkin’s courage and fearless driving reflected the true spirit of the vintage racing era. “Tiger Tim” epitomized the British gentleman racer. He traveled and raced extensively about Europe during the 1920s and 1930s. For the European market exclusively, The “Birkin Mulsanne” was created as homage to one of Bentley’s most influential visionaries.

Tim Birkin and the 4 1/2 litre, LeMans 1930

For the 2014 model year the Limited Edition Birkin Mulsanne was built at a restricted pace of 22 vehicles made exclusive for the European markets. The availability is limited to three color specifications: Ghost White, Damson, and classic duo-tone Fountain Blue/Dark Sapphire Bentley paint design.

The Birkin Mulsanne specifications were inspired from the idea of how Birkin would commission today’s Bentley. With the Mulsanne’s effortless performance and luxuriously hand-crafted cabin, it embodies Birkin’s beliefs as a motoring connoisseur.

The Bentley Mulsanne is everything that makes a Bentley a world-class luxury performance saloon. The same legendary performance is shared with its illustrious heritage. The Bentley Mulsanne is a modern-day thoroughbred built in the same tradition of excellence. The silent motorcar continues…

The Bentley Mulsanne is a machine designed to fit the needs of today’s discerning driver. A first time Bentley buyer gets a kick out of one in standard form. After that…he has become a “club member” and now perhaps wants something different and more exotic and exclusive.

This is where the Birkin Mulsanne would fit the bill…and there will only be 22 of them in existence…only in Europe. Automobiles such as these are market-specific which is a growing ultra-luxury/supercar trend. Rare examples of exemplary magnitude minted in such low numbers creates an instant collectible destined to become a museum piece.

Examples of this ultra-exclusivity are: The Aston Martin One-77 built at the restricted pace of 77 vehicles…the Lamborghini Aventador “J” being the only vehicle in existence sold for $2.8 Million USD…and Bugatti with their “Les Légendes de Bugatti” six-part release of a mere three vehicles per release for the formidable Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse…they are all contributing to the priceless collectibles that they all will eventually become.

And who could be more outrageous than Automobili Lamborghini…and what rolls off the assembly line at Saint’ Agata Bolognese…The Egoista for example, better still…the Lamborghini Veneno was built at a restricted pace of three vehicles to celebrate Lambo’s 50th Anniversary at a cost of 3.12 Million Euros each. Car zero was retained for the Lamborghini Museum.

Tim Birkin at the Pontilieue hairpin turn LeMans 1926

The artisans at HJ Mulliner/Park Ward studios of London had always remained a superlative in the elite custom coachbuilding segment. It was Mulliner Park Ward that hand-crafted the Rolls Royce Corniche. They have refined some of the world’s most expensive automobiles into priceless collectibles with expertise spanning many decades.

Mulliner has collaborated with both Rolls Royce and Bentley Motor Cars since their humble beginnings many decades ago. Mulliner is solely an in-house design studio exclusively for the Bentley Brand. Mulliner Specifications create highly bespoke designs where no two cars will ever be alike. Mulliner creates rolling works of art with their meticulous fit & finish and extreme attention to detail.

Tim Birkin LeMans 1930

The Birkin Edition of the Mulsanne saloon include the Mulliner Driving Specification that transforms the Mulsanne into a Grand Touring Bentley with coachbuilt elegance and hand-crafted luxury. Performance…as in the awesome jaw-dropping type that was never before associated with a large luxury saloon such as this is just a tap of the accelerator pedal away. The Mulliner Driving Specification is for the driver requiring a sporting character without compromising luxury. The Birkin Edition is a highly distinctive and sporting interpretation of Bentley’s Flagship saloon.

The Mulliner Driving Specification enhances the already refined suspension. The Drive Dynamics Control System allows suspension and steering systems to be fine-tuned to a preferred driving style, it is activated by the unique “Sport” setting which provides enhanced grip, body control, and steering accuracy without compromising luxury motoring.

The Mulliner Driving Specification has a unique design language that underscores the Mulsanne’s sporting nature which defines it exclusively from other Bentleys. The bespoke cabin of the Birkin Mulsanne features unique leather trim. Bentley is the only luxury brand that uses a fully leather trimmed interior. Even the headlining is indented-leather. The hides on the seats and door panels feature an intricate Diamond Quilted pattern.

A patent Mulliner bespoke process produces perforations in exact diamond shapes with non-perforated tram lines in between. The cabin is highlighted by knurled metalwork. Other signature features include numbered door sill plates, unique 3-D Flying “B” logos hand-stitched to the headrests and inlaid into the wood of the front fascia and rear seat folding tables. The custom tailored luggage set is hand-crafted, individually numbered and matched to the interior. The warmth of mirror-matched veneers graces the elegant cabin that is as luxurious as it is sporting…

The Birkin Mulsanne includes the Entertainment Specification. The rear compartment comes equipped with the latest multi-media technology. Two 8” LCD monitors are integrated into the rear of the front seat headrests. A Naim for Bentley audio system and iPad work stations are integrated into the hand-crafted solid wood folding tables. The system may be refined for entertainment with a DVD player, Wi-Fi hotspot, or completely bespoke. Or, it can be equipped as a rolling executive board room complete with communication systems, hard drive, and more.

The Birkin Mulsanne is powered by the alloy 6.75 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine. This lightweight powerplant produces an astounding 505 hp @ 4,200 rpm packing a prolific punch with 1,020 Nm of peak torque @ 1,750 rpm…high-revs at low rpm is a Bentley hallmark. It is equipped with port injection, twin parallel turbochargers, and indirect intercooling. The engine is mated to a ZF 8HP90 8-speed automatic transmission with manual paddle shift mode.

This thoroughbred sprints from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, 0-100 mph in 12 seconds, with a top speed of 185 mph. It can do the ¼ mile @ 106 mph in 13.4 seconds. The beauty of the Mulsanne is the fact that it cruises around on four of its eight cylinders under low speeds and light loads. Who would ever have thought that it would be the “unexpected economy car?” Tim Birkin would be impressed with today’s Bentley Mulsanne.

Bentley is dedicated to building as fine a car as human ingenuity can achieve. At the heart of the company’s approach  is to build motorcars that require the best that can be created. Bentley engineers and artisans believe there is only one way…the right way to do every job.

Strikingly individual cars are aerodynamically designed for today yet reflects a timeless beauty. From the days of the formidable Bentley Boys, the brand has been all about performance and engineering excellence. And now that Bentley is out of the imperious shadow of “you know who” it can be the Grande Marque that it was before it was stifled and neutered by the luxury bulldozer.

Tiger Tim Birkin

Tiger-Tim Birkin was one of Bentley’s most influential visionaries. It was his courage and fearless driving that reflected the spirit of vintage racing. Tim Birkin was a key influence for the Bentley Blower. The Bentley Birkin Edition Mulsanne was created to honor this exemplary persona and only 22 will exist exclusively for the European market. The Bentley Mulsanne is a powerful and luxurious manner in which to travel…

Bentley Motorsports

Tim would be proud of the contemporary Bentley