2011 Bentley Mulsanne Test Drive

Bentley's flagship debuts at a time when the ultraluxury market is rebounding from a period where conspicuous consumption was viewed as a social liability. How does the high-priced, hand-crafted Mulsanne make a case for itself against mass-manufactured sedans?


The Bentley brand has gone through numerous cycles of boom and bust since W.O. Bentley fired up his first engine some 91 years ago, and the company's most recent challenge has been an economic downturn that has placed particular strain on the sales performance of the VW-owned British brand.

The poshest offering in Bentley's already lofty lineup, the new Mulsanne asserts the brand's most ambitious ideals of limited volume and hand-built assembly. But beneath its hand-rubbed paint, several engineering details reveal that Bentley is making subtle strides to adapt to the times. For instance, the Mulsanne's all-new powerplant is the first in its segment to feature variable displacement for improved fuel efficiency, and its 8-speed transmission boasts the first use of paddle shifters in any Bentley sedan. Let's go motoring to see how this big, pricey Bentley addresses the 21st century.

Bentley Mulsanne road test

The Mulsanne is the first all-new bespoke Bentley in 80 years and is an important model for a company that took a bit of a beating during the recession (sales fell from 10,014 to 4,700 between 2007 and 2009). A £220,000 luxury limousine with a sporting twist that is in keeping with Bentley’s Le Mans-winning heritage, the Mulsanne is the company’s new flagship model, replacing the Arnage. Its looks are little controversial, with many critics finding its external styling a little too idiosyncratic for their tastes, but there’s no doubting its performance.

The Mulsanne, even in its most basic form, costs £220,000, a sum that can only be afforded by the very richest members of society. Add a few optional extras and the price soon rises beyond £250,000. But you don’t buy a Mulsanne if your bank balance is going to take a significant hit, so it would be unfair to mark it down in this category. After all, if you have that kind of money to spend on a car, it constitutes good value. In terms of running costs, it’s pretty much a question of if you have to ask, you can’t afford them. Fuel economy of 16.7mpg on the combined cycle is around what one would expect (although the Rolls-Royce Ghost’s 20.8mpg betters it) and CO2 emissions of 393g/km mean that it’s positioned in Band M for vehicle excise duty, which will cost £950 in the first year and £435 in subsequent years. Residual values should be decent, but the Mulsanne won’t be as good an investment as a Picasso lithograph. The previous Arnage retained around 44% of its value after three years and 60,000 miles, which is a good indicator of how the new model will fare.

Bentley Mulsanne car review

First impressions have been mixed. Many questioned the Mulsanne’s styling when it was first revealed. I wasn’t one of them though, for what it’s worth, I reckon the Mulsanne blends just the right amount of subtle muscularity that’s long been a Bentley characteristic, with some real flair.

The exterior takes Bentley’s past and mixes in some future design elements – and the same is true of the interior. Traditional, with a blend of modernity, the Mulsanne is still a car that many cows have sacrificed their finest hides for. The dashboard is a true work of art, and the entire cabin is ringed by stunning, mirror finished, veneered wood. Combine that with soft leather everywhere else, just enough chrome and some piano black switches, and the Mulsanne feels like it’s worth every penny of the £220,000 asking price.

The controls all operate with solidity, the push-pull chrome ventilation knobs are a tactile treat and refreshingly old school, though behind the tradition is modern equipment to ensure that the Mulsanne works in this century. There’s a satnav system secreted away behind a wooden panel, featuring a 60 Gb hard drive and Bluetooth telecommunication. Bentley has even added a drawer within which you can drop your iPod, MP3 player or phone and connect it directly to the infotainment system.