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BENTLEY Mulsanne Review

OUR TEST CAR: 2014 BENTLEY Mulsanne

 
BENTLEY Mulsanne - Page - 4
While we were busy checking out the glass switches that complete the scenery, our feet were resting on wool carpets. These mats are deeper than what many call premium home items, being made of Wilton-weave. We were worrying about not getting them dirty, but this concern was treated with a piece of fine British humor. We were asked to imagine how sheep keep themselves clean despite mud getting in the way all the time.

The dashboard comes with quite a large array of controls, as you get dedicated  buttons for just about everything. Whereas the Rolls-Royce Ghost groups everything into the BMW-borrowed iDrive, here there are plenty of controls. The two couldn't be more different.

Sure, somewhere behind the infotainment interface lies Audi's MMI, but this is far from being an issue. Speaking of this, the Bentley Mulsanne has plenty of enthusiasm when it comes to the audio part of the cabin. The standard system employs 14 speakers, but our test car had been touched by Naim's magic wand.

The Mulsanne holds the most powerful car system in the world, with a 2,200 Watt amplifier and 20 speakers. Set up the system as you wish and turn the volume up to a quarter. The aural experience has kept us pinned in the parking lot for quite a while now and we're really not rushing to end the moment.

Whereas in a Flying Spur you can see the Naim speaker housings in the luggage compartment, the Mulsanne conceals these. Alas, the audio pleasures do take up a lot of space. At 15.6 cubic feet (440 liters) the boot falls a bit short of our expectations. Having to leave even one of our luggage pieces at home is simply not elegant.

What is elegant, however, is the fact that those rather massive wooden rear seat tables can be ordered in a configuration that's delightful in a tech-geekishly manner. Deploy the picnic tables and you'll fine a smooth leather-finish surface. Press a button and you'll get a dedicated space for an iPad and a keyboard. These features are part by the 2013 Mulsanne update.

From the list of finer things in life brought by the upgrade, we'll also mention the rear privacy curtains, as well as the comfort headrests. The latter quickly become addictive, so this is all brilliant work. However, we can't stop wondering why these weren't there in the first place.
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87user rating 33 votes
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Photo gallery (78)
BENTLEY Mulsanne front2014 BENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne wheelBENTLEY Mulsanne headlightBENTLEY mascot on MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne door mirrorBENTLEY Mulsanne polished hoodBENTLEY Mulsanne front wheelBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne side viewBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne rear2014 BENTLEY Mulsanne rear fasciaBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne handling2014 BENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne drivingBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne luggage compartmentBENTLEY badge on MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne privacy curtainsBENTLEY Mulsanne wood on door cardBENTLEY Mulsanne Naim speakerBENTLEY Mulsanne picnic tableBENTLEY Headphones: Mulsanne rear enterntainment systemBENTLEY Mulsanne rear armrest controlsBENTLEY Mulsanne interior: rearBENTLEY Mulsanne rear headrestsBENTLEY Mulsanne bulls-eye air ventsBENTLEY Mulsanne rear tablesBENTLEY Mulsanne rear armrestBENTLEY Mulsanne SD memory card slotsBENTLEY Mulsanne pedalsBENTLEY Mulsanne light controlsBENTLEY Mulsanne center console buttonsBENTLEY Mulsanne clockBENTLEY Mulsanne keyBENTLEY badge on Mulsanne steering wheelBENTLEY Mulsanne center consoleBENTLEY Mulsanne navigation displayBENTLEY Mulsanne dashboard veneerBENTLEY Mulsanne gear shifterBENTLEY Mulsanne steering wheelBENTLEY Mulsanne window switchesBENTLEY Mulsanne interiorBENTLEY Mulsanne front seatsBENTLEY Mulsanne power seatsBENTLEY Mulsanne interiorBENTLEY Mulsanne door entry sillBENTLEY badge on Mulsanne seatBENTLEY Mulsanne dashboard instrumentsBENTLEY Mulsanne ashtrayBENTLEY Mulsanne dashboardBENTLEY Mulsanne steering wheelBENTLEY Mulsanne rear seatsBENTLEY Mulsanne DVD changerBENTLEY Mulsanne iPod storage compartmentBENTLEY Mulsanne 6 3/4 V8 engineBENTLEY Mulsanne 6.75-liter V8BENTLEY MulsanneBENTLEY Mulsanne driftingBENTLEY Mulsanne accelerationBENTLEY Mulsanne offroadBENTLEY Mulsanne driving on sandBENTLEY Mulsanne desert adventureBENTLEY Mulsanne frontBENTLEY Mulsanne accelerationBENTLEY Mulsanne burnoutBENTLEY Mulsanne driving in the desertBENTLEY Mulsanne desert driftingBENTLEY Mulsanne navigationBENTLEY Mulsanne speedometer and rev counterBENTLEY Mulsanne dashboard instruments at night