$640,000 Bentley goes the extra mile

The Bentley Mulsanne is a new design from the ground up and goes the extra mile - inside and out. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

The Bentley brand is defined by its flagship, a luxury car so OTT it treats usual model cycles with disdain. The Arnage was launched in 1980 with the series two 20 years later, and only incremental changes until it glided into the sunset in 2009.

Its replacement not only has big shoes to fill, but must stand the test of time.

What's new
The Mulsanne is a new design from the ground up and, although the massive engine retains its 6.75 V8 format, barely a satchel-full of parts is shared with the outgoing car.

The elegant skin uses vacuum forming to obtain those complex creases and curves, combined with braised welding to minimise visible panel joins.

But it's the inside that's a real eye-opener. Interior designer Robin Page points out endless examples of Bentley going the extra mile. Opening the door or the satnav screen reveals the straight grain of the solid-wood dash beneath the gorgeous veneer. The switches are made of glass, backpainted then backlit to expose their purpose. The organ-stop controls are now electronic, but feel mechanical when used. Shoeless staff walked carpet samples to find the right one, which turned out to be a heritage carpet. Bentley recreated its feel with a modern variant. The list goes on and on.

The company line
Nothing is too much trouble. A Japanese customer struggling to explain the exact shade of burgundy required pointed to Mr Page's tie. Naturally, a Bentley staffer whipped out the scissors and cut a sample.

It's such service as much as the car itself that will see 700 to 800 sales a year, all built to customer order and shipped to 150 dealerships in 50 countries.

What we say
No wonder each Mulsanne takes two months to produce, with 93 man hours spent on the bodyshell alone, 17 fine Milan-tanned hides per car and 10sq m of wood veneer sheets each 0.6mm thick, laid over a solid wood core and with 20 layers of lacquer applied then polished to a mirror finish.

On the road
English roads are pretty crowded and our test route west into Wales was no exception. Busy traffic through small villages proved it is possible to forget you're in a car that's 1926mm wide with its mirrors folded and 5575mm long, as long as you don't try to park it. And that such a car is remarkably wieldy. Spirited approaches to corners revealed it wallows a tad in comfort or 'Bentley' (normal) mode, but roll is well controlled in sport, when the steering accuracy sharpens considerably.

Then there's that engine, delivering 377kW and 1020Nm to the rear wheels via an eight-speed transmission. Floor it and there's the distant roll of thunder as you pick up speed - zero to 100 achieved in just 5.3 seconds, impressive considering this Mulsanne's 2585kg.

Why you'll buy one
You want the best money can buy - and prefer Bentley's flavour to Rolls-Royce.

Why you won't
For $640,000, you could have a pleasant house, a new car and a holiday in Raro.