Bentley Transporter aka Mulsanne

Some things in life will probably never change. The Eiffel tower will always look down on Paris, the Big Ben will always chime in London, and Bentley will always manufacture some of the most exclusive vehicles in the world. Being a motoring journalist, it’s not often we get to write about matching cushions seats, footrests and shag piles, but this, unlike European symbols, has changed, because there is simply no way to omit these tiny details of Bentley exclusivity.

9

8

7

15

14

6

11

2

3

4

13

5

12

1

0T7A5378

Being the flagship model of Bentley, The Mulsanne is quite a rare sight even on Dubai’s roads, and is definitely less well known that its sportier brother, the Continental GT, often found lurking in many music videos and CEO’s driveways around the globe. Why is that? Perhaps because it costs twice as much with a staggering starting price tag of 1.4 Million Dirhams. Pretty clear then that the exclusivity of the Mulsanne and its luxury ethos does not come cheap.

Arriving at the Bentley Emirates showroom in Dubai to start our three days adventure, we were in awe with its sheer size. The gleaming and polished black Mulsanne was waiting for us parked outside along with other models, and it was definitely letting us know that it is the biggest and the definitive alpha male in the Bentley hierarchy. This car is over 5.5 meters long and 2.2 meters wide. You can spot it from miles and easily recognise not only by its size, but also by the timeless massive double headlights inspired by the 1920’s models. The exterior curves are quite extraordinary; they are sharp and smooth at the same time. No wonder Bentley calls them “power lines” as they definitely make an impression of chiselled masculinity combined with a softest touch of the finest sculptor. Standing outside the showroom and looking at this piece of automotive art, all we could think of is to take a route with the widest roads, and avoid sharp turns.

The second adventure starts after taking a seat. Space, luxury finish, steel, leather and acres of wood veneers sublimely teamed up with sophisticated design. What is amazing about the interior is that everything that looks like something actually is. This is premium authenticity at its very best. So the leather is the best leather you can get, the steel, which has been polished so many times that it will never loose its shine, is perfect and what looks like glass tops on each button and knob is actually glass. Everywhere you look, old school design and the calm aristocratic feel meets modern technology. The LED screen hidden behind motorised wood veneer cover makes a regal appearance and provides an interface for navigation, Bluetooth streaming, phone connection and operating a 6CD changer, and 2 SD cards slots. There is even a special drawer underneath the screen to connect and tack away the devices (with the older connector, but who would keep up!). Our model had a massive 22-speaker Naim system fortifying British orchestral exclusivity by its mammoth 2200W output. We will not even start describing how awesomely sounding this system is, as mere words cannot express it. Hearing is indeed, believing.

The Mulsanne has been designed as a driver’s car, but it’s really a car to be driven in by a man with a smart suit and a hat. The second row of seats that is usually quite forgotten in normal cars, has received a lot of plush attention. Two armchairs at the back are separated by the centre console hiding reclining and massage buttons, complete with a cushions made from the same leather hide and a massive upholstered footrests to provide the ultimate comfort for those travelling at the back. The model we had on test has been equipped with an optional drink cooler hidden behind the sliding glass door. And of course, designers did not have cans of soft drinks in their mind. It has been created especially for two champagne bottles, which sit on particular angle to avoid spillage and crystal glasses made exclusively for this vehicle proudly wearing the B logo adding sparkles to the bubbly.

The back seat passengers have also two fully motorised picnic tables folded away in the front seats. These are of course no ordinary picnic tables either, one touch of a flawless steel button and they reveal iPads, connected to the car’s Wi-Fi hotspot, complete with wireless keyboards.

Aside from the luxury touches, the gorgeous shag pile carpet and ultra classy interior another great aspect of the Mulsanne is actually how this car handles and drives. We were very worried at first to take sharp turns and tight roads, but we were quickly re-assured that it does not only look good but also can be handled same way as any other bigger-sized sedan. For the car of this size what’s under the hood is extremely important. No disappointment here either. The hand built 6.75-litre V8 engine (thank you Mr Bob Bishop), with two turbochargers is definitely a promise of immense power. This massive 2.6 tonne car is able to hit the 100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. However to Bentley it is not about performance, but about how this power is delivered. When the foot touches the floor, the Mulsanne, in a polite British upper class manner raises its nose and tally ho!, charges off to the horizon with over a 1000 Nm of torque and can go in this pace to the maximum speed of nearly 300km/h. It is amazing how this huge car responds to driver’s commands and adds a filter of sophistication to every road manoeuvre.

We can only imagine that creating your own Mulsanne must be a very time consuming but extremely privileged exercise. The showrooms are lined with thick books of available options and extras; different colour hides are hanging proudly on the wall accompanied with the same amount of wood veneers. There are also never-ending personalisation options available for buyers. Bank balance and imagination are the only limits. What we found amazing about Bentley Mulsanne is that this is a car showed us what that true first class motoring experience is about. The Mulsanne is not about driving pleasure, it is about being transported from A to B in the best possible manner, in the interior so quiet and exquisite that the outside world is only a blur, and then finally arriving at the destination in style with a relaxed and clear mind. Mulsanne is the ultimate Bentley, and is one of the nicest places to be in the world, wherever it throws its shadow on the road.

#Bentley #BentleyMulsanne