2011 Bentley Mulsanne - 21st century appeal

Posted by Admin on Thursday, September 08, 2011 in 2011 Bentley Mulsanne | 1 comment

Old-world style, 21st century appeal

Bentley's 2011 Mulsanne is the first big sedan from the automaker in more than half a century. You'd expect such an engineering effort to result in a car with stunning attention to detail -- and you'd be right.

It takes more than two months to make one Mulsanne sedan, but the wait for wealthy consumers should be worth it. Bentley's $285,000 flagship blends the type of craftsmanship you'd expect from the British brand with new technology to assure it can keep pace with its competitors.

At the heart of the car is a 6.75-liter V-8 engine producing 505 horsepower and a monstrous 752 pound-feet of torque. From inside, you're more likely to notice the fine materials and incredibly quiet cabin. Each Mulsanne features 17 leather hides and the wood veneers have been mirror-matched to achieve a symmetrical look.

Bentley's design director has commented that the Mulsanne "oozes emotion" and we wouldn't disagree. On a car with as few compromises as the Mulsanne, though, we wonder whether the droopy front styling will wear well with time....

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