Bentley Mulsanne to gain more powerful variant – report

Bentley insiders who spoke to AutoExpress said that the 426kW/700Nm V8 Continental GT3-R has received an excellent reception at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and that the company will develop other high performance models to burnish the brand's sporting credentials.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley's CEO, said during the festival that the company will display "Mulsanne developments at motor shows in 2014". It's believed that these developments include a faster, slightly lighter and more nimble version of the Mulsanne.

According to the British magazine, the revised Mulsanne will keep the 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the standard car (above), albeit modified to deliver more power. Output is expected to be around the 410kW mark, which is up around nine per cent from the regular motor's 377kW offering.

No word if torque production will be upped; the engine already produces a formidable 1020Nm in standard trim. A 0-100km/h time of under five seconds is reportedly the target for this uprated Mulsanne.

The modified Mulsanne will feature suspension tweaks and other chassis changes to improve responsiveness. Weight is also expected to be cut, but it's unknown, at this stage, how much fat will be cut from the Mulsanne's 2650kg kerb weight.