Well, that didn't take long. After six decades in production, it has taken just a few months for all 30 Mulsanne 6.75 Editions - the car marking the end of the Mulsanne and the Bentley V8 - to find buyers. More than that, the very last 6.75-litre V8 has now been produced at Crewe, meaning the longest single engine production run in the history of the automobile has come to an end - sob.
Since its 180hp introduction in 1959, the Bentley L-Series V8 has retained its bore spacing but gained some significant upgrades over time. Originally a 6.2 for the S2, it became a 6.75 in 1971 with an increase in stroke; it was turbocharged for the Mulsanne in 1980s and, by the time of the Brooklands era in 2008, had 200 per cent more power and torque than its first installation. For the introduction of the Mulsanne a decade ago, the V8 gained new pistons, heads, connecting rods and crank, as well as variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. It also became the torquiest engine in the world at the time - 1,100Nm or 811lb ft.
Now that's all done, the Bentley engine range will be comprised of the W12, 4.0-litre V8 and the V6 Hybrid. Bentley's Peter Bosch, Member of the Board for Manufacturing, said of the L-Series' demise: "Our venerable 6¾-litre V8 has powered the flagship Bentley for more than six decades, and so has earned its retirement. I am extremely proud of the generations of skilled craftspeople that have meticulously assembled every one of these engines by hand over the years. That this engine stood the test of time for so long is testament to the ingenious engineers who kept making the engine ever more powerful, refined and reliable."
The very last V8 was in fact built yesterday (Monday) by a team of seven engine builders with more than a century's experience between them. This really is end of an era stuff. Still, the Flying Spur - now the firm's flagship - has proven unequivocally how well the 4.0-litre can work in a large Bentley saloon and the W12 has proven itself more than capable of filling an engine bay adorned by the winged B. Moreover, if it really must be 6.75-litres or nothing, there's a wealth of Mulsannes available secondhand - this Speed has just been serviced, and is on sale for £90,000.
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