Bentley turns Mulliner into a fashion house: first Bespoke Series capped at 100 Continental GT and GTC models
Bentley Mulliner is launching a new annual special-series format that feels closer to a haute couture seasonal collection than a conventional options package. The first Bespoke Series 2027 will be limited to 100 numbered cars and is based on the Continental GT S coupé and Continental GTC S convertible, adding special colours, a hand-painted stripe and cabin details that turn the hybrid GT into a collector-grade object.
Mulliner is selling seasons, not just colours
According to Bentley’s official model page, the Bespoke Series 2027 marks the start of a new Mulliner tradition. This is not just another “limited edition” badge, but controlled scarcity: every year, Mulliner will release a curated small-run series built around a theme of colour, materials and craftsmanship. For the opening act, Bentley is limiting production to 100 numbered cars.
It is a shrewd business move. When commenting on its 2024 results, Bentley said 70 percent of customers chose Mulliner content. In other words, Bentley is no longer expanding luxury purely through more power or more expensive leather. It is turning personalisation itself into the product.
Six colours and one hand-painted signature
The Bespoke Series exterior is all about colour. Bentley is offering six shades: Salerno Blue, Bright Ruby Pearlescent, Midnight Prism Pearlescent, Manuka Orange, Spectral Verdant and Snow Quartz. Five of them are entirely new, and some use pearlescent or light-shifting effects to emphasise the sculpted surfaces of the Continental GT S.
The clearest identifier runs the length of the car. Mulliner hand-paints a central stripe from the boot lid to the bonnet. Inside, Bentley repeats the exterior colour on piano-finish veneers and accent pieces, adds black anodised treadplates carrying each car’s serial number and uses a bespoke perforation pattern. This is not an overtly sporting treatment. It is Bentley detailing in its purest form: expensive up close, restrained from a distance.
The hardware comes from the sharper Continental GT S
The special series is not based on the standard Continental GT, but on the sportier GT S. Its plug-in hybrid drivetrain combines a 4.0-litre V8 with an electric motor, for a total system output of 500 kW and 930 Nm. The coupé accelerates from 0–100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and reaches 308 km/h, while the convertible completes the same sprint in 3.7 seconds. Battery capacity is 25.9 kWh, and Bentley claims up to 80 km of electric driving.
Compared with the previous-generation Continental GT S, the new hybrid adds around 96 kW and 160 Nm. Bentley also says the new S surpasses the earlier W12 Speed in power, torque and performance. That is significant, because the disappearance of the W12 did not leave a gap at the top of the GT range. The hybrid V8 has filled it more forcefully, and more quietly.
The chassis has to make 2.45 tonnes feel alive
The Continental GT S is not a light car. The coupé’s kerb weight is roughly 2,450 kg, so the body and chassis have to do more than simply deliver comfort. Bentley Performance Active Chassis brings active all-wheel drive, twin-valve adaptive dampers, 48 V active anti-roll control, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, torque vectoring and rear-wheel steering.
That is critical for Bentley. A 500 kW output no longer shocks on paper, not when the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance offers 600 kW, 1,420 Nm and a 0–100 km/h time of 2.9 seconds. The Aston Martin DB12 sits in the same luxury-GT field with 500 kW, 800 Nm, a 3.6-second sprint and a 325 km/h top speed. Bentley’s answer is not outright track pace, but a blend of all-wheel-drive traction, electric city running and hand-built scarcity.
In Europe, the hybrid matters more than the stripe
In Europe, what makes the Bespoke Series interesting is the timing. Luxury-GT buyers still want a V8 soundtrack and 300 km/h potential, but urban restrictions, tax structures and company-car policies increasingly favour plug-in hybrids. Bentley is still waiting for EU27 type-approval figures for fuel consumption and CO₂, but an 80 km electric mode gives the Continental GT S a practical advantage in places where a pure petrol model is becoming an increasingly awkward choice.
Seen against the global competition, Bentley is selling two things at once. On one level, the customer gets a technically credible hybrid GT. On another, they get a car that next season’s configurator will no longer repeat. Mulliner is not merely adding luxury. It is creating scarcity, which may prove as important on the used market as the acceleration figure.
