Car Throttle

While the Mercedes-Benz CLS doesn't compete in the ultra-luxury range of $100,000 and above, it has spurred similar entries both above and below. The Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera compete above it, while models like the Volkswagen Passat CC aim to copy it. The CLS is finally getting some direct competition in the form of Audi's A7 Sportback, and even more could is coming with BMW's approval of its Gran Coupe Concept for production. Lamborghini is said to be seriously considering the prospect with the Evoque and Bentley's next model is likely to be the 16C Galibier. But what about Bentley? It could be considering a four-door coupe model of its own. The company has a history with segment-blending models like the shooting brake two-door wagon. Thankfully, it

The global economy might just be recovering from financial turmoil, but Bentley doesn't look to be faring too badly. In fact, right now production has begun on the Arnage's successor (not replacement, says Bentley) that was introduced last year. The company had said a lot of interest was gotten on the Mulsanne, and it looks like they were right. Bentley had planned for a production run of about 200 units per year, and over 800 orders were received, putting the car's sold out date into 2012. This is an impressive feat by any measure, especially considering the Mulsanne is more of a Phantom competitor than the Arnage. To keep up with demand, Bentley announced that they will be increasing capacity in order to keep up with the

Look out Rolls-Royce - while the Arnage wasn't quite at the same level as the Phantom, Bentley has set its sights higher with the new Mulsanne. After being under the same ownership (and being nearly the same vehicles) for years, the two have started competing again under BMW's ownership of Rolls-Royce and VW's ownership of Bentley. The new Mulsanne starts at $285,000 in the United States, and there is a dizzying array of personalization options: 114 exterior paint colors (in addition, you can create your own if you wish), 21 interior carpet colors, nine wood trim types and 24 different leather colors. The Mulsanne takes 400 hours (or around 16 days) to build, 200 of which are for hand-built parts – and out of that 160 hours  for

It has been a little while since we've heard about the Bugatti 16C Galibier. The car was introduced at its own private event last year after Frankfurt, with Bugatti head Franz-Josef Paefgen stating the reason as him not liking to see cars at auto shows that weren't in the works to be built. We agree, especially when cars like the Bugatti 16C Galibier aren't built. The good news is that it seems as if the 16C Galibier will be produced. For one, we've heard rumors about a greenlight. Secondly, time is ticking on Bugatti's ability to keep extending the Veyron run with new special editions - a new model is clearly needed. Thirdly, the company has decided to release more pictures of the car months later

Bentley (and Rolls-Royce, which is now owned by BMW) are known the world over for their craftsmanship and hand-built attention to detail. The new Mulsanne, introduced at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last August, is no different. At a U.S price of $285,000, there is a dizzying array of personalization options: 114 paint colors (or you can create your own), 21 carpet colors, nine wood trim types and 24 different interior leather colors. The Mulsanne takes 400 hours (or around 16 days) to build, 200 of which are for hand-built parts – and out of that 160 for the interior alone. The process works out to be 15% longer than the Arnage overall. Bentley gives us a glimpse into that process with a new video documenting the body of the

When the Bentley Mulsanne first came out in August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Bentley made it clear that the new model was aiming higher than the previous Arnage range-topper. The Mulsanne is bigger and even more luxurious, aiming at the Rolls-Royce. That's why it wasn't too surprising when pricing for the Mulsanne in the United Kingdom was released on Tuesday.The announced price of £220,000 GBP (with taxes and delivery) came out to around $365,000 USD at current exchange rates. Pricing for the United States is out now though, and it is quite a bit lower than that. Bentley says interest in the Mulsanne is high, with the current interest exceeding production targets for 2010. "We've been encouraged by the positive commentary, notably from our

The Bentley Mulsanne was unveiled a few months ago for the first time at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. At its introduction, Bentley made clear that the Mulsanne was aiming at a segment higher than the Arnage. They even made sure in the press release to never refer to to the Mulsanne as a "replacement" for the Arnage.  Now, Bentley has released official details on the super-sedan for its home market of the United Kingdom. The Mulsanne is a very impressive new Bentley model, being the first all-new flagship exclusive to Bentley (as in, not shared with Rolls-Royce) in a long time.  It seems as if the market agrees: Stuart McCullough, Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing at Bentley says that "Even at this very early

The slow dripping of information on the Bentley Mulsanne is officially over. Bentley has been teasing the new Mulsanne (don't call it a replacement for the Arnage, according to Bentley) for quite some time, with it finally making a reveal at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance show last month. That show brought us a few exterior images of the car, but no interior shots or specifications. That's what the Frankfurt Auto Show is for! Look at all that wood. Bentley calls it the "ring of wood waistrail." The Mulsanne's interior was definitely worth the wait. If you were expecting a groundbreaking and revolutionary change on the Mulsanne over the Arnage, this isn't it (revolutionary and Bentley usually don't go into the same sentence). It didn't need to

Bentley Grand, New Grand Bentley - it finally has a name, Mulsanne. And no, according to Bentley it is not a replacement for the Arnage. Perish the thought! It's an entirely new vehicle, at the "pinnacle of the ultra luxury segment." It's here and it's beautiful, everything I expected and more. The Mulsanne subtly evokes Bentley's of the past with it's flowing body-line and dramatic rear end. The Mulsanne also shows a new take on the styling cues that are on display with the Continental GT/Flying Spur. For instance the headlights, while still a dual setup, feature one main lamp. With Bentley, while there needs to be a familial look, there also needs to be significant differentiation between the lower and higher end entries. That has been