Bentley chose the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance to unveil their next-generation flagship model, the Mulsanne. The vehicle gets its name from a 90 degree corner at the Le Mans race track.

Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne is an entirely new car which features completely new technology. It is not an evolution of an existing model, and the drivetrain required a complete redesign of the famous 6.75L V8 and replacing every significant part to improve acceleration, performance throughout the range and fuel efficiency and emissions.

Currently Bentley have only confirmed the engine is a V8, all other drivetrain specifications will be revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Bentley Mulsanne's styling was inspired by the Bentley 8-litre model from 1930 - 1931. In particular the unusual, and dare I say rather ugly headlight arrangement was one such feature lifted from the 8-litre. However despite the awkward front end styling there is no doubting the exceptional engineering which lies beneath the imposing bodywork.

Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said of the Mulsanne: "The challenge we set our engineers was to create a grand new Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world's most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement – the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned."

With the Mulsanne, Bentley hope to position themselves at the top of the ultra-luxury segment