Monterey, California – Love them or loathe them, it appears that future Bentleys will no longer have the large round headlights that characterise today’s models.
The Bentley Mulliner Batur, an exclusive new creation of the brand’s bespoke division, was unveiled at the Monterey Car Week over the weekend. It also marks the beginning of a new design chapter for the Crewe-based company, which will coincide with the release of its battery-powered range from 2025 onwards.
The Batur’s form is cleaner and simplified, says Bentley, with a lower and more upright grille and new teardrop-shaped headlights matched by similarly shaped taillights at the back.
“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,” Bentley chief executive Adrian Hallmark enthused. “Andi Mindt and his team have reimagined the classic Bentley design cues into a stronger, bolder design that remains both elegant and graceful.”
Although the Bentley Batur’s design points towards future electric cars, beneath its bonnet is the company’s most powerful W12 petrol engine ever. According to Bentley, this incarnation of the hand-assembled 6.0-litre twin-turbo motor produces more than 544kW and 1 000Nm and it is paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and titanium sports exhaust system.
The Batur is also said to be the most dynamic Bentley ever, thanks to speed-tuned air suspension, electric active anti-roll control, electronic limited slip differential and a four-wheel steering system.
Production will be limited to just 18 units, each car designed in close co-operation with the customer, guided by Mulliner’s in-house design team. Customers will be able to specify the colour and finish of practically every surface of the Batur.
Following that process, each car will be handcrafted over the course of several months in Mulliner’s workshop, located at Bentley’s carbon neutral factory in Crewe. “From the main exterior paint to the surface finish of the air vents, and literally everything in between, each customer will specify even the tiniest of details,” Bentley said.
The first deliveries are expected to take place around mid-2023. But before you reach for that chequebook, all 18 cars have already been reserved.