Bentley has shaken things up with the über-luxurious Mulsanne and made it even more advanced.
On top of adding an Extended Wheelbase model that makes the Mulsanne’s rear cabin 10 inches longer for a more comfortable ride, Bentley has added a host of bespoke features to make their top-of-the-line model even better.
Despite producing more V12s than any automaker, Bentley decided to continue to give the Mulsanne range—even the Extended Wheelbase version—a twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 that outputs 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque (a few more horses and pound-feet in the Speed model). The power is sent through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the Mulsanne can go from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and has a top speed of 184 mph (with the Speed shaving 0.3 seconds and adding 6 mph to those specs).
The suspension of the Mulsanne line has also been updated and upgraded, and now includes Continuous Damping Control and a Drive Dynamics Control System that has three factory and one custom setting standard. Bentley has even co-developed special tires with Dunlop that have foam-filled sections to further reduce interior cabin noise.
On the exterior, the new 2017 Mulsanne model line has a sharper and more modern design, with a few historical touches like a wider traditional upright grille that is fashioned to mimic the look of classic Bentleys from the 1930s.
The interior is luxurious too with 24 leather color and 13 veneer finish options that help accomplish the old-world luxury styling the British brand seeks. On top of the beautiful hand-worked luxuries, Bentley has upped the new-age technological options in the Mulsanne, even featuring a new infotainment system with 60 GB of media storage that will support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On top of that, two removable 10.2-inch tablets have been custom designed for the rear passengers and slotted in the front seatbacks with a Bentley-themed interface that has access to the Google Play Store.
The Mulsanne S model is a more performance-oriented model that brings the horsepower up to 530 and the 0-60mph time down to 4.8 seconds. It is equipped with a tuned transmission featuring an S mode. The steering and suspension have also been modified to provide more feedback and control.
There are simply too many great additions to the new Mulsanne lineup to mention. Pricing is expected to start at $300,000 with that number rising as high as any potential owner can imagine thanks to all of the bespoke options Bentley offers. Keep in mind it takes 144 craftsmen 399 hours to assemble a Mulsanne; that’s triple the time a Continental GT requires.
