All 18 examples of Bentley Mulliner Batur have been reserved

MANILA: Bentley Motors has unveiled the Bentley Mulliner Batur, a limited edition grand touring coupe that ushers in a design revolution for the brand. Mulliner’s latest project was revealed at Bentley’s Signature Party at Monterey Car Week in California, USA.

The Bentley Mulliner Batur features the brand’s new design DNA that will guide the design of Bentley’s future battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

“The Batur is a significant car for Bentley. Far more than the heir to the highly successful Bacalar, the Batur showcases the design direction that we’re taking in the future as we develop our range of BEVs. Andi Mindt and his team have reimagined the classic Bentley design cues into a stronger, bolder design that remains both elegant and graceful,” Bentley Motors Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Adrian Hallmark stated.

“For any design team, the chance to redefine our own rules is the most exciting challenge. We have reimagined the Bentley design language, keeping some continuity to the past and present while also drastically changing key elements,” Bentley Motors Design Director Andreas Mindt said. “The design of a modern Bentley should always be potent, inspirational and harmonious. The form has to be strong and muscular whilst remaining graceful – there must be both elegant flow and muscularity. The term we use is the ‘resting beast stance’ – picture a lion or tiger, laying low in attack position in long grass. That powerful shape – of ultimate power at rest, that looks fast even when stationary – is one that drives our new interpretation of the classic Bentley power line and haunch.”

Only 18 units of the Batur will be produced. The Batur is named after a breathtaking natural body of water, Lake Batur in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia.

The Bentley Mulliner Batur is powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine that produces 740+ ps of power and 1,000 Nm of torque, making it the most powerful Bentley yet. The W12 is mated to an eight-speed double-clutch transmission and a sports exhaust.

“Beneath the beautiful exterior lies the most powerful engine we’ve ever developed. Our W12 engine is easily the most successful twelve-cylinder automotive engine in history, and as it approaches its retirement to make way for future hybrids and BEVs, we want to mark its accomplishments,” Hallmark added.

The exceptional performance produced by the Batur is also made possible by the new intake system, upgraded turbochargers, and new intercoolers.

The W12 is approaching its final chapter as Bentley transitions to an electrified future. This engineering marvel deserves praise before it is retired, and the Batur is the perfect setting for the final stages of W12 performance development.

The Batur is also built on the most advanced Bentley chassis ever, with Speed-tuned air suspension, electric active anti-roll control, eLSD, four-wheel steering, and torque vectoring.

Each switchable chamber in the adaptive three-chamber air springs changes the air spring's volume and, consequently, its effective stiffness. Using the four-mode Drive Dynamics Control in the center console, the driver can choose between Sport, Bentley, Comfort, and Custom to manage ride comfort and body stability.

The Batur comes with Bentley’s CSiC (Carbon-Silicon-Carbide) braking system, with 440-mm front and 410-mm rear discs matched with 10-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.

All of the 18 Batur units have already been reserved. Each customer collaborated with Mulliner for the design of each unit. All units will be handcrafted at Bentley’s carbon neutral factory in Crewe, England. Deliveries are set to begin in mid-2023.

“The 18 lucky customers who have already reserved their Batur will enjoy an unrivaled co-creation experience with our Mulliner Design team in specifying their cars. The Batur is the next step in Mulliner’s expansion, demonstrating the demand for truly bespoke vehicles that combine luxury and performance in ways that only Bentley can deliver,” Hallmark said.

Each customer is provided with an endless range of choices for the exterior details. For the paint, the customers picked from the full Mulliner color palette, traveling beyond into fully bespoke paint and even hand-painted graphics.

The front splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser can be finished in carbon fiber or Natural Fiber composite. Meanwhile, the exterior brightware can be a combination of light and dark, satin or gloss or even titanium.

The Bentley Mulliner Batur is fitted with 22-inch Black Crystal wheels. A darker option is available, and customers can also choose to paint-match the wheels to the body or choose a different contrast color.

The Batur unveiled in Monterey is painted in Bonneville Pearlescent Silver. It is equipped with carbon fiber front splitters, side skirts, and rear diffuser painted in Black Crystal. The front end is designed with a grille of exceptional art, with the main matrix finished in Gloss Dark Titanium adorned with contrast chevrons in horizontal ombre pattern. The wheels are finished in Satin Titanium, with spokes in Satin Dark Titanium.

The interiors of the Batur is designed for long-distance grand touring. Customers can choose from sustainable interior materials including low-carbon leather sourced from Scotland, tannage leather from Italy, and Dinamica.

The carpets are made from recycled yarn, a first for Bentley.

There are also bright, dark, and titanium options for the interior brightware. Certain controls are also available in 3D-printed 18K gold.

Beluga, Hotspur, and Hyperactive colors were used to hand-trim the interior of the launch Batur. The main Beluga hide contrasts with the new, eco-friendly Mulliner Hyperactive Orange leather.  Dinamica is used to provide a complementary texture. The seats' unique “Batur Chevrons” are delicately hand-embroidered in Snap Orange thread on their outer wings, while the rest of the upholstery is stitched with contrast-colored white thread.

The Batur is the successor to the Bacalar, the 12-off Barchetta design that brought coachbuilding back to Mulliner. Bentley Mulliner has developed a reputation for successfully delivering complex projects, such as the Bacalar and the Blower Continuation Series. The 18 Batur units will be made meticulously by hand, using the coachbuilding skills that have been revived through both projects and generational handcraftsmanship.

“With Bacalar, we proved the appetite of our clients for truly bespoke and individual Bentleys. We’re building on that story with the Batur, and the fact that all 18 cars are already reserved is testament to the fact that our design team is creating cars that our clients want to buy,” Bentley Mulliner Director Paul Williams stated. “Batur is not only a beautiful handcrafted Bentley – it is the next member of a distinguished line of cars coachbuilt by Mulliner, which include WO Bentley’s favorite car in the 8 Liter and the now truly iconic R-Type Continental.”

The Bentley Mulliner Batur is priced at £1.65 million (approximately P109 million).

Photos from Bentley Motors

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