Bentley Mulsanne S

ENGINE 6750cc/V8/OHV POWER 285bhp@5500rpm TORQUE 294lb ft@3500rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 133mph 0-60MPH 9.5sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 15-17mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, three-speed automatic MoT November 2018 ODOMETER 42,384 miles

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

The Bentley Mulsanne S may live in the shadow of its even more illustrious cousin, the Turbo R, but it has an appeal all of its own. It shares the sportier look of the forced induction car, but has a much more relaxed driving style. It’s still fairly quick, though, and easily keeps up with more modern machinery very well. Acceleration is brisk rather than neck-snapping, but you won’t be disappointed with the way it handles for such a grand old thing; it’s easy to place on the road and rewarding in the bends. This example shows no undue vibrations or noises from the suspension or the drivetrain, and the brakes are sharp yet progressive. The auto’ gearbox moves through its three forward ratios with ease.

BODYWORK CHECK

The white paint is largely good over the whole car, though there are one or two blemishes. There’s some cracking around the base of the rear window on the passenger’s side, but no metal is showing. The chrome sections are largely excellent, although there is a spot of misting on a rear bumper section. The wheels look free from any major kerb damage, and the Avon Turbospeed tyres have plenty of life remaining. Overall, this Bentley is looking good – we found no rips to the window rubbers and no cracks in the glass itself around the car. If you can stomach a white Bentley (we admit, it’s not for everyone) this is a great basis for a minor paint spruce up.

HOW’S THE INTERIOR?

The interior is largely in good nick, though it could do with a bit of a clean. The headlining is grubby in places, but all the wood sections are in excellent condition, save for a minor scratch in the centre console just beneath the mirror switch light. The aftermarket CD stereo, which does rather stick out like a sore thumb, works perfectly and the air conditioning system blows ice-cold. The seats show only light signs of wear, with minor creasing and minimal bolster wear showing. All-in-all it’s a good place to be.

UNDER THE BONNET

Popping the vast lid reveals a well cared for engine bay that looks clean yet used. All the fluids are up to the maximum mark and none decided they wanted a weekend in the country while we were out on our test. There isn’t a vast amount of history with the car because the previous owner is still searching for it. However, there are plenty of previous MoT results that back up the mileage and any work done to pass each inspection.

THE CCW VIEW

Once you get over the white paintwork, this is a good example of the breed. With fairly low mileage and only a few simple-to-sort issues to attend do, it wouldn’t take much to make this Bentley a concourswinning example.

EXTERIOR Mainly good A few things to sort

INTERIOR Presents well Needs a clean

MECHANICALS Overall feels on point Lack of service history