Rolls-Royce Ghost vs. Bentley Mulsanne

Bentley’s Mulsanne is a modern flagship that unmistakably captures the essence of the infamous Bentley marquee. Maintaining its inbreed elegance, the Mulsanne features a distinctly sporty character with advanced technology tucked away behind handcrafted luxury representing the pinnacle of British luxury automobiles.

Underscoring Bentley’s sporting heritage and passion for power and speed, the Mulsanne is a unique synthesis of sportiness, coach-built elegance, and trusted solidity. With a bold frontal design subjugated by the renowned Bentley matrix grille and extremely prominent round inner headlamps with chrome surrounds, the Mulsanne conveys a sense of power and movement gracefully sculpted and reinforced by 20-inch wheels. “The opportunity to design a new flagship Bentley is something afforded to very few designers,” says Dirk van Braeckel, Mulsanne’s design director. “The team set out to create a sculpted form that blended classic Bentley heritage cues with modern lines that allow the marquee to stride confidently into the 21st century.”

Discretely placed within the Mulsanne’s luxurious interior is the latest in advanced technologies, including a multimedia system with 40GB of hard disc drives, satellite navigation, personal data, a leather-lined MP3 player storage drawer, a 14-speaker audio system, and a six-CD auto changer. A rare personalized keyless entry system allows for multiple pre-programmed configurations according to the driver’s needs. The system automatically sets radio stations, phone book settings, seat configurations, and steering column and seatbelt settings as well as allows for a keyless start, thanks to a stop/start button on the center console.

Identifying the classic signatureinterior design features that have defined Bentleys from the 1920s to the present day, the Mulsanne’s head of interior designer, Robin Page, says, “More than 170 hours—almost half the entire build process—goes into crafting the interior of the new Mulsanne. Bentley’s way of working is the opposite of mass production—we start where others stop.” In addition, increasing the use of wood and leather hides has created a significantly more luxurious and refined cabin in the new model. Customers may choose from a virtually limitless palette of leather hides, including 24 standard colors, three of which are entirely new to Bentley. Like a match made in luxury-car heaven, Bentley notes, “This ensures that the needs of all customers can be matched perfectly.”

With the powerful and apparent tribute that the Bentley Mulsanne pays to the carmaker’s past, and a unique fusion of power, refinement, and grace, the Mulsanne is an extremely modern luxury car offering one of the worlds’s most exclusive and memorable driving experiences.