The Bentley Mulsanne

A grand new Bentley luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and handcrafted refinement, the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned.

Grand touring is not an easy concept to define, but the experience is unmistakable. At its heart is the idea of a long journey, undertaken in some style. The experience of driving the Mulsanne is founded upon extraordinary power and torque, delivered with effortless grace and communicated to the road through a chassis of suppleness and poise. It is complemented by a cabin where every control, every dial, every surface is painstakingly designed and crafted to create an enduring sense of well being. The Mulsanne is a fast as sports car, as lavishly equipped as a limousine, yet it is
more than either, it is a Bentley grand touring.

Summon the 6.75 liter V8 to life by pressing the engine start button before selecting drive on the eight-speed transmission via the gearlever. Within the polished burr walnut facia are set Bentley's 'inverted needle' dials for road speed and engine revolutions; at any easy 100 miles an hour, the speedometer needle points straight down. Unless you're holding a lower gear manually via the steering wheel paddle shift, the tachometer needle will rarely stray beyond 1750rpm, peak torque, at which point an irresistible 1020 Newton meters is available.

It is said of the best cars that they seem to shrink around the driver when in motion. The Mulsanne is a spacious, four-door with ample space to stretch out, but
the fidelity of the the steering response, the clarity of feedback from the three-mode air suspension and the precision of throttle control make it effortless to thread along a winding route.

Even when traveling at high speed, voices do not need to be raised to maintain a relaxed conversation; alternatively, the Naim for Bentley's 2200 watt, 20-speaker system can turn the cabin into a hushed concert venue at the touch of a button.

It takes some 170 hours to create the interior of a Mulsanne, and it feels as if you could spend just as long enjoying all of the details of craftsmanship, from the contrast stitching along the facia top roll to the glass switchgear and knurled brightware.