What a disappointment - Mulsanne

[matt5791]

I think the (new) Mulsanne looks fantastic - I remember being passed by one on the motorway shortly after it was launched in around 2010 and thinking, that looks like a fitting replacement to the big Bentley saloons of the past.

Recently when I went into the main agent to pick up a part for the Continental R, they had a Mulsanne in the showroom so I had a look. What a total disappointment - how ordinary is this car?!! Yes, it looks superb, but the moment you place your hand on the door handle, you realise this is a much more ordinary car under the skin than first meets the eye, dressed up with some nice trimmings, nice paint and, admittedly, a very nice engine.

Open and close the door on the Continental R - it's like opening a Chubb safe door. Open and close the door on a Mulsanne (and Continental GT for that matter) and it's like a Passat. The handle is plastic and the door weighs nothing. Yes, I know they need to save weight - but a £250K car needs some magic in my opinion, design features that are different to the mainstream. It needs much better tactile qualities, something the older cars have.

[Bluebottle911]

Drive one before you write it off. I drove one after a FS Speed and it was like being back home (in my Turbo R) only better - I loved it!

[matt5791]

Bluebottle911 said:

Drive one before you write it off. I drove one after a FS Speed and it was like being back home (in my Turbo R) only better - I loved it!

I do agree - the driving experience could easily reverse my feelings, I am sure.

I just wish a lot of the quirky features were still present.

[stain]

I found it very underwhelming to drive. For me it sits right in the middle and can't decide what it wants to be. It is neither as smooth and silent as a Phantom or as characterful as an old Turbo R. Oh and the boot is like a shoebox. All of this is represented in the values of used ones.