Bentley Mulsanne 2016 Review

Bentley Mulsanne
International Launch Review
Innsbruck, Austria

Innsbruck is a fitting location for our first taste of the improved and expanded Bentley Mulsanne range – in the heart of the Alps and home to the unrestricted autobahn.

And it’s in the Mulsanne’s backseat – arguably the best in the house – where I get the first whiff of moneyed motoring. Partial to the occasional luxury good, it’s no surprise that I find the scent of superiority intoxicating.

With time to kill in the second row, I get familiar with the handcrafted glory. I’m pawing at every surface and I happily touch a knurled knob. I’m told it takes around 400 hours to hand-build a Bentley Mulsanne, 150 of which are dedicated to the leather interior – of which there are 24 hide colours to choose from.

Yep, it’s time well spent, Bentley. The interior is nothing short of exquisite. It smells all leathery and moody, and I wish I had dressed better for the occasion. I’m almost too scared to touch-up my lipstick in case I drop it on the cream leather -- but I’ve got to lift my look so I tempt fate and re-apply.

Restraint is not a word synonymous with the Bentley brand – luxury, power and prestige, money… yes. And the new Mulsanne -- now available in three variants -- owns it, with a starting price of more than $650,000.

In fact, Bentley couldn't tell us exactly what it charges for this excess. While the outgoing Mulsanne was priced at $662,858 plus on-road costs, and the old Mulsanne Speed at $733,387 – making both Mulsannes significantly more expensive than the smaller Flying Spur sedan (from $378,197) – strangely, it could only provide us with prices excluding stamp duty: $533,016.07 for the Mulsanne and $545,344.56 for the Mulsanne Speed.

Meanwhile, I can hear a Kombi van full of hipsters asking “how much is too much?" Let’s see.

Getting settled in my leather-lined, heated, reclining and massaging armchair-style seat, it’s obvious that Bentley knows a thing or two about attention to detail. Contrast hand-stitching (an additional 37 hours) is only the beginning, although my co-driver’s sharp-eye spied a slightly crooked stitch line -- darn humans (pardon the pun).

And of course there’s wood. Choose from 12 different veneers to complete the 40-piece puzzle inside your Mulsanne. Elsewhere you’ll find polished stainless steel, glass switchgear and deep-pile carpets.

A centre console divides the two rear passengers and is home to individual climate-control, seat controls, plenty of storage, cup-holders and, if optioned ($21,564), a dual bottle cooler with bespoke champagne flutes (the base resembles the spokes of a Mulsanne wheel).

The Mulsanne range is the flagship for Bentley’s luxury line-up. Mulsanne is the starting point, Mulsanne Speed offers a sportier, up-spec experience and the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase has increased length – and an extra 250mm of rear legroom – but it won’t be available in Australia.

The exterior is completely new from the A-pillar forward. It's bigger and sharper, carving a more modern silhouette. LED lights, revised bumpers and ‘B’ signature design elements are among further discreet styling updates. The stainless vertical grille with ‘matrix grille’ visible beneath is a shared design cue.

Common to the entire line-up is a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Discussion at the dinner table suggests this may be the last time this engine is used in the Bentley line-up, but Bentley won’t confirm or deny.

In Mulsanne and Extended Wheelbase guise, it develops 377kW and 1020Nm, has a top speed of 296km/h and, despite its size, moves from standstill to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds.

The Mulsanne Speed ups the ante with 395kW and a mega 1100Nm, upping its top speed to 305km/h and lowering the dash to 100km/h to 4.8 seconds. It goes without saying, therefore, that the Speed is no slouch – by any standard, let alone for a limousine weighing about 2.7 tonnes.

So what’s it like behind the wheel? In two words: Politely menacing.

The Mulsanne’s V8 urge is ever-present and its delivery effortless. Plant your foot and extra pace is instantaneous. That surge of torque is available from 1750rpm, which brings a surprising sense of urgency to this mammoth trophy.

And the engine just keeps on giving. Rolling acceleration -- even on the Autobhan – feels as brisk as the standing-start sprint. It never skips a beat – and it sounds good, too.

