New car news

28 April 2010 - 10:00

Bentley Mulsanne: live launch

Launch Pad: Tom Ford is in the wilds of Scotland to sample Bentley's newest offering, the gargantuan Mulsanne. It's a clean-sheet replacement for the ageing old girl that was the Arnage, and boasts a 377kW 6.75-litre V8, an eight-speed auto, cylinder de-activation and a 2,200-watt NAIM audio system that's the most powerful fitted to a production car. It also costs a not-inconsiderable $362k (UK pricing). Got any questions as TopGear brings you news live from the launch?

See more pics of the big Bentley

8:49am
Off to Edinburgh now to test the new Bentley Mulsanne. But first we're off to the airport and Bentley is sending a car. Currently taking bets on what it might be. I'm hoping for an Arnage Black Label so I can remember what I loved so much. But it could be a Phaeton. Or even a dark blue Passat estate with 200k on the clock. What do we reckon?

9:44am
The answer is an Audi! A8 LWB…



12.49pm
Just landed - off to get a Mulsanne. View from the back!



1.50pm
Huge legroom in the back. Feels quite firm!



1.55pm
Picnic tables have vanity mirrors... Handy for?



3.46pm
Looks so much better in the metal!



4pm
Eight-speed ZF 1ith paddle-shift gearbox is pretty sublime. Well tuned for Mulsanne.



5.04pm
Nice in the back - but this ain't a Phantom rival. More for driving.

6:07pm
Just been driving the new Mulsanne on a gorgeous Scottish set of roads and have to say that I'm massively surprised. First up, I really wasn't keen on that front end treatment (big main lights the size of an outstretched hand, daylight running lights and indicators down and to the side), but in the metal and on the street they make a whole lot more sense. It's not a pretty car - don't get me wrong - but I suggest that it may not look quite so shocking once it's been around a few months.

The rest is more instantly pleasing. It's a big thing, with lots of very solid design cues and when you see it in 3D, it really does have some street presence. And it's hugely colour- and wheel-sensitive - Bentley's two-tone paint scheme looks really good, and there are lots of 21-inch options for the wheels which change the entire exterior character at a stroke. There's a fine line between ‘being a Bentley' and looking like retro pastiche, but I think this looks pretty good all told. 

I also thought we'd be looking at premium waft rather than sportiness, but the Mulsanne is definitely tuned for driving as well as lounging. The steering's good, with some very trick hydraulic assistance, the ZF eight-speed ‘box (see pic above) is smooth and intuitive, and the seriously re-jigged 6.75-litre V8 yanks the car along. It's all about torque, though: the car makes over 1001Nm of torque from 1,750rpm, but revs out at 4,500. So you kind of surf rather than go bananas on the dials. 

And it feels much smaller when you press on, even when you're sighting down that mahoosive bonnet. It's also got the best stereo I think I've ever heard in a car - the 2200-watt Naim system might make power headlines, but the clarity and crispness of the delivery for everything from drum and bass to classical is nothing short of extraordinary. Was listening to Massive Attack's Blue Lines and stuff was being reproduced that I've never heard before.  It's this and the Jag XJ's B&W system or nothing for me from now on. 

Bad stuff? It's a bit quiet when you really hoof it (matter of taste), and tends to understeer further up the performance range - not in itself a problem, but it feels like it has grip, it's just not applying it properly. Also the throttle feels way too long when you apply it coming out of a corner - even in ‘Sport' - so that the car feels late to accelerate. That makes it feel lardier than it needs to be, in my opinion.

And actually I keep just staring at the lights. With the chrome grill set it looks more cohesive, but is this a step too far? Aaaargh.  

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