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Bentley's Bentayga Mulliner takes two-tone to a new level of excess

Because a normal Bentayga just isn't enough for some people, Bentley revealed its most exclusive SUV yet, the Bentayga Mulliner. Now this isn't a wild custom model like the Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner. Rather, this is like past special-edition Mulliner cars including the standard-length Mulsanne, and the Continental GT, which featured some unique trim and detail touches. Immediately apparent is the two-tone paint scheme. This is a new option that will be introduced on the Bentayga Mulliner, but will trickle down to the rest of the lineup this April. In addition, this special Bentayga comes with exclusive 22-inch wheels with floating centers to keep the badge upright, a la Rolls-Royce wheels. Bentley also adds unique badging and standard color-coordinated lower body extensions, while the lower grilles are finished in chrome. The car that will be on display at the Geneva show will feature a special marquetry inlay up front showing the Monte Rosa mountain range. The two-tone scheme of the exterior is continued inside, with the front and rear seats upholstered in different colors of leather. In the Bentayga above, black leather covers the front seats while the rears are done in an ivory-colored hide. The seats all feature two colors of contrast stitching, as well. Even the wood veneers are finished in an exclusive dual tone. On the dash, the wood is completely black, but along the front doors, it fades to a natural finish that is continued on the rear doors. Breaking from the obsession with multiple colors, the Bentayga Mulliner also features a wine bottle cooler and crystal champagne flutes. You could put rose in one if you're really not into matching, though. If even these upgrades don't do it for you, there are a couple other special options available. Bentley offers the Linley Hamper by Mulliner, which is a pretty serious picnic basket featuring Linley china and silverware, as well as a refrigerator. This special Bentayga can also be ordered with the Mulliner Tourbillon automatic clock by Breitling, which the BBC reports was a $160,000 option when introduced during the SUV's debut. Bentley will begin taking orders this spring, though pricing for the SUV was not released. Expect it to cost a good chunk more than the standard model's $229,100 base price. Related Video:

Bentley says Conti Supersports 'isn't on the horizon'

For the longest time, Bentley made a name for itself making ever-faster versions of its core Continental range. These days, however, the British automaker has other things on which to focus. And that means there's little time to spend on developing a new high-performance Conti. After refreshing the Continental GT, GTC, and Flying Spur in 2011, Bentley came out with a new Continental GT Speed in 2012, boasting 616 horsepower. Last year it updated the range again, bumping the GT Speed up to 626 hp and releasing the GT3-R as a road-going version of the racing model, with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 pumping out 572 hp. (A further refresh was rolled out just months ago, but was more cosmetic in orientation.) It even slotted the Speed's engine into the Flying Spur, and did a Speed version of the Mulsanne as well. What it hasn't done, however, is develop a successor to the previous Supersports model. "...A future Supersports model isn't on the horizon at the moment." – Mike Sayer, Bentley The Supersports was the performance flagship of the previous Continental range, boasting 621 horsepower, a 0-62 time of 3.7 seconds, and a top speed in excess of 204 miles per hour. But the current GT Speed is even faster, quoted at 206 mph. And with 626 hp, it's marginally more powerful too. The question, then, is whether an even more potent Supersports is in the works. And the answer is: not just yet. "While we're always looking at ways of extending our unique combination of luxury and performance even further, we're currently focused on delivering the all-new Bentley Bentayga SUV," spokesman Mike Sayer revealed in correspondence with Autoblog. "The Continental family has just received a suite of styling and usability upgrades for 16MY, and a future Supersports model isn't on the horizon at the moment." So while a new Continental Supersports could arrive at some point down the line, it's apparently not a priority right now. And what about the prospect of an even more hardcore version of the Continental GT3-R? Rumors have been circulating of an even lighter version in the works, unburdened by the bulk of the Conti's all-wheel drive system – but we're told that's not in the cards at the moment, either. "The Continental GT3-R has been very well-received around the world. Some regions (including the UK) have sold-out their allocation. A very limited number of cars remain in a small number of overseas markets," says Sayer.

The Bentley Mulsanne exits the stage as production ends

Bentley is done with the Mulsanne. The one you’re looking at here is the penultimate car to come out of the factory in Crewe, Cheshire, England. Apparently, the owner of the last one is rather secretive and wants to keep their car under wraps. That being the case, Bentley has surrounded this Tungsten and Rose Gold Mulsanne with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect from the end of an era at Bentley. At least, as much as the pandemic will allow. Bentley employees are pictured here next to the car, standing apart with masks on. ItÂ’s one of the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition cars Bentley previously announced, which the company limited to just 30 units. The end of the Mulsanne also means the end of the 6.75-liter V8 at Bentley. We gave that engine its own sendoff post, but needless to say, the engine series is an old one and can be traced back to 1959. BentleyÂ’s Mulsanne is much less old. This flagship sedan was introduced at Pebble Beach in 2009, and has been in production ever since. Bentley has given it a couple rounds of updates, with the addition of the faster Mulsanne Speed in 2015, along with a design and tech refresh in 2016. Bentley built just over 7,300 total Mulsannes, and itÂ’s released a few eye-popping production stats. In the end, about 700 people were part of the production process to build the Mulsanne, putting in nearly 3 million total hours. Over a million total hours have been spent creating the interiors, and nearly 90,000 hours have been spent polishing the cars.  “I am immensely proud of the hundreds of designers, engineers and craftspeople that brought the Mulsanne to life over the last 10 years,” said Adrian Hallmark, Bentley CEO. “Now, as we begin BentleyÂ’s journey to define the future of sustainable luxury mobility through our Beyond100 strategy, the role of Bentley flagship is passed to the new Flying Spur.” ThatÂ’s right, the Flying Spur is the new flagship for the time being. Though, the latest rumors point to Bentley making a gigantic SUV as its future flagship vehicle to properly replace the Mulsanne. Is anybody surprised? Related video: