What's all this about?
Bentley has made the Mulsanne even bigger. Which might seem like an exercise in futility, but there we are.
Right. But why is it doing this?
Well, big limos are big business in places like China, where people prefer to be driven rather than to drive themselves. So for the richer among such types, a First Class version of the Mulsanne was needed. Hence, the Grand Limousine by Mulliner, Bentley's coachbuilding division.
What does the Mulliner Mulsanne feature?
A metre longer than the regular car and 79mm taller, the Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner has four seats facing each other in a truly opulent rear. Everyone gets iPad charging and docking stations, as well as veneered fold-out tables, a bottle cooler with frosted glass and crystal flutes, plus a soft drinks cabinet with bespoke tumblers. An intercom system allows the lord of the manor to angrily shout instructions to his chauffeur up front, as a glass separator sits between the front and rear, while electrochromatic 'smart glass' means said separator and all the rear windows can be turned from translucent to opaque at the touch of a button, upon sighting those dreadful paparazzi. Three dials in a special panel house two clocks (one for UK time, one for local time) and an outside temperature gauge, while of course the cabin is dripping in the finest leather, wood and furnishings to make it feel exquisite.
OK, sounds plush. Has the engine had to be uprated to cope?
Not just the engine, but the whole underpinnings. Bentley doesn't state by precisely how much, though, instead obfuscating with the phrase 'in accordance with the enhanced dimensions, the Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner is fitted with a fully engineered powertrain, transmission and a re-engineered chassis and suspension'. What we can tell you is that this star of the Geneva Motor Show is finished in two-tone Silver Frost and Moroccan Blue, while its 'Flying B' badge is engraved with the legend 'Coachbuilt by Mulliner'. And in the arches are a set of colossal 21-inch wheels. Good job they're not spinners, then, as that might undo the classy ambience...
Matt Robinson - 2 Mar 2016