Bucking industry convention, Bentley chose not to unveil its glitzy new Mulsanne at an auto show, but rather take it directly to the people who can afford to buy one. The new flagship, which brings back the Mulsanne name and effectively replaces the heavy and huge Arnage, was rolled onto the verdant lawns of the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where the tarps came off at high noon.
Six inches longer than the Arnage but similar in height and width, the Mulsanne is indeed flagship-sized. Certainly, the most dominant aspect of the big Arnage’s design is the pair of gargantuan Gatling-gun headlamps flanked by smaller ancillary lights, an arrangement that recalls some of Bentley’s grand saloons of the past. The grille is huge and cliff-like, while the lower air intake spans the width of the car and features a matching mesh. It is, as intended, unmistakably Bentley, with a nod to the present in the form of an octet of Audi-like LED driving lights.
Moving down the body and around the back, one encounters plenty of pretty surface detailing but no surprises. It's easy to pick out cues from the Arnage (the chrome latticework around the windows), the Brooklands (C-pillar, taillamps), and the Continental Flying Spur. The body side rises over the rear fender, keeping the rear from looking droopy in spite of its long overhang, which elegantly slopes down to the rear bumper and its pancake-flat twin exhaust tips. The wheels are no less than 21 inches in diameter, and come wrapped in 265/40 series Pirelli P Zeros.
Thanks to: Car and Driver