Okay, we've seen Porsche->ke1, BMW->ke178 and Audi->ke14 all experimenting with hybrid and electric cars->ke1030, which is okay. But now things are getting a little more upscale in the electrification of luxury cars to help boost mpgs without losing performance and comfort. The latest of the entrants is Bentley with its Beijing-bound Hybrid Concept, which is little more than an electrified and copper-accented Mulsanne->ke3495. Hey, if you're gonna reveal a new hybrid engine, then why not show it off in your flagship sedan?

The details are still a little scarce on the Hybrid Concept, but Bentlry did let us in on a few details. We know that the hybrid drivetrain will carry the same 6.75-liter V-8 gas burner as the base model, but with electric motors added to boost fuel economy and output, while decreasing CO2 emissions. According to Bentley, this drivetrain bumps fuel economy up by 25 percent and guts CO2 by 70 percent.

What's more, this drivetrain is in Bentley's future plans, and it will slowly make its way into every Bentley vehicle.

we expect to hear more about the car following its debut at the Beijing Auto Show on April 20th.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Bentley Hybrid Concept.

2014 Bentley Hybrid Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Bentley Hybrid Concept
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

On the outside, the Hybrid Concept looks like your run-of-the-mill Mulsanne, but there are a few subtle differences that stand out. The most notable of changes are copper highlights strewn about the outside, including inside the headlights, on the radiator shell bezel, on the brake calipers and on the cross stitching on the front grilles. Rounding out the copperizing of the Hybrid Concept is a copper strip above the trimming that runs around the lower-third of the car, the center caps on the wheels and the "Hybrid" badges on the fenders.

Other than the sleek copper highlights, which really make the concept pop, the rest of the car is a plain-Jane Mulsanne, if it is even possible to call the luxo-rig "plain..."

Headlights In Detail

Wheels In Detail

Interior

The cabin of this concept -- like the exterior -- is mostly the same as the Mulsanne that it is based upon. Also like the exterior, the cabin has copper accents throughout, as the gauges have copper centers and copper trimming around the outside edges, inserts on the veneers, switch bezels, knobs, and even on the top of the gear shift knob.

Drivetrain

Bentley dove into some details on the drivetrain without giving up too much. What I learned was that this is indeed a plug-in hybrid that increases fuel efficiency by 25 percent and reduces CO2 emissions by a whopping 70 percent. This would put the fuel economy of the hulking 6.75-liter engine under the Mulsanne's hood at 14 mpg city and 23 mpg highway, which isn't too bad fir this massive sedan. Bentley didn't say anything about the final output of this drivetrain, but the base engine produces 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque, and I would expect the hybrid system to bump this to about 515 horsepower and 760 pound-feet. On top of more power and better fuel economy, this Hybrid Concept can travel 50 km (about 22 miles) on electric power alone.

The transmission likely remains the same eight-speed auto from the current Mulsanne and it should remain rear-wheel drive.

Prices

Bentley absolutely has plans to develop this drivetrain for its entire range, and I suspect the Mulsanne version would see about a $25,000 premium on this drivtrain. This would put the Mulsanne at nearly $330,000.

Competition

2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II

There is no hybrid, premium luxury sedan on the market today, so we'll have to focus on the gasoline-powered rival to the Mulsanne: the recently refreshed, 2015 Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II. Under the Ghost's hood is a 6.6-liter, V-12 powerplant that puts down 563 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque. Though it has four more cylinders to feed, the Ghost is not too far off from the Hybrid Concept in fuel economy, as it gets 13 mpg city and 29 mpg highway -- I take that uncertified fuel-economy number with a grain of salt.

On the outside, the Ghost is showing its age, despite a refresh, but then again, so is the Mulsanne. In terms of luxury, the two models are equally matched, as they both have enough goodies to keep top-level executives happy for a long, long time.

The Ghost comes in at $307,900, so the two are pretty evenly matched in terms of pricing.

Again, this is not a hybrid model, so trying to compare it to the Hybrid Concept is nearly impossible.

Conclusion

Luxury barges that hit 60 mph in under six seconds are insane, but they are the norm for today's top executives. Now with gas prices shooting up and the CAFE standards looming, even Bentley has to start looking into boosting its fuel economy numbers. Distributing this drivetrain across its entire lineup -- even on the new SUV -- seems logical and wise on Bentley's behalf.