Mulliner added 20-inch wheels, drilled alloy pedals, diamond-quilted hide, special two-tone treatments and other detailing
exterior colors:
Early first-generation factory exterior colours included Diamond Black, Burnt Oak, Cypress, Neptune, Spruce and Umbrian Red. The principal hides were Beluga, Burnt Oak, Laurel, Nautic, Portland, Saffron, Savannah and Saddle
6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 with 552 hp, and permanent all-wheel drive. Even the 2005 car could reach 100 km/h in roughly 4.7 seconds despite weighing over 2.4 tonnes
W12 is incredibly compact for a 12-cylinder engine compared with a conventional long V12
Extremely good long-distance car; this is arguably the purest grand tourer in the collection
Air suspension provides two ride-height settings and four damper settings
Genuine four-wheel drive makes all that W12 torque surprisingly usable in poor weather
Classic Bentley bullseye air vents with organ-stop controls. They are actual tactile metal controls rather than little electronic tabs
Beautiful knurled metal knobs and controls throughout the cabin
Proper Breitling analogue clock in the dashboard
Keyless entry and start was available at a time when this still felt genuinely exotic
The 2005 Mulliner Driving Specification brought diamond-quilted leather, embroidered Bentley logos, indented leather headlining, knurled gear selector and special veneers
You could match carpets and even seatbelts to the main or secondary leather colour
Approximately 371 litres of luggage capacity, so it is genuinely usable as a touring coupé
Base 2005 cars use conventional iron brakes; the carbon-ceramic system came with later/special versions, so you avoid that particularly frightening replacement item
Despite the terrifying complexity, specialists describe the W12 itself as fundamentally dependable when properly maintained; many early-car troubles are peripheral electrical/cooling issues rather than internal engine failure
Cons
roughly 2,413 kg. It is an extraordinarily heavy coupé.
You can feel that weight; the early car is more of a very fast luxury train than a delicate sports car
The engine compartment is extremely tightly packaged. Some major jobs involve enormous amounts of dismantling and potentially removing the engine
Early cars are known for electrical/wiring-connection issues
Radiator replacement is a much larger operation than the word “radiator” normally suggests on a car because of the packaging
Air suspension gives wonderful ride quality but creates another expensive ageing system to maintain
Suspension arms/bushes have a hard life because the car weighs well over two tonnes
Some pieces of switchgear are very obviously Volkswagen Group parts-bin components, which is a little disappointing given the original price. Contemporary reviewers noticed this even when the car was new
Early navigation/infotainment has aged badly
Huge wheels, tyres and brakes mean even normal consumables are Bentley-sized expenses
