2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed Review: In A Class Of One

This year, Bentley celebrates 100 years of automotive excellence. When you've had a century of experience, cars like the magnificent Mulsanne Speed shouldn't come as a great surprise, and yet they still do. The Speed - as the name dictates - is a more powerful version of the ultra-lavish Mulsanne, with its 6.75-liter V8 producing 530 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque. It will reach 60 mph in 4.8 seconds - nothing to worry a Mercedes-AMG S 63 or BMW M760i, but then again, the Mulsanne operates in a different league of esoteric luxury more comparable to the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Despite sportier touches like dark-tinted headlamps and unique Mulsanne Speed wheels, first-class luxury is still the order of the day - the exquisitely finished cabin, silky smooth ride, and vast range of personalization will attract the most elite clientele. Well, that and the price of well over $300,000. Still, as an expression of luxury motoring that spares no expense, the Mulsanne Speed is a fine achievement.

What's the Price of the 2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed?

Ultimate exclusivity doesn't come cheaply, and you'll have to part with $335,600 for the privilege of driving away in a Bentley Mulsanne Speed - around $30,000 more expensive than the standard Mulsanne. This price excludes a tax, licensing, registration, and a destination charge of $2,725. Of course, with the vast options list, precious few Mulsanne Speeds will leave the showroom at that base price - expect upwards of $400,000 once you've delved into Bentley's customization program.

2019 Mulsanne Speed Exterior

Dimensions

2019 Mulsanne Speed Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

Don't be fooled into thinking that the Mulsanne Speed is a sports car. Its strength remains in isolating occupants from the outside world, and it does this magnificently well. The cabin is free from the squeaks and rattles you'd experience in lesser cars, the engine note disappears almost entirely at a cruise, and the air suspension with continuous damping control dispenses with bumps and changes in surface as if they didn't exist. It takes 400 hours to construct a Mulsanne, and when you're wafting along in near silence, you can understand why.

Get behind the wheel, however, and you can see that Bentley has done just enough to work some driver engagement into the Speed. A reworked suspension system has enhanced the Mulsanne's responses enough to make this a surprisingly engaging partner in the bends. You're always aware of the car's bulk, but in Sport mode, there's a pleasing weightiness to the steering and plenty of grip to exploit. Sport mode also disables the cylinder deactivation function for the quickest responses. Once you've had your fun, switch back to Comfort mode for one of the most relaxing driving experiences this side of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. What a Rolls never does, though, is involve the driver the way the Mulsanne Speed can.

2019 Mulsanne Speed Interior

2019 Mulsanne Speed Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

Verdict: Is the 2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed A Good car?

The Bentley Mulsanne Speed is a thoroughly unique prospect in the lofty ultra-premium segment it occupies with Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Maybach. Where these competitors are almost exclusively focused on luxury and comfort, the Mulsanne Speed has another layer to its personality - it can also entertain from behind the wheel. It's no sports car, of course, but we admire Bentley's commitment to engineer some joy into a super luxury sedan. It has also come at no expense to traditional Bentley attributes of exceptional craftsmanship, superlative comfort, and an almost unlimited level of customization. The cheaper Maybach has more advanced driver safety aids to its credit, but it still feels like a close relation to the more mainstream S-Class. The Rolls-Royce Ghost isn't as comfortable in the back seat, and there are also clear links to the BMW 7 Series, which is a problem at this price level. The Rolls-Royce Phantom is probably the Mulsanne Speed's best match for quality, status, and comfort, but it is even more expensive and doesn't offer much in the way of driver engagement. All of which means that the Bentley Mulsanne Speed is pretty much in a class of its own.

What Bentley Mulsanne Speed Model Should I Buy?

As there's just one Mulsanne Speed to choose from, your choice of model depends on how deeply you dig into the vast options list. Assuming that cost is a secondary concern, we'd spec our Mulsanne Speed with the Entertainment, Comfort and Premier Specifications. Our other favorite upgrades are the ventilated seats with message and the adaptive cruise control. Being a top-line Bentley, we'd also add on a few feel-good items we want but don't necessarily need, so we'd also go with the refrigerated bottle cooler with champagne flutes, because clearly, there'd be plenty to celebrate. The total? Around $390,000.

2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed Comparisons

2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed vs Rolls-Royce Phantom

As special as the Bentley Mulsanne is, the Rolls-Royce Phantom is perhaps even more revered as the ultimate in sophisticated, excessive luxury motoring. In standard wheelbase form, the Phantom is over $100,000 more expensive than the Mulsanne Speed. It boasts a 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 with 563 horsepower that whisks the Phantom down the road with utter poise and serenity. The exquisite cabin is even more remarkable than the Bentley's in some ways - for example, the starlight headliner is a typically Rolls touch that you won't find on any other car. There are also those unique rear-hinged coach doors that make exiting a Rolls a decidedly grand affair. Dynamically, the Mulsanne Speed is the more agile and involving car to drive, but the Phantom smothers imperfections and any hint of noise like nothing else. They're both the best of their breed, but choose the Rolls-Royce if you'll be doing less of the driving yourself.

2019 Bentley Mulsanne Speed vs Mercedes-Maybach S

For half the price of the Mulsanne Speed, you could drive away in a Mercedes-Maybach, itself a brilliant ultra-luxury sedan. The S 650 uses a 621-horsepower twin-turbo V12 and will haul the Maybach to 60 mph in even less time than the Mulsanne Speed. The Maybach benefits from Mercedes' many driver aids and, generally, is more advanced in terms of technology - dual screens dominate the expansive dashboard. You'll also find comparable refinement and comfort in the Maybach out on the open road. What you can't ignore is the Mulsanne Speed's charm and exclusivity, and here it leaves the Maybach for dead. After all, the German is still fundamentally an S-Class, just an even more opulent version of that car. A few styling tweaks can't conceal the resemblance, and these are the factors that come into play when shopping around for a sedan like this. The charming and achingly desirable Mulsanne Speed is the one we'd have.