The 2011 Bentley Mulsanne

Los Angeles Times

Bentley’s all-new flagship is so well appointed “that standard luxury features almost seem crass by comparison.” Each car takes nine weeks to build, with more than 170 hours of craftsmanship poured into the interior alone. This Bentley has predictably up-to-date technology, such as selectable driving modes, stability and traction control, and a V8 engine matched to a shiftable 8-speed automatic transmission. Leave your Maserati in the garage—the Mulsanne is “drivable Dom Pérignon.”

The New York Times

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It’s a rare ultraluxury vehicle “that encourages you to drop the champagne flute and grab the reins.” Yet you can be content in the Mulsanne wherever you sit. Cosseted by an interior with “a magic forest’s worth of woods,” you’ll hear only a distant rumble as this powerful vehicle “does its bullet-train act.” Yes, the price is high, but Bentley aims to sell only 800 Mulsannes each year.

The Wall Street Journal

Everything about the car is duly over-the-top, from the pewter ashtrays to that mighty 6.75-liter engine. At nearly 6,000 pounds, the car is “a fearsome thing, full of bulk contempt for other cars.” Part of its very reason for being is to make the brand seem more exclusive again. Its marketing tagline is perfect: “The opposite of mass production.”