Bentley announces Mulsanne upgrades to be shown in Geneva
Wed, 23 Jan 2013
The Comfort Specification adds some conveniences you might have in your living room, such as padded headrests, stowable footrests and seat cushions filled with duck down. Likewise, the new Entertainment Specification brings tech you might find in your home, including a wifi hotspot, seat trays that are now bigger to accommodate an iPad and keyboard and an entertainment system that gets a pair of eight-inch screens, a DVD player, wireless headphones and premium audio. Rear occupants in the 2014 Mulsanne will also get revised rear door panels with more storage and power-retractable curtains for both side- and rear windows.
Bentley is also offering up new paint and leather colors, too, and to finish it all off, Mulsanne customers will also be able to order a six-piece, handmade luggage set.
Scroll down for Bentley's press release on its enhanced 2014 Mulsanne.
ENHANCED SPECIFICATION FOR THE BENTLEY MULSANNE - THE ULTIMATE GRAND TOURER
- New suite of communication and entertainment system options
- Enhanced rear cabin comfort
- New paint and hide colours extend palette for unrivalled customer choice
- Bespoke hand-made Mulsanne Fitted Luggage
- Debut at Geneva International Salon d'Auto
(Crewe, 22nd January 2013). Bentley is introducing a range of new luxury features to its flagship model, the Mulsanne, which make their debut at the Geneva International Salon d'Auto in March, with customer orders commencing in April.
A new Comfort Specification, including comfort headrests, footrests and duck down filled loose cushions has also been introduced to reaffirm Mulsanne's reputation as a truly bespoke grand tourer.
Additional enhancements include privacy curtains, which promise to broaden the experience for the Mulsanne rear cabin occupants, allowing them to maximise work or rest as they travel.
An Entertainment Specification incorporates the latest in technological developments, with picnic tables designed for an iPad and wireless keyboard, with the cabin of the Mulsanne becoming a Wi-Fi Hotspot.
Other additions include three new paint options, extending the Mulsanne palette, and new bespoke fitted luggage.
Commenting on the new range of options for the Mulsanne, Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales Mr Kevin Rose, said: "The new features of the Mulsanne blend striking design with the latest in technology integration, enabling our pinnacle model to offer the grandest of touring experiences. The Mulsanne presents unrivalled luxury and effortless performance, and these enhancements will help broaden the appeal of the Mulsanne in new and emerging markets."
Comfort and convenience
The new Comfort Specification includes new comfort headrests, with manually adjustable wings for lateral support to aid relaxation when chauffeur-driven. The super-soft headrests are designed to fold neatly, avoiding any creasing of the hide, while also extending lower than standard headrests to ensure maximum comfort for an even greater range of passenger statures.
New footrests are now available, trimmed in flat-cut cabin carpet and hide to match each individual vehicle. Designed to blend in and provide unobtrusive additional comfort, especially when rear seats are reclined. The footrests can be stowed under the front seats when not in use.
Seat comfort is extended with fine duck down filled loose cushions, trimmed using the same traditionally-tanned hide as the seats, included with the Comfort Specification. The design incorporates Bentley Winged Emblems, but also bespoke stitching or piping can be specified.
Further cabin revisions have been made, with a new rear door armrest storage compartment introduced as standard. This hide-lined compartment, in each rear door, can conveniently hold mobile phones, personal items or Bluetooth headphones for Rear Seat Entertainment.
Maximising privacy
Whether relaxing or working in the luxurious surroundings of the rear cabin, privacy can be attained through the touch of a button, with new privacy curtains offered as a Crewe-fitted option. Controlled from the driving seat or rear compartment via the window-lift switches, the curtains are fully integrated into the rear doors and rear windscreen surround.
Available in either Black or Ivory, the soft, opaque material gives the rear cabin a feeling of opulence and complete privacy, via one-touch operation with anti-trap protection.
Entertainment on demand
The new Crewe-fitted Entertainment Specification option offers a full menu of communication, entertainment and information, with rear picnic tables designed for an iPad and wireless keyboard.
Once deployed, the picnic tables reveal a smooth hide-trimmed writing surface, and at the touch of a button, the surface lifts to reveal a dedicated space for an iPad and keyboard, ready to connect to a web browser via the on-board Wi-Fi router.
Crafted in solid metal, fine veneer and hide, the tables feature an adjustable screen angle with an anti-trap sensor to protect fingers. An iPad can be charged when the ignition is on, yet is fully detachable but also out of sight once stowed.
The Entertainment Specification is further enhanced with twin, eight inch LCD headrest screens, incorporating a 20 GB hard drive and DVD player, played through a 'Naim for Bentley' premium audio system, while two sets of Bluetooth headphones and a remote control puts the power in the hands of the occupants.
Connectivity at the touch of a button
Connectivity is boosted with the introduction of a Wi-Fi router with a high speed Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) phone module and SIM card reader, located in the glove box, providing a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot for internet access which can be accessed by eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.
There is a dedicated antenna housed in the boot lid, outside of the vehicle's steel frame, giving improved signal strength versus a handheld device.
Extending the palette
Increasing Mulsanne's leading choice of colours are three new additions to the palette, Dark Cashmere, Portofino and Damson.
Dark Cashmere is a versatile and sophisticated warm grey, while Portofino takes a new slant on Pale Sapphire, an already highly successful Bentley colour. Lastly, Damson is a rich, opulent colour with a velvet quality, deep tones and the subtle sparkle of rare purple diamonds.
There are also three additional hide colours, Damson, Saffron and Brunel. Damson is a rich, dark red designed to complement the new Damson paint, while Saffron is a warm, rich colour inspired by saffron bread. Finally, Brunel is a warm technical grey, designed to perfectly complement exterior colours in the grey and blue spectrum.
Bespoke Mulsanne Fitted Luggage
Intended for the discerning traveller, a range of bespoke Mulsanne luggage pieces hand made by renowned Italian luggage specialists Schedoni are now available.
The full collection is made of six pieces, two large cases, two small cases and two foldable garment bags. The overall shape of the luggage is inspired by the inner door panel design of the car, with the frame surrounding the main side panels echoing the main feature frame of the door with its characteristic twin ridge.
The frame also serves to neatly guide the luggage in position into the boot of the car whilst also protecting the handle.
The pieces are hand-made to customer's specification, featuring monogram Bentley lining and embossed Bentley logos on the main panels and use the same hides that go into a Bentley car. The items can be purchased as a full 6 piece set, single or multiple bags.
The architecture of the luggage allows the possibility to offer a colour split between the frame and the main panel. Each set can be colour personalised, matching the primary hide colour of the interior of the car or the secondary, or even combining both.
By Jeffrey N. Ross
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