The EWB is for Extended Wheelbase, on the Bentley flagship Mulsanne model. It is an impressive sight, sitting on its 21-inch alloy wheels, based to some degree on what product and marketing manager Jon Simons, at the recent launch event in Vancouver, describes as “a complete re-design of the exterior. We did not simply add extra millimetres, but the entire exterior is newly designed to accommodate the extra length.” And then there is the interior, and most particularly the rear, passenger space.
The whole purpose of the Mulsanne EWB is to redefine luxury for the rear riders. The extension is certainly noticeable, reflecting the fact that the entire 250 millimetres (nearly 10 inches) of extra space is fully integrated into the back compartment. The cabin feels more like a private jet than a car, complete with lower leg rests, which can extend, and even act as the bottom component of a fully reclining seat that becomes, in effect, a bed. The sunroof, placed mainly over the rear compartment, is operable from both the front and the back seats, as are electronically controlled window drapes.
There is a complete console separating the two rear seats, with easy and discreet access for each passenger. Featured is a pullout tray underneath the Bentley Entertainment Tablet, located on the back of the seat in front; the wholly reconsidered entertainment system features cinema-quality sound that would make the harshest sonic purist, say Neil Young, more than happy. Also available is an option for deployable folding tables, tucked into the console when not in use.
As is the norm with Bentley, there are plenty of bespoke design and colour choices, including what the company calls duo-tone exterior paint options to go along with a wide array of internal schemes. In the perpetual automotive race to claim innovative high ground, Bentley’s Mulsanne EWB seems to have gotten off the mark first.
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