Bentley Throws Its Flagship Overboard – Because the World Now Loves Tall Cars and Low Expectations

Bentley boss Frank-Stefan Walliser recently admitted that the brand has no plans to resurrect the Mulsanne. And with that, the bell has tolled for an era.

All of it—the gold-trimmed, hand-stitched, calf-wool-lined, blacksmith-scented relic of British aristocracy—just doesn’t make business sense anymore. People don’t want them. Or rather, a few still do, but not enough to justify new prototypes and an entire production line just for their nostalgic whims.

Instead of lounging like a lord in a long sedan with rear doors the size of theatre curtains, buyers are now clambering into Bentaygas—vehicles that look like an inflated Continental and drive with all the subtlety of a drunken bagpiper in a string quartet. The Bentayga has become Bentley’s poster child for commercial success, and according to the brand, customer preferences haven’t so much as glanced back toward the sleek, low-slung sedans of old.

So yes, the Flying Spur will soldier on, but a true flagship? That’s off the table. Unless, of course, you count yet another crossover. Bentley’s next “big” release—emphasis on big—will arrive in the second half of 2026, and surprise, surprise: it’s another SUV. Electric, naturally. Because if you’ve already binned the W12 and any lingering sense of high-minded moral purity, why stop there? Why not ditch aerodynamics as well?

Bentley promises that even without twelve cylinders beating at its core, their next juggernaut will have enough power to roll straight over your moral compass—and leave deep, luxurious tyre marks all over it.