Fast? Check. Very luxurious? Check. As big as a palace? Check. Frighteningly expensive?  Double check.  This is exactly the checklist that Bentley’s new flagship luxury grand tourer went through. It’s called the Mulsanne, a name derived from the Mulsanne straight at the Le-Mans race circuit where Bentley has won five times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and of course from the similarly named Bentley Mulsanne, produced between 1980-92.

 And as you can see from the photographs, it has a very Bentley family look; the grille, the headlight treatment, the proportions. Also notable is that fact that this is the first flagship Bentley in nearly 80 years to have been independently designed by Crewe-based Bentley. The last such vehicle was W.O Bentley’s iconic 8-litre model from 1930.

 This new flagship Bentley will essentially be the replacement for the Arnage, and even though it was unveiled at the ’09 Pebble Beach, details are still a bit sketchy. The typically Bentley workhorse, the 6.75 L V8, from the current Arnage, will continue its faithful service in this new Bentley flagship.

 The price is still undeclared though the first one to be produced was auctioned off at the Pebble Beach event for a staggering $550,000. Pricey stuff!