New suspension components (mounts and bushes), tyre absorption technology and air suspension with continuous damping control all contribute to the Mulsanne’s cushioned ride and quiet cabin. It’ll even automatically lower the ride height at high speeds for greater aerodynamics.

There was, however, a bit of wind noise at high speeds, which isn't surprising given driving the Mulsanne at autobahn velocity is like cutting the air with a mallet.

Feel at the wheel is good, sharp, even engaging. The Mulsanne never feels less than its size, but full marks to Bentley for creating an intimate sense of connection with an otherwise overwhelming platform. I contemplate the value of driving gloves to keep the cream leather on the steering wheel just that.

Up front, you’re enveloped by the same luxe seats as rear passengers, minus the massage feature for the driver. Seating position is good and the expansive bonnet is a clear indicator of the forward real estate this car occupies.

There are four drive modes to choose from, selected by the rotary switch near the gear selector: Bentley, Sport, Comfort and Custom (DIY settings). It’s the switch to Sport that brings about the most obvious step-up in character – steering feel and suspension both firm up. ‘Sport’ feels like a loose term in this setting, however.

The biturbo V8 is paired exclusively to a ZF eight-speed automatic that drives the rear wheels; changes are decisive and seamless as it cascades through the gears. Paddle-shifts elicit the peak effort you’ll use behind the wheel of the Mulsanne and they’re fast to respond, too.  But for the most part auto mode was just fine, since the Mulsanne has your back – right gear, every time.

The big Bentley is in its element barrelling along the autobahns, but I found myself longing for some corners – and we got some. It snaked through bends with unexpected agility, flat and planted all the way. And the carbon-ceramic brakes ($34,084 option on Speed only) pull the Mulsanne Speed to a stop with unthinkable haste.

Driver assistance systems are all there, including cruise control, reversing camera, blind spot (they’re expansive) warning system, adaptive headlights and high beam assist. But to my dismay adaptive cruise control is an extra-cost option -- $7650, to be precise.

Technology inside the Mulsanne is just as you’d expect – extensive and expensive at its optioned best. The infotainment system is all new and for the most part controlled by the 8.0-inch touch-screen backed by a 60GB hard drive, for starters.

If a touch-screen is not for you (it’s not likely to be glove-friendly), use the buttons and dials. At the serious end of tech is the Entertainment Specification with Google maps, which brings the ‘Naim for Bentley’ audio upgrade (that'll be a further $43,357, thanks).

We’re talking a 2000-Watt amp, 20 speakers including a subwoofer and super tweeters. But again, it’s the back-seat passengers who win. Dual 10.2-inch tablets with 32GB of storage deploy from the seat backs. From there, you can tap into the car’s 4G – WiFi, Bluetooth, maps, sounds and apps galore.

Control the audio and even reset the car’s navigation from the second row. Oh, and they fully detach so you can also use them outside of the car. And don’t forget the seatback-mounted veneered picnic tables. Immediately I thought how happy my kids would be… then I realised how ridiculous that image was. The leathery aroma was getting to me.

Like most luxury car-makers, Bentley offers a three-year/unlimited-km warranty, while service intervals are recommended at 12 months or 16,000km, whichever comes first.

Comparing the market at this level is easy since rivals are limited. Mercedes-Maybach and Rolls-Royce are the obvious choices for this coin.

Bentley currently produces around 1000 Mulsannes each year and hopes to do that, if not more, with the updated offering. How many of those will be sold in Australia is anybody’s guess – we snapped up around 21 Bentleys in total last year, but that was before the Bentayga SUV arrived.

After some time in the freshened Bentley Mulsanne, those persistent hipsters are playing on my third-world conscience. Is it all too much? It’s with a heavy heart that I say no, it’s perfect. Full props to the wealthy! The Mulsanne is the answer to your bespoke motoring dreams.

2016 Bentley Mulsanne pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8
Output: 377kW/1020Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 342g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A

2016 Bentley Mulsanne Speed pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V8
Output: 395kW/1100Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 342g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A

Also consider:
>> Mercedes-Maybach S600 (from $448,610 plus ORCs)
>> Rolls-Royce Phantom (from $855,000 plus ORCs)