In the world of high-end automobiles, there are usually two paths to take: the first is draped in finery, an extravagant experience for the passenger who is whisked away in the back seat in the utmost luxury, at ease and relaxed. The other is a realm of speed and tire smoke, where technology is in place not to coddle, but to render space-time as something pliable, ready to be molded under the furrowed brow of a driver in his element. These two spaces are seemingly at odds with one another, but that hasn’t kept automakers from attempting to stitch them together, just as Bentley->ke15 tried to do with the Mulsanne Speed. Did it work? XCAR decided to find out with this video.->ke278

According to the review, part of this dichotomy is represented by Bentley’s current position, which is seen as pushing towards a performance-oriented future while honoring its luxury past. On one side are cars like the Continental GT->ke3108 and the EXP Speed 6 concept. On the other is the marque’s legacy, where attributes like comfort and stature were the primary concerns.

“People will sometimes oversimplify the difference between Bentley and Rolls-Royce->ke74 by saying ‘you drive a Bentley, you’re driven in a Rolls-Royce.’ But that’s simply just not the case. You don’t buy a Rolls-Royce Wraith->ke1710 to be driven in it,” the narrator says. The Mulsanne, on the other hand, was definitely designed with the back seat passenger prioritized.

But there’s a problem. The Speed adds power and a sporting edge to a car that wasn’t necessarily meant to be a performer to begin with. So where does that leave it?

Press play to find out.

2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed

Put bluntly, the Mulsanne->ke3495 is not a name you’d expect to find preceding the word “speed.” Dimensionally, this is a fantastically large vehicle, with a length of 219.5 inches, a width of 86.9 inches, and a truly gross vehicle weight of over 7,000 pounds. However, modern technology does well to overcome deficits like mass and size, and under that prestigious hood ornament you’ll find a 6.75-liter V-8 boosted by two turbos to 530 horsepower.

Most remarkable, however, is the torque, which is rated at 811 pound-feet at a ridiculously low 1,750 rpm. A sprint to 60 mph takes less than five seconds, while top speed is rated at 190 mph. It’s all very impressive, especially when you step into the cabin, where you’ll be met with enough opulence to rival a luxury liner.

Read our full review here.