If you thought previous Bentleys exemplified precision engineering, you’re due a rethink. The new Mulsanne is a beast in the body of… a barge perhaps.

That sounds unflattering and shouldn’t, because it’s a very beautiful, lean, lithe barge. But it’s huge. Frankly it would have to be to feature all the lovely details you’d expect from this creator of motoring beauty – and many you don’t. The hand stitching and beautiful wood interiors are, of course, “standard” on a Bentley yet everything here feels different: it’s a Bentley but hand-crafted to the nth degree. The engine is a joy too, punching effortlessly to three digit speeds in double-digit times.

The one possible moment of excess is the 2000+ watt Naim stereo yet, even at full volume, it’s crisp and clean, and you feel your ears will go long before the speakers. More impressively, the glazing is so good you can barely hear a thing outside the car. It’s one more remarkable thing on a car that’s full of them. The bad news? Only 800 will be made annually, and they’ve sold out until 2012.