The British carmaker's most recent vehicle is the new Continental. Presented over the past year in its fourth generation incarnation, it was offered until this week as the Continental GT, GTC, and Flying Spur. That will continue to be the case, only from now on customers will have the option of choosing Mulliner-specced versions of each of the three models.
As you know, Mulliner is the go-to specialist when it comes to making luxury even more exciting, and the group seems like it didn't hold back when it comes to the Continentals. But let's start with what hasn't changed compared to the base models.
The Mulliner Continentals build upon the Speed version, and come with no modification to the powertrain. What that means is that all three vehicles continue to be powered by the hybrid powertrain that was introduced in the range.
The system pairs a 584-horsepower 4.0-liter V8 engine with an electric motor fed by a battery and pushing out 187 hp, making for a total output of 771 horsepower. All three Continentals can drive in all-electric mode for up to 50 miles (81 km), and at speeds of as much as 87 mph (140 kph).
But given how the powertrains of these vehicles are not visible to the naked eye, they're not the first thing one instantly recognizes about these three models is that they are not normal Continentals. The bodywork, however, is where the magic happens. That's because Mulliner’s touch can be seen pretty much everywhere.
When looked at from the front, the first thing that catches the eye is the Floating Diamond radiator grille, a telltale sign of the coachbuilder. It is surrounded by chrome on the surround bar, center bar, and lower grilles.
The Flying B radiator mascot is included as standard in this package for the Flying Spur, while the GT and GTC models get twin single headlamps and a Mulliner badge installed on the front wings.
On the sides, chrome has been used as well, to offset the mirror caps which can be specced in satin silver or gloss black. At the back, red-tinted tail lamps are there to replace the grey-tinted ones usually seen on the Speed.
The final, and very impressive exterior touch is the fitting of new 22-inch wheels. They can be had in two different finishes, Tungsten Grey or gloss black, but regardless of variant they offer self-leveling badges.
The Mulliner details mentioned above can be specified over bodywork that can be painted in no less than 101 colors.
It's pretty hard for luxury to be properly experienced on the exterior of a car, as people most often associate that term with things they can touch or smell. So if you really want to know what Mulliner means for the new Continental, you have to step inside any of the three vehicles it tampered with.
When the doors of the three Continentals open, the cars display an animation of the Bentley wings through a series of light sequences, and the outer treadplates are illuminated as well.
The usual leather-wrapped surfaces have been upgraded with accent color piping and Mulliner embroidery that features a brand new diamond perforation pattern. In the GTC, the same pattern is extended all the way to the tonneau cover.
The seats themselves are now of the wellness variety that offer posture adjustment and auto climate. In front of them sits an instrument panels made of LEDs that display an exclusive graphics, and a duo-tone three-spoke steering wheel.
The interior is bathed in three-color combinations that highlight all the other Mulliner appointments imagined in there, including the rotating displays, sports pedals, and the sunroof.
The most intriguing piece of technology that passengers of these Bentleys can experience is the air conditioning system. At first glance something that can't be bettered to a serious extent, it adds a bit more features than you can get in a budget car.
Complete with ionizers, a new particulate filter, and even displays, the air conditioning taps into data from the car's satellite navigation and automatically adjusts itself to improve cabin air quality depending on the surroundings.
Mulliner offers a total of 15 hide colors for the interior, backed by 16 secondary ones and six accent colors.
As a touch of extra coolness, the cars' keys are leather-bound and come in a handcrafted, Mulliner-branded presentation box. The box comes in the same color as the car, and it too is adorned with contrast stitching.
The British carmaker did not say how much the Mulliner versions cost, but that's relative, given the endless customization options customers can go for. To get a sense of things, consider the Continental GT starts at around $250,000.
