What's the news?
Bentley is at the Beijing Auto Show and is displaying its near full range of wares, including some recently launched models and a few changes for the Mulsanne flagship.
So let's start with the big saloon. There's a new limited First Edition, of which just 50 will be made available across the Mulsanne, Mulsanne Speed and Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase body styles. Featuring a bespoke Mulliner sterling silver vanity kit inlaid into the rear picnic table, a load of First Edition motifs throughout the cabin and a specially engraved 'Flying B' bonnet emblem, the FE is essentially a styling exercise. You can even specify it with a champagne cooler if you wish, while the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase First Edition on the stand in China boasts a ripple-patterned Fulbeck veneer sourced from a 350-year-old English walnut tree; only a few First Edition cars will have this extremely exclusive trim, with the rest benefitting from an Antique Ash veneer.
The Extended Wheelbase body is a new addition, too, said to offer a 'first-class air-travel experience for the road'. It has an extra 250mm of rear legroom and a pair of reclining seats with extending footrests, a rear sunroof, curtains in the back (so occupants can sleep if they want to) and two 10.2-inch Android devices - with 4G, WiFi and Bluetooth - as the Bentley Entertainment Tablet package.
Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, said: "The Mulsanne is the epitome of Bentley's DNA - exquisite, individual and powerful. It defines luxury in the automotive world and offers the unique Bentley blend of luxury and performance."
Anything else?
Alongside the Mulsannes, Bentley chose Beijing as the place to reveal the Flying Spur V8 S model to the Chinese market for the first time. With 528hp and 680Nm, it's a sportier V8 model designed to sit between the, er, entry-level 4.0-litre model and the larger 6.0-litre W12 variant. Revised styling, a different interior and tougher suspension tuning all aim to make the V8 S a pleasing thing to drive quickly. Which is handy, because it can run on to 306km/h, where permitted...
And for fans of geographically-named cars which feature said geography on their dashboard, the Bentayga by Mulliner answers all your prayers. The big SUV, named after a mountain on the Canary Islands, has the scenescape involving the Bentayga peak displayed in front of the passenger, using 30 individual pieces made from ten different veneers. How about that for topographical marquetry perfection, eh?