And while not everyone is going to agree with the way it looks, they’ll struggle to find just cause to complain about the way it goes. The headline figures - 505bhp and 752lb ft of torque - improve only a little on the numbers boasted by the Arnage, but it is the fact that peak torque now arrives at 1750rpm instead of 3250rpm that dominates the way the car performs. It’s so effortless that you almost wonder if the Mulsanne even needs a gearbox, let alone one with eight choices of ratio.
It handles and rides like a Bentley too. The Mulsanne may look like a limo but it doesn’t drive like one. There is an underlying firmness to the suspension even in its softest setting that brings outstanding levels of body control at the inevitable cost of some compromise to bump isolation.
If you want a magic carpet ride, it is to Rolls-Royce and not Bentley that you must turn. But if you want to drive a car that copes with difficult roads with more grace and precision than any 2.6-tonne, four-seat saloon has a right to, look no further. The Mulsanne is not agile - nothing this heavy, sitting on that wheelbase, ever could be - but it is responsive, accurate and communicative. To call it fun would be no exaggeration.
And while he or she who writes the cheque will most likely travel up front, the rear seats are just as tempting. In fact, if you’re to be denied the wheel, it’s probably a better place to pass the time than as a front seat passenger.
There’s all the room that you could wish for and more, plus a high seating position offering a fine vantage point from which to see not only what’s outside but also the whole cabin of the car, a pleasure denied those in the front. Also, those in the back sit closer to the car’s pitch and roll centre and are notably less affected by hard cornering, acceleration or braking.
Complaints are small but significant: there was notable wind noise at speed in the test car, and the way the state-of-the-art electronic interface and switchgear co-exist with the otherwise deeply traditional cabin has not been as successfully executed as you’ll find in a Roller. And, perhaps, old Arnage owners might find themselves mourning just a little that car’s coarser, noisier but more distinctive and characterful engine note. Maybe they’ll find the Mulsanne’s cabin design just a touch too clean; they might even consider the ease with which it can be driven actually relieves them of a part they quite enjoyed playing.
In the main however, I suspect most will just think it’s brilliant.
Should I buy one?
Got a spare £222,000? Then don’t delay because it’s already sold out through 2010 and 2011. The first purpose-built Bentley in a lifetime has no serious flaws and some awesome talents.
It’s as effortless as a flagship Bentley should be, as luxuriously appointed and as capable and rewarding as any car flying the wings should be. It may be slightly less lovable than an Arnage, but much of that car's charm lay in its flaws. Those failings have been exorcised and what remains is a breathtakingly able, utterly admirable and endlessly enjoyable new Bentley.
Join the debate
trocadero
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
Splendid!
kraftwerk
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
My eyes! Aaarrrggh!
RicardoJ
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
I thought it was absolutely hideous when I first saw it, but it is certainly growing on me now.
Regarding the ride quality, a comparison would be useful - is it Jaguarish or Lexusish, or more BMW-ish?
Stevie Steve
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
[quote kraftwerk]My eyes! Aaarrrggh![/quote] No taste dear fellow, no taste. This is an excellent vehicle with which to be driven in or occasionally to take the wheel oneself. The perfect embodiment of a sporting luxury saloon that epitomises the Bentley brand. It will sell in droves. I will have one in racing green with barley leather because I have taste.
weenedonpetrol
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
[quote Stevie Steve][quote kraftwerk]My eyes! Aaarrrggh![/quote] No taste dear fellow, no taste. This is an excellent vehicle with which to be driven in or occasionally to take the wheel oneself. The perfect embodiment of a sporting luxury saloon that epitomises the Bentley brand. It will sell in droves. I will have one in racing green with barley leather because I have taste.[/quote] ...................and far more sophisticated than the current offerings from RR.
BadgerChap
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
In which way exactly is it more sophisticated than the current RR offerings? In the sheer quantity of switches on the dash? In the sheer acreage of wood trim? In the bling-tastically huge wheels? Maybe it's the boss-eyed front end? Hmm, so hard to tell, but I'm sure it'll all become clear once the average buyer (read- footballer) specs one up with the quilted and embroidered bordello leather currently featured on so many Benters.
Joking apart, from a design perspective (and especially compared to RR's approach) VW, I am sorry I mean Bentley, have lost the plot. The front end is hideous and the rear is just plain clumsy. Add the over-wheeled profile and the package is complete. Rather than updating a badly outdated design they should have started from scratch and created a modern, clever, high-tech car in the vein of the post-war Continental R- the last truly wonderful Bentley. This thing is simply vulgar.
PHILBY
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
i really despise this kind of cars the reason being that 222k gets you a fabulous car that will serve every possible need you may have, what i don't understand is how paying so much money entitles the potential buyers to pollute the atmosphere 3 or 4 times more than the average motorist.
Stevie Steve
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
[quote BadgerChap]This thing is simply vulgar.[/quote] No. You are wrong. All Bentleys have always been vulgar. They age extremely well. Your judgment is short sighted.
Lesia44
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
[quote BadgerChap]
In which way exactly is it more sophisticated than the current RR offerings? In the sheer quantity of switches on the dash? In the sheer acreage of wood trim? In the bling-tastically huge wheels? Maybe it's the boss-eyed front end? Hmm, so hard to tell, but I'm sure it'll all become clear once the average buyer (read- footballer) specs one up with the quilted and embroidered bordello leather currently featured on so many Benters.
Joking apart, from a design perspective (and especially compared to RR's approach) VW, I am sorry I mean Bentley, have lost the plot. The front end is hideous and the rear is just plain clumsy. Add the over-wheeled profile and the package is complete. Rather than updating a badly outdated design they should have started from scratch and created a modern, clever, high-tech car in the vein of the post-war Continental R- the last truly wonderful Bentley. This thing is simply vulgar.
[/quote] Absolutely spot on. No more words required in this thread.Leslie Brook
Re: Bentley Mulsanne
[quote Autocar]The first purpose-built Bentley in a lifetime has no serious flaws [/quote] Sorry, but if I'd spent £222,000 on this car, I would consider "notable wind noise at speed" a very serious flaw indeed.
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