We Mulsanne You A Question…

…and the question is as follows: Is the late Mulsanne the greatest example of a modern Bentley? We think it could well be. In fact, so determined were we to prove this point, we even borrowed one so we could check the validity of our claim for ourselves. So, one call to Mike at Bentley later and a stunning 2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed was on its way. As you can probably gather, we were somewhat excited. But what was it like? For this writer, a Mulsanne is a very much a ‘if my numbers came up’ kind of car. Supercars are fine, but a Bentley, well, you could extoll its virtues every day. And when C12BML arrived, that’s exactly what we did.

Mulsanne History

The Mulsanne name has had two outings. First, it was on the car launched in 1980. Based largely on the then new Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit, the Mulsanne was simply a rebadged version. The name came, as one would expect, from Le Mans as a nod to Bentley’s racing history there. Things only really got interesting in 1982 when Bentley engineers thought it would be a jolly good hoot to strap a Garrett AiResearch turbo onto the 6.75 litre V8. This gave it 50% more power, and when combined with significant chassis work to make the massive car more agile, it truly made the Mulsanne more than a Roller with a different badge. It also marked the time at which Rolls and Bentley would, spiritually, part ways. A Rolls was a car in which to be driven. A Bentley was a car to drive.

Our Mulsanne

Okay, so calling it ‘our’ Mulsanne is a bit much, but it was on the drive for a week, so we’re going with it. Let us have our fun. Anyway, yes, the car. It’s a 2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed. One of the last of the Mulsanne’s short second 2010 to 2020 run. This means that while it’s incredibly luxurious, it’s also pretty handy when it comes to capturing the horizon. Under the bonnet is a more modern version of the 6.75 litre V8. It doesn’t have a turbo though, largely because it has two. That means 530bhp and over 800lb ft, which is roughly enough to tow the Moon.

It’s not all about the speed though (we’ll come back to that later). The Mulsanne is, frankly, exquisite. Truly. While Bentley’s parent might be VW, there is very little from the German parts bin in here. This is not a Flying Spur or a Continental. This is a pure Bentley, and you get a sense of that as soon as you slide into the massive, leather-trimmed, heated, cooled, massaging electric seats (and that’s all four seats, mind). Close the door that would make that of a bank vault blush, and you’re instantly enveloped in luxury. Being a Speed model, this one plays hard into the black and chrome aesthetic, while the doors proudly house carbon fibre. You might think such a material would be juxtaposed here, but it’s not. It’s subtle in its presence, and as such, it works as a nice detail rather than something that’s there to fight for your attention like a shouting toddler.

As one would expect from a modern luxury vehicle, you get all the toys. There must be enough wiring in a Mulsanne to wrap around the world. You’ve got touch screens, Bluetooth, an incredible stereo, quad-zone climate control, the aforementioned seats, electric retractable rear blinds, pop out screens and wireless headphones for the rear seat passengers, cruise control, cameras, the list goes on. It’s got everything, basically. But it’s all subtle in the way it’s fitted, it doesn’t look like the ghost of Maplins has thrown up the dash. It’s all very… elegant. And with the exclusion of the touch screens, it’s all operated by real, physical buttons. Nice.

The Exterior

An executive, luxury car should be a saloon. That’s all there is to it. As such, the Mulsanne is correct. It’s also massive at nearly eighteen foot in length. It also tips the scales at over 2,500kg. It’s a big old bus. And so it should be. Ours – there’s that word again – is finished in Tungsten over Black Crystal and it sits on 21 inch Mulsanne Speed wheels. It is, make no mistake, an imposing thing to look at. And with its bright LED daytime running lights, it had a fair few people offering worried looks to the rear view mirror.

The Drive

Earlier on, we suggested that a Bentley is for those who want to drive, not be driven. The Mulsanne, especially in Speed trim, embraces that ethos with gusto. It is alarmingly fast. Yes, so it should be, over 500 brake and all that. But that doesn’t change that fact that when you bury your right foot into the deep pile carpet, it just feels… insane. It’s disconcerting, in fact. It doesn’t feel like a car that should be able to get up and go like that. It’s exciting, astonishing even, but it’s also brilliant. And it’s not all straight line stuff. Turn the dial (or use the screen) and pop it in sport mode and the suspension hunkers down, the steering gains more ‘weight’ and all of a sudden, this massive machine can carry out the kind of vehicular acrobatics that some smaller cars could only dream of. If you want to press on, if you want to enjoy the drive, the Mulsanne Speed is happy to oblige.

Of course, we treated that as a party trick and instead opted to have it in Comfort mode most of the time. Though even in that setting, it was still car we felt connected to, one we felt we were engaging with. One that felt like it genuinely needed us to be in the driver’s seat, which is a novelty in today’s autonomous world.

The eight-speed ZF automatic transmission is, as you would expect, buttery smooth. The engine is soulful, but not intrusive, the road noise in non-existent, the suspension is sharp and reassuring even in comfort mode. It seems nobody has told the Mulsanne how big it is, as it hugs the road as well as a car half its size. As for fuel economy, well, if you’re buying a car like this with questions like that, you may not be the right demographic. But, we like to share the info – it averaged about 23mpg while we had it. Impressively, the V8 shuts half the cylinders down when it’s cruising, which obviously helps matters.

The Verdict

We’re in love, frankly. If we could own one, we would. If you’ve been thinking about it, you should. Absolutely. This is the epitome of luxury motoring in our eyes, and it’s a crying shame that Bentley opted to axe it from the roster. But with the ongoing success of the Continental and Flying Spur, combined with that of the Bentayga, we get it. We don’t like it, but we get it. It means though, that the Mulsannes out there, the ones for sale right now on Car & Classic, they’re it. There will be no more. If you want one while they’re still relatively new, now is your chance. It also means the Mulsanne is a bargain compared to when it was new. The car we had was £262,000 in 2019. No, you could pick one up for £100k. Less if you go older. And when it’s that much of a bargain, how could you not?