AUTOPANEL

What is it?

Bentley says its flagship Mulsanne is the largest production sedan the British automaker has built yet, and the only brief the British automaker's development engineers were given was to "create a Bentley that is the pinnacle of British motoring."

First shown last August at Pebble Beach (yes, it looks much better in person than in photographs), the sedan comes in at a whopping 18 feet long. Power comes from a new twin-turbo 6.75-liter V8, developing 505 hp and an amazing 752 lb-ft of torque (peaking at just 1,750 rpm), mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The car will hit 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and has a 184 mph top speed, riding on a new chassis and new air suspension system with continuous damping control.

The interior is typical British luxury car, all woods and leathers--three times more wood than Bentley has ever used. It's like your favorite club. But the car is not short on high-tech: In-car technology includes a 60GB disc-drive nav system that includes audio/video, personal data, telephone and Bluetooth. You'll also find connectors for iPod, USB and mini USB.

What's it like to drive?

Extraordinarily smooth, quiet and fuss-free. Ultrafast but effortless, the Mulsanne blasted us along Scottish two-lane roads with authority. Considering we were in a right-hand-drive car on the left side of unfamiliar roads, the car instilled confidence. There are four suspension modes: comfort, Bentley, sport and custom. Each adjusts the throttle and steering. The Bentley mode is set to what the engineers felt was the best setup, and we liked that one best. It struck a nice balance between good handling, a good ride and weighty steering. By the way, you might be tempted to ride in back while James does the driving, and we can't blame you. We tried it, and it's more than pleasant back there, especially with the back massager on. But the Mulsanne is an entertaining driver.

Do you want one?

Of course you do; it's the new flagship after all. Just 20 a week will be built. The cost (if you must ask) is $285,000, and the Mulsanne replaces Bentley's Brooklands and Azure models. About the only cars competing with the Mulsanne come from Rolls-Royce and maybe Maybach. Your biggest decision will probably be which of the 100 paint schemes, 24 leathers or nine woods to choose from. You've got time to think about it--you won't be able to get a Mulsanne until 2012. They're sold out until then.