Geneva motor show 2010: Bentley Mulsanne full tech details

Bentley has revealed the full technical specification of its new £220,000 luxury saloon, the Mulsanne, at the Geneva motor show.

Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen opened the marque's Geneva press conference with a brief summary of the previous year, saying: "It's traditional to start the Geneva press conference with a summary of the highlights of the preceeding 12 months, but this year, that would be a short speech."

See the Bentley Mulsanne pictures

However, unveiling the Mulsanne for the first time in Europe, he was far more upbeat, revealing the waiting list already stretches to 2011, and saying: "This car represents everything we know about luxury cars. It is the best car ever to come out of Pymm's Lane."

He also revealed that, as of 2011, all Continental model series will be flex fuel. This represents half of the entire model range.

The Crewe-based firm had previously only revealed that the Mulsanne’s 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 produced 505bhp at 4200rpm and 752lb ft at 1750rpm and it would be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Also confirmed were its dimensions – the Mulsanne is 5562mm long, 1926mm wide, 1526mm high and has a wheelbase of 3266mm.

Bentley has now revealed the width of the tracks – 1615mm front and 1652mm rear – and its kerb weight, which is 2582kg. It will ride on 20-inch alloys with 265/45 ZR20 tyres as standard.

The Mulsanne’s performance figures have also been revealed by Bentley for the first time. It can get from 0-60mph in 5.1sec and 0-100mph in 11.6sec, with a top speed of 184mph. Combined economy is 16.7mpg, while CO2 emissions are rated at 393g/km.

The Mulsanne features double wishbone suspension at the front and multi-link suspension at the rear with toe and brake reaction control. This allows the Mulsanne to handle extreme amounts of torque through its rear wheels.

Electronically controlled air springs feature all round, which feature Continuous Damper Control to continuously monitor and adjust its damping. Bentley will offer the Mulsanne with four distinct driving modes: Bentley, Sport, Comfort and Custom. Custom can be tuned to a driver’s preferred style.

The Mulsanne uses a steel monocoque chassis and aluminium body panels, and 28 exterior colours will be offered. Inside, the hand-finished leather interior is available in a choice of 24 colours, and 21 different carpet colours are also offered.

Features include 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, four-zone air conditioning and a 60GB infotainment system, which features an eight-inch hi-res screen and 14 speakers.

The Mulsanne is available to order now and the first models will enter production in the spring. The first deliveries are expected in the summer.