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2nd
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Tough choice: When a high-end luxury sedan is so beautiful, so powerful and so soothing to drive, would you prefer being seen in the backseat or behind the wheel?
In the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne, both choices are right.
Hand-built in Bentley's factory in Crewe, England, the Bentley Mulsanne is the brand's flagship, replacing the Arnage last year. This car is big: it stretches more than 18 feet long, and weighs just under 6,000 lbs. With a base price of $358,160 CDN, it's also quite expensive -- depending on what you do for a living.
If the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne must be described in a single word, it would be: “smooth.” There is nothing violent, aggressive or hard-edged about the car, either in the way in drives, the way it flaunts its curvaceous sheetmetal or in the way people will perceive it as it serenely slips through the scenery.
The 6¾ Litre V8 lives on
Introduced way back in 1959, Bentley's traditional 6.75L V8 keeps on going after another round of modifications. Force-fed by two turbochargers, the engine develops 505 hp, a stump-pulling 752 lb-ft of torque, and redlines at just 4,500 rpm. The 0 to 100 km/h dash takes 5.3 seconds and (believe it or not) this mastodon can reach 296 km/h.
The V8 also features modern technology such as cylinder deactivation and camshaft phasing, while being managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission with wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Fuel economy in the 2013 Bentley Muslanne is rated at 20.4/11.9 L/100km city/highway, and Bentley actually touts the latest version of the V8 to be 15% more efficient than the one in the retired Arnage, Azure and Brooklands models (which is true), but you probably don't care, and neither will buyers. The engine can also run on E85 ethanol; again, I'm going to assume no one gives a flying -- ah, Spur -- about that.
What's amazing about the engine is the way it fluidly dishes out its prodigious amounts of torque. Power delivery comes on in a silky rush, yet is never violent. You wonder how you got up to speed so quickly, without feeling the car's thrust.
That's nice; after all, if you want neck-snapping, nosebleed-inducing acceleration, I don't think you'd be shopping at Bentley anyhow.
High-fashion cockpit
Step inside the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne and you'll be welcomed by an orgy of wood, scented leather and chrome. Like sitting in a bank vault, closing the door seals you off from the outside world: all you hear is the ticking of your watch.
Press the engine start button, and you'll barely feel the Mulsanne quiver as the big V8 spins to life. Even on the highway at 100 km/h, the engine is sleepwalking at 1,400 rpm, so the cabin remains oh-so silent.
Those used to sitting in Audi products will recognize the MMI multimedia system in the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne. The 8” screen hides behind a motorized and wood-trimmed cover, a nice touch for preventing modern technology from clashing with the old-school elegance of the dashboard. The switchgear is easy to operate for folks of all ages.
Rear-seat occupants are treated just as well, with an excellent amount of legroom and separate climate controls. As in our tester, you can get veneered fold-down picnic tables for cheque signing on-the-go. They cost $3,070, but hey, that's pocket change, right?
Put it on my tab
I don't think anyone walks into a Bentley showroom and asks for a base, no-options, stripped Mulsanne. This one is no exception: as tested, it retails for more than $394,000 CAD. The Maybach brand is going away, so that's one less competitor to think about; the only other true rival is the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
That's lot of dough for a car. Actually, that's a lot of dough for a house, especially in my town. You'd expect some kind of magic to happen while driving the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne, but it doesn't. It doesn't get your adrenaline pumping, and it doesn't entice you to drive four cities away just to pick up a quart of milk.
What the 2013 Bentley Muslanne does do is exclusivity. You get a lavishly sumptuous, painstakingly crafted work of art that is perfect for soothing, relaxing commutes whether you're sitting in the back seat or the front one.
Thank you to Bentley Montreal (www.decarie.com) for making this test drive possible.
In the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne, both choices are right.
 |
Hand-built in Bentley's factory in Crewe, England, the Bentley Mulsanne is the brand's flagship, replacing the Arnage last year. This car is big: it stretches more than 18 feet long, and weighs just under 6,000 lbs. With a base price of $358,160 CDN, it's also quite expensive -- depending on what you do for a living.
If the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne must be described in a single word, it would be: “smooth.” There is nothing violent, aggressive or hard-edged about the car, either in the way in drives, the way it flaunts its curvaceous sheetmetal or in the way people will perceive it as it serenely slips through the scenery.
The 6¾ Litre V8 lives on
Introduced way back in 1959, Bentley's traditional 6.75L V8 keeps on going after another round of modifications. Force-fed by two turbochargers, the engine develops 505 hp, a stump-pulling 752 lb-ft of torque, and redlines at just 4,500 rpm. The 0 to 100 km/h dash takes 5.3 seconds and (believe it or not) this mastodon can reach 296 km/h.
The V8 also features modern technology such as cylinder deactivation and camshaft phasing, while being managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission with wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Fuel economy in the 2013 Bentley Muslanne is rated at 20.4/11.9 L/100km city/highway, and Bentley actually touts the latest version of the V8 to be 15% more efficient than the one in the retired Arnage, Azure and Brooklands models (which is true), but you probably don't care, and neither will buyers. The engine can also run on E85 ethanol; again, I'm going to assume no one gives a flying -- ah, Spur -- about that.
What's amazing about the engine is the way it fluidly dishes out its prodigious amounts of torque. Power delivery comes on in a silky rush, yet is never violent. You wonder how you got up to speed so quickly, without feeling the car's thrust.
That's nice; after all, if you want neck-snapping, nosebleed-inducing acceleration, I don't think you'd be shopping at Bentley anyhow.
 |
| The 0 to 100 km/h dash takes 5.3 seconds and (believe it or not) this mastodon can reach 296 km/h. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
High-fashion cockpit
Step inside the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne and you'll be welcomed by an orgy of wood, scented leather and chrome. Like sitting in a bank vault, closing the door seals you off from the outside world: all you hear is the ticking of your watch.
Press the engine start button, and you'll barely feel the Mulsanne quiver as the big V8 spins to life. Even on the highway at 100 km/h, the engine is sleepwalking at 1,400 rpm, so the cabin remains oh-so silent.
Those used to sitting in Audi products will recognize the MMI multimedia system in the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne. The 8” screen hides behind a motorized and wood-trimmed cover, a nice touch for preventing modern technology from clashing with the old-school elegance of the dashboard. The switchgear is easy to operate for folks of all ages.
Rear-seat occupants are treated just as well, with an excellent amount of legroom and separate climate controls. As in our tester, you can get veneered fold-down picnic tables for cheque signing on-the-go. They cost $3,070, but hey, that's pocket change, right?
 |
| Like sitting in a bank vault, closing the door seals you off from the outside world. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
Put it on my tab
I don't think anyone walks into a Bentley showroom and asks for a base, no-options, stripped Mulsanne. This one is no exception: as tested, it retails for more than $394,000 CAD. The Maybach brand is going away, so that's one less competitor to think about; the only other true rival is the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
That's lot of dough for a car. Actually, that's a lot of dough for a house, especially in my town. You'd expect some kind of magic to happen while driving the 2013 Bentley Mulsanne, but it doesn't. It doesn't get your adrenaline pumping, and it doesn't entice you to drive four cities away just to pick up a quart of milk.
What the 2013 Bentley Muslanne does do is exclusivity. You get a lavishly sumptuous, painstakingly crafted work of art that is perfect for soothing, relaxing commutes whether you're sitting in the back seat or the front one.
Thank you to Bentley Montreal (www.decarie.com) for making this test drive possible.