by Turo
posted on May 24, 2019
The pinnacle of luxury craftsmanship and design
If Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy were alive today, he’d probably drive a Bentley Mulsanne. Strong, distinguished, and extraordinarily elegant, the Bentley Mulsanne is the ultimate combination of both luxury and performance.
Its old-world style combined with modern engineering and phenomenal power makes it one of the most sought out luxury vehicles in the world, the ultimate status symbol of sophistication and success.
So what is it that makes the flagship model of the Bentley range so irresistible? Let’s take a look.
Journey to the past — time machine not necessary
The Mulsanne was first launched in 2009 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Ten years later, the Bentley Mulsanne still reminds drivers and car enthusiasts alike of an era when cars were big, loud, and elegant.
Today, many carmakers are focused on incorporating the latest tech and innovative features such as gull-wing doors, night vision, and “smart sensors” built into seats to read occupants’ vital health. Meanwhile, Bentley continues to use old-fashioned metal files, wood rasps, stitching needles, sandpaper, and polishing compound to build the Mulsanne. Completely hand-crafted, each Mulsanne takes approximately 500 working hours to complete. Talk about custom-built!
Human hands painstakingly build to perfection the seamless body of the Mulsanne, piece by piece. That includes the five-day process of hand-painting the Mulsanne to ensure there are no defects.
Building one Bentley Mulsanne (as well as every Bentley built in Crewe, England) is a true labor of love. And the result is a piece of art we’ve come to know distinctly as a Bentley.
A quick history lesson on Bentley
Bentley’s rich past began like many success stories — with a dream.
W.O. Bentley, along with his brother, founded Bentley Motors Limited in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London. With only luxury and performance in mind, Bentley Motors went on to dominate at Le Mans, the world’s oldest endurance sports car race, run annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France.
Bentley quickly made a name for himself and was surrounded by young men and women intrigued by the thrilling life of cars and motor racing. He was living life Great Gatsby style.
But that life almost came to an end with the Great Depression. In 1931, Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley, breathing new life into the young company and developing a partnership that would last for decades. The two companies parted ways in the 1970s, with Bentley eventually becoming a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG.
Almost a century later, W.O.’s vision continues to guide the beliefs and ambitions of Bentley Motors, incorporating speed and luxury in every model produced.
How much does a Bentley Mulsanne cost?
The 2019 Bentley Mulsanne doesn’t just mark 10 years for the model but 100 years since W.O. Bentley founded Bentley Motors. With only 100 vehicles made, each one is adorned with a commemorative piece from the crankshaft of Bentley’s own 8-Liter.
Each piece is proudly displayed between the two rear seats and visible through a window in the backseat. The 2019 Bentley Mulsanne is an automatic collector’s item, making its starting price of $307,395 worth every penny.
In “Pride and Prejudice,” Mr. Darcy was described as a rich gentleman with an income of £10,000 per year in 1810. The Telegraph ran an article in 2013 calculating what Mr. Darcy’s income would be equivalent to today. The calculation came to £619,100.00. So as we said earlier, it isn’t at all unreasonable to believe that Mr. Darcy would have driven a Bentley Mulsanne after all.
A look under the hood
An impressive 505-hp twin-turbocharged 6.75L V8 drives the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic. Acceleration is effortless, and the engine’s power seems infinite — for a big car, the Mulsanne is fast for its size. The Bentley Mulsanne’s top speed is 184 mph, with the ability to move from zero to 60 in 5.1 seconds.
And if that’s not enough power and speed for you, the Bentley Mulsanne Speed, the most powerful four-door car in the world, is standing by for a test drive.
One of a kind craftsmanship
The Mulsanne is the pinnacle of Bentley’s craftsmanship and design. If you’re looking for that “wow” factor, it doesn’t get much better than this. The luxurious interior, created to act as a sanctuary for both driver and passenger, is upholstered in hand-stitched leather, with the owner’s signature inscribed in the dashboard.
The interior of the Bentley Mulsanne is fitted with exotic wood, including Burr Walnut, Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus, Dark Stained Burr Walnut or Piano Black veneer. The interior of any Bentley model is enough to impress even the most spoiled world leaders, but the Mulsanne takes it to another level.
And the exterior of the Bentley Mulsanne is equally impressive. The front of the 2019 Mulsanne features a newly painted radiator shell with a bright stainless steel matrix grille and 2-D Bentley winged ‘B’ Badge.
Low B-shaped wing vents in the fender and optional 21-inch wheels complete the look of an already impressive car.
Technology pushes the Bentley Mulsanne ahead
While the Bentley Mulsanne looks and feels old school, it is anything but. Inside, every 2019 Bentley Mulsanne is complete with every comfort available to drivers today, including an infotainment system complete with an 8-inch resolution screen and 14 speakers connected to the audio system.
Now you don’t have to be Mr. Darcy or have his annual income to take a luxury ride in a Bentley. You just have to have the same desire to travel in style, elegance, and speed. And who doesn’t want that? Take a Bentley out for a spin on Turo and see what it really means to have all that elegance, luxury, and speed at your fingertips.
