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Driven: Bentley Mulsanne Speed (2019)

If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Bentley Mulsanne Speed is a luxury train, such are the comfort, the opulence and the sheer velocity of its driving experience. More to the point, while behind the four-spoked wheel of this Bentley, there were times I felt I was steering Le Train Bleu rather than racing against it like Bentley Chairman Woolf Barnato did back in 1930, when he beat the luxury express on a 700-mile route from Cannes to London as a result of a bet.
Bentley Mulsanne Speed (2019) 72 photos
Photo: Florin Profir
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So while certain aficionados regard Bentleys as tanks (think: in the literal sense), I believe that Crewe's history of beating the railway has taught the automaker how to think like its opponent, as you'll be able to notice in the short film below.

For the record, this clip is no studio shenanigan: the shooting was done on location, at the birthplace of some other cars, namely the Ford factory in Craiova, Romania.

Have you noticed how many gear heads keep asking car collectors about their favorite piece? Well, when it comes to the Mulsanne Speed, the question would have to target the seat one wishes to occupy in this Bentley, which spans 5.75 meters (219.5 inches) in length.

An important part of what draws you to take control of the thing comes from the history books. You see, Bentley's 6.75-liter V8 turned 60 in 2019, which also happens to be the British carmaker's centenary year.

For the Mulsanne Speed, the twin-turbo powerplant delivers 537 PS (530 hp) and (ready for it?) a 1,100 Nm/811 lb-ft, with all of the planet-rotating twist being available from 1,750 rpm.

Performing in duet with a ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic (of course), the engine can push the 2.7-ton (5,950 lbs) four-door past the 60 mph (96 km/h) mark in 4.8 seconds, and onto a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h).

The facelift the Mulsanne received since I last drove one has also brought along a sleeker front end, as the real estate spreading from the A-pillar to the front bumper is fresh.

Timeless. This is the most concise way of describing the current Mulsanne and while the lower front valance of the pre-revamp model might've gotten in the way, you'd have no problem handing this over to your heirs together with the family home.

Bentley Mulsanne Speed front end
Photo: Florin Profir
On the tech front, the lavish sedan benefits from new active engine mounts and suspension bushes, along with a special foam construction for the Dunlop tires, all of which help the vehicle's air springs in their effort to separate those inside the car from anything going on underneath it.

Once you sink into the living room that is the cabin of the Bentley Mulsanne, you'll easily grasp the concept of a hand-built machine that takes 400 hours to come to life, with 150 of these being dedicated to the leather finish alone (just the contrast stitching requires 37 hours to complete).

Those numbers can hardly describe the look and especially the feel of the Portland and Beluga hides covering the interior of the test car.

Then there was the Dark Stained Madrona veneer of the tested example. Forget the fact that this wood is referred to as the "Strawberry Tree" thanks to its orange-red appearance and let's focus on the first part of its name.

This means you don't have to worry about any "design additions" your little ones might make, since they won't be too visible - anybody who's made the mistake of leaving a drawing tool within the reach of a small child while inside a car is well aware of what I'm talking about.

There are a lot of buttons in here, which goes along exceptionally well with the analog spirit of the car, regardless of what some might say.

The interior is also defined by its quirks - there were a few panel gaps with more generous tolerances than you'd find on a consumer car, but this only adds to the beauty of a hand-built cabin.

It only takes the driver a few hundred meters to realize that the Speed part of the vehicle's name needs to be read in a bespoke key - from the generous travel of the long pedal to the body movements under heavy use of the wide pedal, you'll be reminded this is a vehicle that can sprint like a top-tier hot hatch and then some, but weighs twice as much.

Bentley Mulsanne Speed chauffeur perspective
Photo: Florin Profir
Yes, the center console accommodates a drive selector with three predefined modes (Comfort, Bentley, Sport), plus one that allows you to choose your own settings. But while I'm normally all for mixing and matching the ideal setups for the powertrain and suspension, the Mulsanne Speed convinced me that the Bentley mode is just about right.

As expected, this motorized palace covers ground effortlessly. However, as opposed to the almost EV-like detachment that defines Rolls-Royce models, this Bentley lets you know there's a powerful beast underneath you.

For one thing, while the steering wheel is adorned with a set of paddles, your fingers will rarely have the opportunity to enjoy the feel of these knurled controls.

That's because the locomotive-like torque means downshifts don't interfere with the atmosphere too often, while the way of the car will mostly see you leaving the brilliant torque converter gearbox to do all the work. Oh, and by the way, here's a rendering portraying a Bentley locomotive.

Regardless of what you wish the speedometer to display or how moody the asphalt is, the Bentley Mulsanne Speed will maintain largely the same ambiance.

And while this nature of the car is brilliant most of the time, the only gripe I had with it revolved around the steering not becoming all that light at parking speeds.

My test route for the Mulsanne Speed involved travelling from one big city to another and back. And once the flawlessly-covered highway section of the journey's first leg was over, the adventure saw me wishing I'd move to the rear half of the cabin.

Traffic on the single-lane road that dominated this part of the trip was just as busy as the morning city drive. And while the four-figure maximum twist is exactly what you need when passing a long truck, modulating the throttle so the whole vehicle doesn't lift its nose like a muscle car on the prepped surface of a drag strip requires a bit of attention.

This is the point where a profound round of applause is due to the engineers who calibrated the electronic nannies. Sure, the chassis is capable of drifting if you wish to act all Batman while you're still Bruce Wayne. But when the electronics are on, they do a remarkable job at preventing that hypercar-like torque from becoming a nuisance for the not-that-wide 265-section rear tires, at least in the dry testing conditions.

