Bentley has formally launched its new Mulsanne flagship saloon at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The big new Bentley is bold (it was designed at headquarters in Crewe), luxurious (114 paint colours, 21 carpet colours, nine wood veneers and 24 interior leathers), powerful (a new 6.75-litre V8 wielding 1020Nm and 371kW) and expensive (£220,000 sterling in the UK, no real clue in Australia) -- all the things one of Britain's most enduing marques should be.
In an effort to take some of the kill out of overkill, the new hand-built V8 engine features fuel and emission-saving technology such as cylinder deactivation, variable camshaft phasing and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Although it is possible to select from the massive colour palette and multitudinous interior trim offerings, actual options are few -- apart from a 2200-Watt, 20-channel sound system that is claimed to be the most powerful used in any production-line automotive application.
The interior of the Mulsanne mixes old-world with modernity. Traditional instrument dials live harmoniously with satellite navigation, iPod, MP3, Bluetooth, 3G MMI and a SIM card reader.
The Mulsanne is built at a new facility at Crewe, where the complete operation takes nine weeks for each car.
Bentley rightly makes capital of the fact that a lot of the Mulsanne is done by hand: all spot welding and brazed panel joints are the work of man, machine. And the back window sees glass directly meeting panel work, where the strip of rubber sealer is tucked discreetly out of sight.
The Mulsanne shared Detroit floor space with the new Series 51 package for the Continental GTC that includes a "highly distinctive" interior colour palette as well as a range of premium trim materials.
Externally, the Series 51 package includes 20-inch 14-spoke alloy wheels, as well as a "51" badge on the front mudguards.
Watch Carsales TV's behind-the-scenes video of the Bentley Mulsanne here
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