BENTLEY Mulsanne Review

Since we mentioned Rolls Royce, we have to explain that while Bentley would rather have its flagship compete with the Rolls-Royce big kahuna, the Phantom, it’s the Ghost that makes up the closest competitor.

Despite this, the younger audience has rushed to point out that the Mulsanne's  face has a rather strange appearance, with the larger headlights placed inwards. Well, this is a nod to Bentley's past, a tribute to the mid 50s Bentley S-Type.

At the other end of the aficionado scale, we have the connoisseurs. These people only have one word for you - Mulliner. This is Bentley's division that takes care of your special desires. Be it a special door entry sill or a type of leather that reminds you of your first motorcycle, these people are here to give you a personalization hand.

To emphasize the Mulsanne's dynamic statements, Bentley has placed jewelry-like air vents on the front wings, as well as generous exhaust tips at the back. By the way, the inner shapes of the taillights mimic those of the tailpipes.

We have to admit that we've always had a bit of a soft spot for the Mulsanne's predecessor, the Arnage. Compared to this, the Mulsanne has grown by almost 8 inches (200 mm), measuring 219.49 inches (5,562mm). Despite this, the official weight is unchanged: 5976 lbs (2711 KG). As always, the real world figure can top that by as much as 90 lbs (200 kg), with the optional extras being the main factor here. As an example, you should know the wiring alone weighs about 22.7 lbs (50 kg).

Heavy as it may be, the Mulsanne has kept its weight figure intact despite the elongation. To achieve this, Bentley has placed aluminum doors and front wings on the steel monocoque chassis. The boot lid is composite, while the artistic shapes of the D-pillars mean these have to be created by coach builders.

The aforementioned construction has also made the chassis stiffer, but the British engineers kept their lips sealed when asked for a figure. Underneath the Mulsanne, we find a new air suspension, as well as adaptive dampers. What's more, this thing automatically lowers itself at speed in order to remain straight and true.

We are tempted to stay in this D-pillar area at the moment, but we have to go back to the front of the Bentley Mulsanne, as this is where we'll enter the car first.