Bentley never made a two-door version of the Mulsanne but a few years after the end of its production, Ares Modena is here to correct this injustice with a new limited production coachbuilt special called Bentley Coupe Sport.
Despite the different bodystyle, the Bentley Coupe Sport stays true to the design of the donor car, looking like a proper successor of the Bentley Brooklands Coupé (2008-2011). The conversion was made possible by chopping the precious bodywork of the Mulsanne, moving the B-pillar backward and creating larger front doors. Interestingly, there has been no change in the wheelbase or footrpint of the Mulsanne.
The redesigned rear quarter panels are made from aluminum, while the doors and roof are made of carbon fiber. The roofline is sportier than in the original, with a matching windowline on the profile and new sections on the rear deck, with everything being assembled by hand. As a finishing touch, Ares Modena added a new set of 22-inch alloy wheels, bespoke side sills, and a subtle rear diffuser. Besides the regular Coupe, Ares Modena also offers a Targa variation with a sunroof.
Inside, the custom creation has a new pair of front seats which fold in order to provide access to the rear bench. Furthermore, the rear door panels of the Bentley Mulsanne have been reworked in order to be compatible with the new bodystyle. Since there is no change in the wheelbase, the two-door Coupe Sport offers the same rear legroom as the four-door Mulsanne, although headroom must be slightly worse due to the different roofline.
The dashboard is shared with the four-door sedan, but each owner will be able to personalize the Coupe Sport using high-grade materials like aluminum, wood, leather, and carbon fiber. The 8-inch infotainment is slightly outdated, but the Mulsanne’s 14-speaker six-channel audio system with two subwoofers will certainly deliver great sound quality even for today’s standards.
Under the bonnet lies the good ol’ twin-turbo 6.75-liter V8 engine that produces 505 hp (377 kW / 512 PS) and 1,020 Nm (752 lb-ft) of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear axle through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. As with the regular Mulsanne, the Coupe Sport comes fitted with air suspension. Ares Modena talks about a “performance upgrade”, although the aforementioned specifications are identical to the Mulsanne. Still, with better aerodynamics and less weight, the Coupe Sport might be zippier than the original with an advertised top speed of 296 km/h (184 mph).
While Ares Modena hasn’t disclosed the cost or exact number of handbuilt units for their Bentley Coupe Sport, the company has stated that only a few will be available. As with all coachbuilt projects, each Coupe Sport will require the sacrifice of a Mulsanne. Thankfully, during a full decade of production, Bentley built 7,300 units of its flagship, so there will be more than enough left for collectors.
Despite Bentley’s existing two-door models like the Continental GT, Bacalar, and Batur by Mulliner, Ares Modena is targeting hardcore fans of the Mulsanne and the Brooklands style with their coachbuilt special. Would you be willing to trade your Bentley flagship and a significant amount of money for a two-door coupe version of it?”
