Nother CarGuy

Back in 1919, Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley founded his car company with a clear goal in mind: to build “a fast car, a good car, the best in class”. Fast forward to present day and Bentley is simply flourishing under the close watch of the Volkswagen Group. And as fans of the brand based in Crewe know, they’re getting ready to celebrate the centenary, next year. A first step has already been taken in this direction, with the unveiling of the new Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner. The luxury model is limited to 100 examples and pays homage to the founding father of the company, while “incorporating a genuine piece of Bentley history in every car”, says the automaker. What they’re referring to here is a piece of the original crankshaft taken from Walter Owen’s own 8 Liter car, the last model he designed for Bentley, and displaying it inside the Mulsanne. The piece can be found in the rear central armrest, accompanied by a special plaque that tells its story, and is joined ...

The new Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine was created by the company’s bespoke Mulliner division as a showcase of their skill. The new,  much longer Mulsanne  has an extra meter of additional length and is 79mm taller than the normal model, featuring a unique rear cabin with four opposing seats. The new British limo, which was created after a private commission, is also Bentley’s first car to feature electrochromic glass, allowing rear passengers to switch the interior division and rear-cabin window glass between clear and opaque at the touch of a button.  “The Mulsanne Grand Limousine showcases the exquisite craftsmanship of our in-house coachbuilder, Mulliner and exemplifies the way in which our experts consult with a customer to turn their vision into an extraordinary reality,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors. “The attention to detail, quality, creativity and skill applied to every Mulliner commission is truly unique in the aut...

It takes 144 craftsmen roughly 399 hours to build a  Bentley Mulsanne . In today's world of automation and just-in-time parts delivery, such statistics sound ridiculous. But this old-school approach to vehicle assembly earns this beast its status as  Bentley's  flagship. It takes about a third of that time to assemble a  Continental GT , for instance, which is one reason the  Mulsanne  is so expensive. It's also why Bentley moves more than five  Continental  models for every Mulsanne it sells. Bentley has a brand-new crown jewel coming soon to  dealerships  as a 2017 model, and it will debut next week at the 2016  Geneva Motor Show . An Extended Wheelbase version joins the base Mulsanne and the Speed, pushing the lineup to three for the first time. Although Bentley officials take pride in the fact they they are the largest producer of 12-cylinder engines in the world, the Mulsanne continues to soldier forth with the long-serving ...