Mammoth Bentley Mulsanne LWB spied

You couldn't criticize the Bentley Mulsanne for lacking in size, but now it's set to get even larger with the arrival of a long-wheelbase variant. The flagship saloon has been seen testing with some added width between the wheels, but it could be a new model built specifically for the Chinese market.

The standard Mulsanne is Bentley's most premium model but rivals such as Rolls Royce and Mercedes offer the option of extending the wheelbase of their rival luxury saloons for a more substantial rear cabin. The Mulsanne is playing catch-up in that respect, and judging by these spyshots it's looking to close the gap with a length increase of 200mm over the 5.58-metre short-wheelbase car.

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Unfortunately, the long wheelbase Mulsanne may only be destined for China and the Middle-East, where low fuel prices and wider roads mean the long-wheelbase luxury saloon market is booming. Although rivals also offer such cars in Europe, Bentley refused to confirm if we'll be seeing the production version on our shores.

However, Aston Martin similarly shied away from offering its new Lagonda flagship saloon in the UK before it took a U-turn and decided that it would make financial sense to sell it to UK buyers. 

Inside we can expect sumptuous reclining rear seats and another level in comfort and entertainment tech. Bentley's traditional promise to offer an unrivalled level of customisation to its buyers will open up the posibility of some weird and wonderful trim combos leaving the factory.

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Mechanically the Mulsanne LWB should remain unchanged from the standard model, with the 506bhp twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 that produces a monstrous 1,020Nm of torque doing the legwork. It's unclear as yet whether the 530bhp Mulsanne Speed will get the same LWB treatment. We'll have more details about the stretched Mulsanne in due course.