Bentley combines luxury and performance with Mulsanne Speed

Powered by a 6.75-liter V8 engine with 537hp, the new performance-focused Bentley boasts exceptional stats for a luxury car, including a top speed of 305km/h and 0 to 100km/h acceleration in 4.9 seconds. After its official presentation at the Paris Motor Show next month, the model is due to begin shipping in early 2015 at a starting price of £252,000 (around $410,900).

The Mulsanne Speed's new motor is paired with a recalibrated gearbox and a new Sport suspension mode designed to make the most of the car's power and acceleration. The drivetrain has a fuel consumption rate of 14.6L/100km over a mixed driving cycle, which is equivalent to CO2 emissions of 342g/km.

Like the rest of the Mulsanne range, the Speed is a showcase of contemporary luxury, and the cabin is lavishly upholstered in two-tone leather with diamond quilting. Altogether, the brand's well-heeled clients can choose from 24 leather upholstery colors and 10 different veneers. Bentley also offers a number of additional options, including a waffle-patterned leather headliner, Bentley logos embroidered on every seat, knurling on the sports gearshift knob and drilled alloy sports foot pedals.

The Mulsanne Speed also comes with some impressive entertainment features, including a built-in 60GB hard drive for storing music and movies and the 2200W Naim for Bentley audio system with 14 speakers. Back seat passengers can take advantage of two 8-inch screens and accompanying Bluetooth headsets. A glass bottle cooler, complete with matching crystal champagne glasses, can be installed behind the rear armrest.

The Mulsanne luxury sedan, Bentley's signature flagship model, has also been updated for 2015. Slated for unveiling alongside its performance-focused counterpart, the new Mulsanne also introduces a more efficient 6.75-liter twin turbo V8 engine (512hp) and a reconfigured gearbox, as well as the same range of available paint colors, hides and veneers.