As far as coaching goes, Bentley has an ace down its patrician sleeves: meet the Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner.
Mulliner is an important name in Bentley’s history, one the carmaker is using nowadays for its bespoke creations. Up until 1991, Mulliner Park Ward signed bespoke bodies for Rolls-Royce and Bentley. After the coachbuilding business was closed, Bentley created the Mulliner department, where it develops — you guessed — special vehicles.
The most recent example is the Mulsanne Grand Limousine, a customer-commissioned opulent 6-seater based on the Mulsanne.
In the process of making room for the extra two rear-facing armchairs in the back, Mulsanne stretched its length with three feet (over the standard model’s 219.5 inches), while the height grew with another three inches (from 59.9in).
Beside hand-picked interior trim, leather and ornaments, Mulsanne Grand limo comes with an updated HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system, veneered fold-out tables, electro-chromatic glass (that changes from clear to opaque at a push of a button), a bottle cooler with frosted champagne flutes and an intercom for the passengers to communicate with the driver.
No words on powertrain and performance, but I guess there must be of least importance when you’re sitting in the back sipping champagne from a frosty glass, right?
According to autocar.co.uk, asked if they want to revive the art of coachbuilding, Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer replied: “It's possible, yes.”