If supercars were A-list celebrities, the Mulsanne Speed would be the gracefully graying leading man, the one donning a traditional tuxedo in a sea of wannabes wearing designer jeans and untucked dress shirts.  It has arrived. It’s established. And it’s the one that still kisses a ladies hand when saying hello.  Let the kids have their 488 GTBs, Huracans, Vantages, or even Bentley’s own Continental GT3-R. The Mulsanne Speed uses its twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V-8 engine to effortlessly waft down the road when others are revving and diving to cut someone off at every corner. Having been around since 1955, this motor is old enough to consider splurging on a premium account at Ancestry.com. But like the venerable Chevy small-block V-8 found in the Corvette Stingray, this engine is still around because it's a marvelous thing.  Just look at the specs of this mighty motor to see where Bentley’s engineering team is going with approximately 6,000 lbs. of its finest handiwork.  The V-8’s output of 530-horsepower is impressive, but the 811 lb.-ft. of torque is the defining feature of this engine – and pretty much all dynamic aspects of the Mulsanne Speed.  I’d driven a run-of-the-mill Mulsanne several years ago here in lower Manhattan (yes, I love those moments in my career when I can talk about driving only the normal Mulsanne). That drive was notable for one key moment, when I thought the car was about to literally get wedged between a double-parked delivery truck and some curb-side construction scaffolding.  Yours truly had decided to take a slow, ego-fueled cruise around the Wall Street area, to show off this bad ol’Bentley to all the financial whizzes.  Bad idea. Very, very bad idea.  At 219 inches long and 76 inches wide (not taking the side mirrors into account), the Mulsanne is awfully close to the dimensions of a Chevrolet Suburban sport-utility. That’s fine, so long as you’re the lucky so-and-so relaxing in the front passenger seat, or stretched out on the backseat, sipping champagne from customized flutes stored in a built-in refrigerator - both of which are amongst this car’s more surreal optional extras.  The exterior of the Mulsanne Speed is highlighted with dark tint used on the car’s brightwork, specifically the front grille, headlight surrounds, and side vents on the fenders. Rolling on 21-inch alloys, the Mulsanne is entirely modern, though the upright proportions give this Bentley the look of a luxury car from decades ago.  From the driver’s seat, however, the Mulsanne feels solid, massive, hugely expensive, and surprisingly nimble (relatively speaking). Far ahead, seemingly in another area code, the proud ‘Flying B’ hood ornament provides the only sense of where the helipad-sized hood ends. If you want a car that fits like a glove, forget it.  With the new Mulsanne Speed, Bentley did tighten the suspension and give the steering more feel than before. Wisely, Bentley U.S.A. also chose to unleash me onto empty roads surrounding the hipster haven of Austin, Texas, rather than roads originally laid out when New York was still known as New Amsterdam.  Bentley estimates the Mulsanne Speed as being capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The top speed of this $340K conveyance is 190 miles per hour, if you’re feeling incredibly brave or hopelessly stupid.  On more than one occasion, when stopping along the day’s driving route, Bentley representatives would cheerily ask the gathered journalists if they were enjoying the drive (“yes, very much”) and if we could all feel the sharper responses of the car (“umm, yes but…”).  This isn’t a car you hustle, or drive like you would 99% of other cars on the road – apologies for the 1% reference but, come on, did you miss the part about this car’s price-tag? Pilot the Bentley with your fingertips, let others dive in and out of traffic, and pull away stately – albeit very briskly – when the stoplight turns green. Better still, have someone else do the driving and sprawl out on the sumptuous seats, all while the world and all your worries melt away.  The Mulsanne Speed is the equivalent of a sprawling, ivy-covered Vanderbilt estate that’s suddenly found itself in a neighborhood of new-construction mansions, complete with chef kitchens and infinity pools.  We wouldn’t mind either abode, of course. But the Bentley has a more lived-in luxury feel to it, one that’s hugely charming even when the car feels equally enormous in terms of the sheer acreage it occupies on the road.  It’s best to relax and enjoy being in a Bentley motorcar. There’s no need to rush, in the Mulsanne Speed the world will come to you.
Bentley’s creation cocoons you with leather, wood, chrome, and a twin-turbo V-8 that hustles this super sedan to 190 miles per hour.