WORDS Cameron Officer PHOTOS Giona Bridler
Beyond the concept of personalisation, for which Mulliner is world renowned, the central idea behind offering the opportunity for increased personalisation is that of “the dream car”. It’s a phrase that gets overused; verbal shorthand for a subjective mental list of the cars that inspire us. But imagine having the opportunity to genuinely create your dream car. What would that look like?
If you’re a Bentley fan, Mulliner is here to assist.
Once configured from Mulliner’s newly released personalisation options, an owner’s dream car can come to life, resulting in a rare expression of the individual’s vision of what their dream car really is. Yet, Mulliner states that the Continental GT Mulliner isn’t just a car: it is a part of the owner’s world, allowing them to travel without compromise, and in total luxury.
Together, Bentley and Mulliner represent a coachbuilding tour de force. The former, makers of some of the world’s most luxurious vehicles; the latter, the world’s oldest automotive coachbuilder with its own unimpeachable pedigree.
We were very lucky recently to sample possibly the most exclusive Continental GT in New Zealand – it doesn’t get much more rarefied than this. And the level of detail throughout the Continental GT Mulliner has to be experienced first-hand.
Here, the real headlines are in the headlining – and elsewhere. Where the Continental GT Mulliner is concerned its sumptuous interior steals the show.
Here, the real headlines are in the headlining – and elsewhere. Where the Continental GT Mulliner is concerned its sumptuous interior steals the show.
The advent of the Continental GT Mulliner line of cars means the owner has the ability to configure their Bentley in a variety of ways. While the luxurious mood lighting, hand-stitched headrests, and illuminated sill plates that bear the Mulliner name are a feature of every car, a variety of special interior colourways are on offer. Curated by Bentley Mulliner’s artisans, there are eight exclusive seating and trim colour combinations available, each with a unique three-colour split.
Mulliner took inspiration from many different places and themes – from provincial France to quintessential cricket pavilions and beyond – in order to create a strong palette of colour options designed to give the Continental GT Mulliner owner the ability to create something unique to their individual tastes.
That’s not to suggest that Mulliner hasn’t shown its hand on the car’s exterior at all – it has, with elements such as branded wing vents which denote its rare status, and special painted and polished 10-spoke 22” Mulliner Wheels. The wheels’ duo-tone finish creates depth to the contours of each wheel, while the carmaker’s clever self-levelling wheel badge means that even while you are travelling at speed, the Bentley ‘B’ remains upright.
When Bentley says its Continental GT is ‘hand built’, it really isn’t kidding. The diamond quilting in the seats and door lining involves precisely 310,675 stitches per car and every Continental GT features 2.8km of stitching thread. 10m² of sustainably sourced wood veneer inlay is carefully fitted by hand.
Even the machined components are something special. The back-rear section of Bentley’s grand tourer – incorporating those deep haunches behind the door apertures that give it its signature hunkered-down stance – is presently the largest single super-formed piece of sheet metal in all of automotive manufacturing.
That in itself is quite an engineering achievement, as are the GT’s enormous brakes, which are the biggest iron brake assemblies used on any production car ever and consist of 420mm front discs with 10 piston calipers and 380mm rear discs with four piston calipers. Bentley doesn’t bother with ceramics, saying its iron engineering is as solid and consistent as you can get.
Meanwhile, the detailing inside the LED matrix headlights and the knurling on the metal dials and instrumentation inside the cabin is influenced by the diamond shapes in cut crystal glassware – more machined attributes that point to bespoke tradition.
Whether you’re sitting in the Continental GT Mulliner or pouring over its many intricate components, the level of detail really is unbelievable. The exacting standards and refinement of Mulliner turns every tactile element of the Continental GT up to 11.
It’s a dream made real.
