The famous Rolls-Royce/Bentley L-series 6 3/4-liter V8 engine was introduced in 1959 and has been in continuous production ever since. The large, expensive, and emissions heavy V8 has been slowly phased out under Volkswagen’s ownership of the Crewe-based luxury car brand. The engine has been dead in the Rolls-Royce brand since it was taken over by BMW in the late 1990s. For nearly a decade the engine has trudged along in the ultra-lux Mulsanne, but now even that must come to an end.
As a retirement gift, it gets to live out the rest of its days aboard thirty examples of the limited Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner. My grandfather got a watch when he retired. I guess thirty Bentleys is a good retirement gift. After the Mulsanne is gone, the Flying Spur will take over the top spot of Bentley’s hierarchy. Those are big shoes to fill, whippersnapper!
“With the Flying Spur to receive a hybrid powertrain by 2023, the move symbolises Bentley’s commitment to change and its journey to define the future of sustainable luxury mobility,” says Bentley.
To celebrate the life of the 6.75-liter engine, the Mulsanne 6.75 features a bunch of special insignias, including a unique 6.75 Edition motif stitched into the seats, badged in chrome for the fenders and under the hood, and emblazoned in light projected by the “LED Welcome Lamps” in the doors. Further, the traditional Bentley “organ stop” control knobs will be replaced with a knob reminiscent of the engine’s oil cap. And finally, faces of the clock and other minor gauges will feature cutaway drawing schematics of the iconic 6.75 liter.
Specific to this car will be an exterior treatment in gloss black instead of chrome, except the headlights and taillights will still be surrounded in bright chrome. It will also be fitted with the Mulsanne Speed wheels in a unique bright finish.
As more of these big charachterful engines get replaced with 4-liter twin turbocharged V8s in pretty much every brand Volkswagen owns, the world becomes a darker place. Rejoice that these thirty special edition cars exist, and then cry because you’re not likely to ever see one in person.
Farewell, Mr. Six-And-Three-Quarters. You served well. Enjoy retirement. Maybe take up a hobby.
