After a great deal of waiting, Bentley car hire fans will be pleased to hear that the new Mulsanne is "engaging to drive".

Testing the flagship model for Auto Express, Dan Strong highlighted the unique driving quality that the vehicle possesses, combining agility and refinement with high levels of comfort.

In addition, he drew attention to the performance of the 5.5-metre luxury cruiser, with the 6.75-litre V8-powered machine able to deliver ample power whatever the driving conditions.

Motorists can benefit from its zero to 62mph time of 5.1 seconds, while a top speed of 184mph can be achieved.

"The car is beautifully constructed and offers a brilliantly capable chassis," Mr Strong noted.

"Supremely comfortable yet still utterly engaging to drive, the flagship model has a magical quality to its character that seems to suggest we will still be talking about this Bentley 80 years from now."

The manufacturer claims that to create the body of each Mulsanne takes 125 man-hours.

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Posted by Jenny Denham