Arnage Limousine by Bentley Mulliner

.
December 18, 2002
.
This Week:

© 1998 - 2002 Copyright &
Disclaimer
Automotive Intelligence,
www.autointell.com
All Rights Reserved .
For questions please contact
editor@autointell.com

.
Arnage Limousine by Bentley Mulliner

Crewe ... The Bentley Mulliner Arnage Limousine is a showcase for the unrivalled craftsmanship skills of Bentley Mulliner, the company's bespoke team of coachbuilders, craftsmen and designers; a unique team dedicated to tailoring any Bentley to its owner's exclusive requirements.

First shown at the Paris Motorshow in September, this Arnage Limousine - neither an impractical 'concept' car, nor a series production car - is a fine example of Mulliner's stretch limousine expertise. It is simply an example of what Bentley Mulliner can achieve for any customer with an open mind and a wish to own a Bentley that is not just exclusive, but unique. And judging by the numbers of Bentley customers old and new who expressed an interest in the car, it would seem to have struck a chord, even in a market with increasing and welcome competition from other marques.

The focal point of the car is a 728mm (28 inches) extension to the wheelbase, giving Bentley Mulliner's design team the opportunity to design an interior of a quality, magnificence and individuality that no production car could hope to emulate. The theme chosen for this Arnage Limousine was to demonstrate how traditional the very latest entertainment technology can be successfully and stylishly integrated with traditional materials such as leather and particularly wood can be used in challenging ways to create an entirely contemporary feel. It demonstrates clearly that the skills handed down from generation to generation at Crewe are as relevant today as ever, and that this combination of expertise, experience and understanding is unavailable anywhere else in the world.

Enter the car and the first sensation is one of space. Sit in one of the rear seats and you can stretch your legs until they meet footrests that also double as rear-facing occasional seats. A rear compartment sunroof has been fitted to provide additional natural lighting if preferred.

Stylistically the main focus falls on the use of both straight grain and burr English oak. Using dramatic curves, the cabin conceals a host of features many owners would consider essential. There is an independent air-conditioning system for the rear cabin, a concealed drinks bar, cigar drawer and bottle cooler. Lighting is provided not by conventional bulbs, but instead by fibre-optics, bathing the interior in warm light.

Most startling of all however is the hidden 22-inch (55 cms) entertainment screen that is skilfully designed to raise itself into view from in front of the electrically operated glass dividing screen between the front and rear cabins. Boasting Dolby 5.1 surround sound, which works in conjunction with the DVD and television systems and blinds on all windows to the side and rear, the Arnage Limousine turns itself into a private cinema in an instant.

On the outside its chrome-finished radiator, door mirror caps, sill covers, a jewel-type fuel filler cap and Mulliner badging distinguishes the car as something rather special. Under the bonnet lies Bentley's renowned and recently entirely

re-engineered 400bhp, 6.75-litre V8 motor. Mulliner engineers to complement the increased stiffening of the body shell have finely tuned the cars braking and suspension systems.

Bentley and Mulliner have been associated since the earliest days of the marque and their strengths have always complemented each other perfectly. Some of the most beautiful and distinctive Bentleys of the vintage and pre-war eras owe their bodywork to the fabled Mulliner coachbuilding house.

It is therefore absolutely right that the name of Mulliner should now be used to denote those Bentleys whose owners have chosen in some way to differentiate their car from any other on the road.

Unlike conventional luxury cars where equipment is limited to a list of items selected by their manufacturers, Mulliner's craftsmen and women are there to realise the dreams of their customers.

Almost anything is possible, from stitching the family crest or names of your children in the rear head-rests to designing and producing arguably the most exclusive car in the world, The Queen's new Bentley State Limousine. In between lies a limitless array of possibilities from the most sumptuous luxury to a mobile office capable of keeping a busy executive fully in touch and in tune with his or her business.

(December 2, 2002)

.
Homepage News Companies Management Publications Events Careers
Services Discussion Guestbook Search
.