Bentley Mulsanne Speed: You Know You Want To

One millionaire's cancelled order can be another's £60K saving

One of the adages among those who sell luxury goods for a living is that there's no such thing as bad taste, just other people's. Reference recent - extensive - discussion of the Bentley Bentayga. So while most people don't want a tartan Aventador that's been colour matched to their favourite golfing trousers, or a Bugatti Veyron trimmed with real leopard skin, for those who have both the ambition and the money to realise such gaudy dreams the salesperson's first response will always be along the lines of "excellent choice. Why not take a matching pair?"

OK, not subtle but it could be worse!

The very act of spending ridiculous amounts of money on something you don't really need is a deeply personal thing, hence the time and effort most buyers put into specifying such purchases; and the equal attention top-flight manufacturers are now giving to near-limitless customisation for those with pockets of sufficient depth.

But which also limits the appeal of a cancelled order Bentley Mulsanne Speed, even with a very generous saving over its optioned price. Anyone buying this unregistered example will make an impressive saving over the official list price. It's up for £229,969, £57,000 beneath its optioned list price. That's a saving that even Bentley owners can't afford to be too sniffy about, enough to buy a BMW M4 without haggling. But it also means being stuck with the choices made by whoever ordered it in the first place, and who then seems to have had second thoughts of their own.

Not that there's anything too Mansory going on here; indeed by the standards of a Mulsanne Speed you could practically call this one demure and understated. The Dark Sapphire exterior paintwork is a popular choice, and one that suits the vast car well. The magnolia and navy interior adds some brightness to the cabin, but it still looks like you would want to obsessively wash your hands before touching the steering wheel. Options are all sensible, including a sunroof, rear seat entertainment package and - of course - the all-important folding wooden picnic tables in the back that pretty much every Bentley saloon seems to have. There are just 10 miles on the odometer and the car hasn't even been registered, meaning whoever does buy it will be the first name on the V5.

If that's not quite so important then there are some even bigger savings to be made on some very gently used examples - this Storm Grey Mulsanne Speed has just 550 miles showing, brown caramel and anthracite interior trim and pretty much the same options ticked and is offered at £219,990.

BENTLEY MULSANNE SPEED
Price: £229,969
Why you should: If a Bentayga is simply too 'new money' for you
Why you shouldn't: Is a discounted reject really want you want at this level?

See the original advert here.