Bentley confirms Mulliner Batur reveal
Exclusive new grand tourer will feature the most powerful iteration of the W12 yet seen...
Remember the Bentley Bacalar from 2020? It might’ve sounded like a Turkish pastry, but the Barchetta-designed model looked the part and because Bentley only made 12 of them, it sold pretty well, too. Now, with Monterery Car Week upon us, the firm has confirmed that it will follow up the convertible with something else named after a large body of water: the Bentley Mulliner Batur.
However, while it may be a spiritual successor to the Bacalar, the Batur is ‘so much more’ according to its maker. That’s because it apparently showcases an entirely new design language for Bentley, one which uses ‘classic features from the past reinterpreted into new, cleaner forms that rely on the use of contrast to provide definition.’ Now, we don’t know precisely what that means, but the brain trust at Crewe insists that it will be the styling DNA that informs a new generation of Bentley BEVs from 2025.
For now, we know two other things for sure. One is that the Batur is very much a grand tourer in the traditional Bentley sense, and is obviously meant to embody the ‘handcrafted and infinitely customisable’ sort of car that Mulliner has made its name building. The manufacturer reckons the opportunities for personalisation are ‘practically limitless’, and reports that sustainable natural fibre composites, low-CO2 leather and even 3D printed 18K gold are among the cost options.
Second, the Batur is intended to celebrate Bentley’s ‘iconic’ W12 engine. The firm says it will produce ‘more power and torque than ever before’, which is a thought to warm the heart. Of course, this silver lining comes with an epically large cloud, Bentley reiterating (if reiteration were needed) that the big petrol motor is entering its twilight years. Powering the Batur to ‘being the ultimate Bentley grand tourer’ is likely to be one of its last ever jobs. Let’s hope the car lives up to that billing. We'll find out on Sunday.
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