What makes luxury, luxury? Not luxury as in the word flippantly used to pry money from the mass market aspirational consumer, but real luxury, the opulent kind, the kind few will ever be privy to, and even fewer will ever truly comprehend. The word has been so vastly misused in recent times that it’s true meaning has been diluted; please do not make the mistake of confusing expense with luxury.
In our eyes, true luxury is partly reified by the price proffered but more importantly justified by the labour intensive. Does luxury have to be rare? Sure it helps, but it is by no means a requisite.
It refreshing for JOSHUA’s to encounter a brand that is, yes expensive, but reassuringly so and more than justified with the luxury and performance contained within.
It was 1919 when the first Bentley Motor was realised in a workshop near Baker Street; a 3-litre behemoth, 65BHP, four-cylinder, 16-valve engine fronted by the hallmark Bentley radiator casing and now iconic flying ‘B’ insignia.
The most recent edition of their luxury sports sedan – the Mulsanne1 – blends a range of striking design features including unique 21-inch alloy wheels, Bentley Flying ‘B’ wing vents and Diamond Quilted leather trimmed cabin with driver-selectable, sports-tuned suspension and steering, powered by Bentley’s 6.75 litre seamlessly unrelenting V8 engine.
Today the Mulsanne pushes boundaries of luxury with a continued improvement of the features available responding to the fast changing technology and embracing the Japanese notion of Kaizen.
Choose the ‘iPad Specification’ and at the press of a button twin iPads with wireless keyboards are revealed, magically hidden behind beautifully crafted, electrically-deployed veneered picnic tables, colour-matched to the seats of the Mulsanne. Another option includes the inclusion of a Bentley-designed, electrically operated luxury bottle cooler with space for two full-size Champagne bottles complete with hand-blown and hand-cut lead crystal champagne flutes – extravagant, yet necessary.
With the Mulsanne Theatre Specification, passengers in the rear cabin can enjoy a wide range of entertainment – choosing between DVD movies, television programmes, or music – which is offered via a 15.6-inch centrally located HD LED screen or 8-inch screens fitted within the front seat headrests. Business users can take full advantage of the powerful processing capability and connectivity of the boot-mounted Apple Mac computer.
“No other car maker can offer such a blend of performance and refinement in a single vehicle. The new Mulsanne is a car that evokes the Bentley philosophy of building the best luxury grand tourers in the world.” – Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Former Bentley Motors Chairman & Chief Executive
Regarding mastery of the technology contained within there is no question, but it’s the sheer elegance in form that captures the imagination as Mulsanne glides through the city. Such is the visual appeal of the Mulsanne that it was JOSHUA’s chosen mode of transport for the inaugural London Collections: Men.
With the announcement of a new convertible late last year – the Mulsanne Vision Drophead Coupe – and a growth of 22% internationally last year2 it seems that the world is in agreement with Bentley’s notion of luxury, further enhancing the Mulsanne’s position as the world’s Grandest Grand Tourer.
www.BentleyMotors.com
TITLE PHOTO: JOSHUA’s with Leica D-Lux 6
- The Mulsanne Mulliner Driving Specification was launched at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. ↩
- 10th January 2013, Bentley Motors announced global growth of 22% in 2012 as deliveries to customers increased to 8,510 cars (7,003 cars in 2011). This maintains Bentley’s position as the leading manufacturer of luxury vehicles in the world. Deliveries were up in every international region as Bentley increased its global sales network by 10%. ↩
