MOTORING


By Tim Barnes-Clay


THE EXPRESSION “money is no object” means that cost is no


obstacle: you’re willing to pay whatever is required to get what you want. Tat turn of


phrase is very apt when it comes to shopping for a brand new Bentley – especially if you’re after the flagship of the range. 90 www.r-magazine.co.uk


And that’s exactly what the new Mulsanne is – it’s the crème de le crème of the world- famous Cheshire based luxury car maker. So, strangely enough, fuel economy and other running-costs are probably at the bottom of your list of concerns if you’re in the market for a vehicle that requires you to fork out more than the price of an average four bedroom house. No, the Mulsanne isn’t about that side of motoring at all. Instead, it cares deeply about transporting you in the most magnificent style possible, preferably with a chauffeur behind the wheel. It’s a massive motorized status symbol – a message to the world that you‘re immensely successful, but that you also have exquisite taste.


Hung up in a giant art gallery, it’d be a masterpiece because the design of the Mulsanne is a blend of sportiness, coach built elegance and solidity. Echoing the Bentley S -Type of the 1950s, the car has a bold front, dominated by the traditional Bentley matrix grille and prominent, classic round inner headlamps, flanked by two, smaller outboard lamp clusters, all featuring the latest in lighting technology. Te lengthy bonnet, short front overhang and long


rear overhang help to express a sense of might and movement, reinforced by burly haunches and sharply sculptured lines which flow charmingly from the front wings to the rear. Uniquely designed 20-inch (and optional 21-inch) wheels reinforce the Mulsanne’s commanding, sporting stance.


Inside, the aroma of leather and wood envelops you instantly. Te scent is wonderful, yet almost overwhelming. And there’s a reason for this: over 170 hours - that’s almost half the entire build process – goes into crafting the interior of the Mulsanne. Each steering wheel can take 15 hours to hand-stitch while stainless steel brightware gleams so perfectly, thanks to an intensive 10 hour finishing process. Te wood veneer takes five weeks to turn from a rough root ball into a full set of mirror-matched, fine-polished leaves – and a time-honoured tanning process is even employed for the leather; this is what gives off the rich, worn fragrance that is so evocative of vintage Bentleys. Te entire cabin is also encased within a ‘ring of wood’ waist rail with an unbroken panel of wood gracing the Mulsanne’s dashboard. Inverted dial needles within the instrument cluster


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