IF IT’S EFFORTLESS PROGRESS YOU’RE AFTER IN AN ULTRA-LUXURY SALOON, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE BENTLEY MULSANNE SPEED, THE NEW KING OF TORQUE.
Price, U$D 350K
It may appear that nstAutomotive staff get to drive supercars and dream machinery on a regular basis but the truth is otherwise. Wheels costing more than $350K don’t come up that often, and cars costing north of half a million dollars each of us here savours perhaps once or twice a year.
Yesterday happened to be my day in such a vehicle, and this one was not a supercar in the literal sense, though most would say without question that this 5.8m four-door four-seater limousine is a super car. As it should be for the asking price of $350 K.
The reengineered powertrain, featuring Bentley’s mighty 6¾-litre twin-turbo V8, propels the Mulsanne Speed to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds (0‑100 km/h in 4.9 seconds) and on to a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h). In modern Bentley tradition, the extra performance is matched by markedly improved efficiency; a 13% gain means a range extended by 50 miles (80 km).
New and contemporary styling features define the Bentley Mulsanne Speed as a statement in quintessential British luxury. On-board technology and connectivity are discreetly integrated beneath the finest materials, created with unrivalled craftsmanship and exquisite handcrafted details.
Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, Wolfgang Dürheimer, comments: “The new Mulsanne Speed is the car that defines Bentley, as a flagship for driving luxury performance. Our customers don’t compromise, and we’ve adopted the same approach in the design, engineering and crafting of our new flagship. The Mulsanne Speed is distinguished, calm and relaxing, but always with a connection to the road and relentless dynamic performance on demand. In this car, every journey becomes a drive.”
Still, for that you purportedly get the fastest luxury saloon in the world. And one that took almost 400 hours to hand-build. The particular car we took out for the day had over $100k lavished on it in cost options, and that would make it about the most expensive car I’ve ever driven, more expensive even than the Bentley Brooklands sampled in Tuscany back in 2008.
0k, so I performance tested a Rolls Royce Phantom once but that doesn’t exactly count. The car we are referring to is a Rolls Royce competitor of sorts, a Bentley, although this one is a special version of the company’s flagship Mulsanne, dubbed Mulsanne Speed, and coincidentally, it uses the same engine 6.75-litre biturbo engine as the Brooklands we drove seven years ago. Only for the Speed, with variable valve timing and rejigged turbo control technology, it pumps out eight per cent more torque, a ground shaking 1100Nm from 1750- 4200rpm, which is evidently another record of sorts.
Bentley claims that since the end of Veyron production the Mulsanne Speed is now the overlord of torque. That’s logo with almost 400kW of power developed also at 4200rpm. If all this seems at improbably low revs, that’s because output is sufficient by 4000rpm so why spin it any further? The redline and limiter kick in at 4500rpm which is where foot-flat upshifts automatically occur. For the record, the tacho ends at 5000rpm. Upshift at pretty much any speed you like and the next gear hooks up in the broad peak torque area so high revs are largely beside the point.
The secondary aim is that low revs favour fuel consumption and emissions. This state of affairs is the way ¡t has always been with this engine, the origins of which date back to 1959. Why the Arnage Turbo that previous editor Owen drove in 2004 had the same mill, though a decade ago it
was good for a piddling 850Nm.
Interestingly both the Arnage Turbo and the Brooklands weighed less than the car you see here which tested the absolute limits of our four-corner scales, turning in a reading of 2735kg fully fueled. That’s slightly heavier than claimed but then this car did have myriad extras. Adding in the Naim for Bentley sound system contributes.
Even the milled ashtray and the key fob are heavy That’s probably why it didn’t quite meet acceleration expectations, though we only did one run on chip seal where it posted a best of 5.4sec in the rush to 100km/h. On hot mix, you’d expect it to close in on the claimed 4.9sec mark. It gets there in the most serene manner imaginable; there’s no flurry of rubber tearing — torque is ‘managed’ in the lower gears — or any sense of shift shock. In fact, much of the time you cannot sense any cog swapping at all; you just notice the tacho drift back a little. It’s the same with engine noise; hit it hard and you’ll hear the six-and-three-quarter-litre V8 (built by Bob Bishop of Bentley) rumbling away and it’s obviously more noticeable outside the car, but from within the inner sanctum there’s nothing
much to hear.
The double glazing clearly helps, making it amongst the must hushed vehicles we’ve ridden in, the dB meter averaging 68.0dB exactly, with no readings above 70dB. That’s rather surprising given the premium footwear it runs, enormous alloys clad with Dunlop SP Sportmaxx GT rubber measuring 265 140ZR2 1. To behold, the MS is hardly the elephant in the carpark.. For though it’s nearly 5.8m stem to stern, it really doesn’t look that big in the flesh, with a ridiculously short front overhang for
such a large car, and shapely hips that start to bulge outwards from the rear door handle back. At the tail, oval- shaped stop lights are echoed by The twin elliptical stainless exhausts.
In profile, the 21-inch polished what wheels look right-sized and the doors don’t look overly long, as in some stretch wheelbase limousines, These close by themselves; merely pull the door to and electrics do the rest. The boot lid, of composite, is powered, naturally. The front is pure Bentley, unmistakable, and the grille, finished ¡n electroplated stainless to prevent stone chips, has a special dark tint finish for the Speed, as do the headlight inners.
The Bentley emblem up front can be hidden from sight or raised manually. There’s chrome galore, surrounding all the windows and the grille, and the sills have a discreet ‘Speed’ logo secreted just below the Mulsanne scuff plate. If the exterior seems rather magnificent the interior is simply divine.
There are thin carbon fibre strips on the doors, just enough to give a hint of Speed. Look also for quilted leather, a pile of polished wood, and gloss black galore in the centre console. Expect items like four zones of air, heated and vented seats, a dedicated iPod drawer with various connectors, drilled alloy pedals, smart dials that kick off from the twelve o’clock position, rear sun blinds, large
mirrors in the headlining, and a remote for rear seat passengers to sort the Naim audio system.
You name it. There’s even a pair of leather-covered cushions and removable foot rests. It’s not quite limo-like for space back there but the separate air conditioning controls and electric seat adjustment for rake and even vibrating seat elements make it rather special, as do the pull down gloss black tray tables.
The boot Is immaculately finished, with thick carpet, a leather pouch for the warning triangle, and a 12v outlet. But what sets this car apart rather is how it feels to drive. And the fact that the owner might actually want to take the helm on occasion. Manoeuvre it around and it feels large, but while it is heavy its weight is perfectly distributed, precisely one quarter to each wheel. As speed piles on it’s enormous size seems to diminish.
You can dial up the most dynamic suspension setting and the ride is still only ever plush and pampering. That’s full air suspension for you. Yet you can also conjure a lick of speed through corners, in a way that’s not conduct unbecoming. It’s hard to imagine that 2.7 tonnes would be fun to toss around, but this comes close, its hydraulic steering more tactile than most.
About the only annoyance is a shift lever that is sometimes pernickety. Despite the car’s expansiveness, we’ve run out of room. Ultra luxury machines are normally designed for optimum comfort and refinement at regular speeds, but the Mulsanne Speed adds a hint of dynamic competence to the mix and that’s somewhat unusual in the sector.
So is its sleek and not overly heavy look. Competitors on cost include Phantom and Ghost, but for a mix of dynamics and refinement also Bentley’s slightly smaller and less expensive Flying Spur, available with eight or twelve-cylinder power. If the ultimate in comfort and quietude is not quite enough, look to the Bentley(s) to add a little more in the way of driving panache.
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