Bentley Mulsanne Speed driving
Photo: Florin Profir
However, it's the decelerating finale of a passing maneuver that ultimately reveals the three-ton nature of this limousine. The stopping power is there, but wishing to fit in that traffic gap NOW is not quite in the spirit of the car.

I remember having attempted the same kind of pedal abuse in the ex-generation Flying Spur a few years ago without too much drama that would upset the hypothetical patron riding in the back. And the same goes for high-speed cornering, since the Mulsanne's body roll is the car's way of keeping the driver's manner in check, whereas the Flying Spur doesn't mind triple-digit speeds through the twisties.

Nevertheless, the old Flying Spur wasn't memorable on the way back to the "base", when I had already become accustomed to its lavish nature and the idea of being in control of its W12 motor. And this is where the true nature of the Mulsanne Speed became apparent - on the return journey.

This part of the trip took place at night, so the road was much less busy. And the garage that is my heart will forever hold a special place for this Big B after the melange of sensations it delivered on this route.

With its headlights penetrating into the darkness far, far away, the Mulsanne Speed's V8 rumble filled the cabin while the whole car felt like it came alive as it was wafting about at unmentionable speeds.

There was no other place in the world I would have preferred over the driver's seat for this journey. And since this is an enthusiast's limousine, I didn't felt guilty for mixing the voice of that V8 with the charms of the Naim audio system, with this kind of remorse remaining reserved to reviewing supercars.

Bentley Mulsanne Speed 6\.75L twin\-turbo V8
Photo: Florin Profir
Speaking of which, the party trick of the said audio hardware doesn't come from its 2,200 watts, which, by the way, made this the most powerful OEM automotive system when the car was launched a few years ago. Instead, the fact that amazes the most is how the system convinces each of the four occupants that it has been optimized for their side of the cabin.

Surprises during the drive? Well, if you've reached the point where such a car is on the list, you probably want it to iron out any details of the kind. And yet here's a surprise I experienced while guiding the Black Velvet test car through the crowded urban traffic: there was a considerable percent of drivers who always made room for this British machine, allowing you to enjoy some extra space as they zoomed in on the sculpted lines of the sedan. Truth be told, the deep purple look the said color gains under the sun means the machine is perfectly dressed for any occasion.

Speaking of the city, the Mulsanne Speed will make even the most imposing metropolis appear considerably smaller at night. When the boulevards are empty, splitting the air in this Bentley feels like you're having a dream, the kind that makes you smile days after it occurs. Of course, this could always benefit those who prefer to start their day at 5AM.

As far as the price (more on this below) and the size are concerned, the Mulsanne seems to be in an unspoken gentlemen's agreement with the also-a-decade-old Rolls-Royce Ghost and the 2017 arrival that is the Phantom VIII.

All three limousines make you feel like you're riding on a cloud. And while the Goodwood ones can be slightly puffier, Crewe's offer also allows you to indulge in thunderbolt throwing when you so desire.

Turning to the financial page of this tale, we can't pretend that journeys to the pump don't exist just because their cost is irrelevant to the owners of these mechanical creatures. And after twelve hours of spirited wafting, the trip computer showed an average of 10.7 US mpg or 22l/100 km (yes, the engine can run as a four-cylinder, but you won't feel the transition and the feature will be deactivated in Comfort Mode, where smoothness maximus is the headline).

You can head over to YouTube right now and uplift yourself with the help of The Beatles' Paul McCartney-composed "Blackbird". It will cost you next to nothing (hey, that electricity bill doesn't pay itself, does it?).

Then again, if you wanted to listen to Sir Paul McCartney performing the track live in one of the brilliant solo tours he continues to deliver, a good ticket alone would set you back around $400.

So if you won't argue about the difference between the two ways of massaging your ears, you might just be part of the Bentley Mulsanne Speed audience.

Bentley Flying B Hood Ornament \(Dark\) on Mulsanne Speed
Photo: Florin Profir
In other words, an Audi A8 L can be all the luxury saloon you'll ever need for around 40 percent of this Bentley's price. But while the German sedan is a car that can be judged solely by metrics such as cabin noise levels or overtaking abilities for long-distance journeys, the British machine we have here handles continent blitzing from a totally different perspective, one that can't be measured using instruments alone.

The most enticing part of the Mulsanne Speed is not the way in which it glides over bumps (even with the 21-inch wheels, it does an amazing job) or the coziness features it offers. Especially regarding the latter, you'd be better off with its recently-reborn Flying Spur "little" brother (think: assets such as 48V electric anti-roll system, all-wheel steering, as well as 3D diamond-quilted leather and solid wood, 3D quilted door inserts).

Instead, the Mulsanne does something that only a handful of cars on sale today can achieve, delivering the driving experience of a classic car in a modern package, with all the safety and convenience implied by the latter. Regardless of which row accommodates you, there's a retro-flavored sense of occasion that defines each journey completed in the Mulsanne Speed.

If I had an [insert favorite cryptocurrency subdivision here] for each time somebody referred to the Golden Age of the automobile as belonging to the past, I could easily afford a Bentley Mulsanne Speed, whose starting price sits at €276.300 (19% VAT included) or $$335,000 - for the record, the test vehicle came with about 40 grand worth of optional extras on top of the said figure.

But the truth is that this limousine will transport you back in time each time it takes you somewhere. And with electrons gradually taking over the automotive realm, such an offer simply can't be refused.

PS: If cost management does happen to concern you, feel free not to include a chauffeur on the payroll, since this Bentley has its way of luring one into the driver seat.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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