Bentley’s most opulent coupe gets a new injection of Speed athleticism for 2022
The Bentley Continental range has a new flagship in the form of the 2022 Bentley Continental GT Mulliner, which has just been elevated from luxury hero to all-out pinnacle following its adoption of the enhanced chassis and powertrain from the GT Speed .
Starting with the engine, the new GT Mulliner’s twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 develops a mammoth 485kW/900Nm, all of which is channelled to all four wheels (as ever) by a recalibrated eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Despite a kerb weight of more than 2200kg, the monstrous figures and all-paw grip result in a claimed 3.6-second 0-100km/h sprint time before the big coupe pushes its way up to a top speed of 335km/h – exactly the same as the now-lesser GT Speed.
It’s not as though the Mulliner will lose out in the corners either, because the latest model has also inherited all of the Speed’s dynamic goodies, including four-wheel-steering, 48-volt active anti-roll bars, three-chamber adaptive air suspension, active torque vectoring, an electronic limited-slip differential and a bespoke stability control system tune.
Carbon ceramic brakes are also optionally available, which in addition to enhancing the stopping power save a claimed 33kg of unsprung mass.
Rolling stock comes in the form of bespoke 22-inch alloys with self-levelling badges, but other unique cosmetic touches include the ‘Double Diamond’ matrix grille, corresponding Mulliner-branded air-vents, exclusive mirror caps with Mulliner welcome lamps, and illuminated outer door sills.
Where the Speed and the Mulliner ultimately differ, however, is in the luxury stakes, especially when it comes to cabin materials and customisation options.
As many as eight different colour combinations for the tri-coloured interior are “proposed” by Mulliner, but customers looking to inject their own unique twist on the cabin can of course select their own colours, hides and trim materials.
The default cabin spec has been dubbed the ‘Mulliner Driving Specification’ and comprises ‘Diamond in Diamond’ seat quilting, door trims and rear quarter panels, a hide headliner, milled centre console finish with veneer trim, bespoke Breitling clock, ‘Mulliner’ motifs, LED instrument cluster and all the other toys fitted as standard to lesser models.
“With enhancements to both its W12 engine and its advanced chassis shared with the GT Speed, the GT Mulliner W12 becomes the most powerful, fastest, most dynamic and most luxurious Continental GT yet created,” says Bentley.
“The new GT Mulliner W12 takes the best of all worlds to create the ultimate Continental GT combining the performance and dynamism of the Speed, the comfort of the recently-announced Azure and the magic touch and artistic flair of Mulliner handcraftsmanship.”
At this stage it’s unclear if the Continental GT Mulliner will be offered Down Under – the existing V8 version isn’t – but carsales has contacted Bentley Asia Pacific for confirmation and will update this report accordingly.
For reference, the flagship of the current local line-up is the $597,700 Bentley Continental Speed Convertible.
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