Bentley readying high-performance Mulsanne

Bentley’s chief executive has confirmed that the British automaker will introduce a new variant of its Mulsanne flagship by year’s end.

Speaking to Auto Express on the sidelines of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer revealed that “we will see Mulsanne developments at motor shows in 2014.”

According to the British rag, the new Mulsanne model will retain the current car’s 6.75L turbocharged V8, but power will be bumped from 505 horsepower to 550. Perhaps more importantly, inside sources tell Leftlane News that the Mulsanne’s torque will be cranked up to at least 800 lb-ft, making it the second most powerful production car on the market, trailing only the Bugatti Veyron.

That kind of power should ensure that the 5,700 pound sedan can scoot from 0-60 in under 5-seconds.

Following Bentley’s performance naming scheme, the hopped-up Mulsanne will be sold under the Speed banner. Bentley currently offers Speed versions of its Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible.

No pricing information is available at this time, but the Mulsanne Speed should carry a price tag well into the $300,000 range.

Look for Bentley’s Mulsanne Speed to debut at the Paris Motor Show this fall.