Mulliner Batur coupe previews design revolution for Bentley unveiled
Most powerful Bentley in history, with 1,000 Nm development of iconic W12 engine now generating more than 740 PS
Deliveries to begin mid-2023 after extensive development programme
Middle East-:Bentley Motors has today unveiled the Bentley Mulliner Batur – a new two-door grand touring coupé that embodies the start of a design revolution at Bentley.
Created by Director of Design Andreas Mindt and his team, the Batur showcases a new design DNA that will ultimately guide the design of Bentley’s future range of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
The collection of just 18 series examples of the Batur is the latest project by Bentley’s in-house bespoke and coachbuilding division, Mulliner, and succeeds the Bacalar that relaunched coachbuilding at Bentley. Like the Bacalar, the Batur is named after a beautiful natural body of water.
The Batur will also be the most powerful Bentley yet, with a 740+ PS version of the iconic, hand-assembled 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine that has metaphorically and literally powered Bentley’s success for the last two decades. Engine performance will be matched to the most advanced Bentley chassis ever, with Speed-tuned air suspension, electric active anti-roll control, eLSD, four-wheel steering and torque vectoring.
All 18 examples of the Batur have already been reserved.
The Next Exceptional Mulliner Project
Mulliner’s in-house design team will co-create every Batur with its customer, working together for several hours through a specially-created Mulliner visualiser that allows any part of the car to be customised in colour and surface finish.
Exterior Details
Beyond the exterior form of the car lies an almost endless array of choices for each car’s future owner to make. Paint choice is literally infinite – starting with the full Mulliner colour palette and travelling beyond into fully bespoke paint and even hand-painted graphics, while brightware can be any mix of light and dark, satin or gloss or even titanium.
The exterior paintwork of the launch Batur is a bespoke colour – Bonneville Pearlescent Silver – with bodywork underscored by carbon fibre front splitters, side skirts and rear diffuser painted in Black Crystal.
The Batur sits on unique 22” wheels, with the ‘standard’ option being painted in Black Crystal and then surface bright machined and polished.
A Cabin of Sustainable Bespoke Beauty
The two-seat interior space of the Batur is designed for the ultimate in personalisation and long-distance grand touring.
The range of veneers available for the fascias include a new material for Bentley – Natural Fibre composite, available as a 2×2 twill weave finished in satin lacquer, which is a sustainable alternative to carbon fibre. The passenger fascia panel is then finished with a unique etching of the audio signature of the W12 engine – bespoke etching is also available.
The interior of the launch Batur has been trimmed by hand in a stunning combination of black, red and orange – specifically, Beluga hide contrasted with Hotspur and sustainable low CO2 Mulliner Hyperactive Orange leather.
The veneers to the Instrument Panel, fascias and doors are Gloss Black painted, with a ‘guitar fade’ to Fine Brodgar that flows from the fascias to the doors, before fading back to black. The fascia is completed with a unique piece of art – a laser-etched sound wave, which represents the unique sound generated by the W12 engine.
The Mighty W12
The Batur features the most power engine yet fitted to a Bentley. The 6.0-litre W12 that started the rebirth of Bentley with the Continental GT in 2002 has been through several design iterations since, and is now the most advanced twelve-cylinder engine in the world.
For the Batur, a new intake system, upgraded turbochargers, new intercoolers and extensive recalibration more than 740 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque, to deliver exceptional performance for this new pinnacle grand tourer. Over its 20-year development, the engine now produces nearly 40% more power while fuel economy has improved by 25%. The Batur’s W12 is paired with Bentley’s eight-speed double-clutch transmission, and a sports exhaust to provide a soundtrack in keeping with the level of performance.
A Chassis System to Match
The most powerful and exclusive Bentley coupe to date, the Batur will also be the most dynamic. Adaptive three-chamber air springs each have three switchable chambers, changing the volume of the air spring and so its effective stiffness. The driver can select the balance between ride comfort and body control using the four-mode Drive Dynamics Control in the centre console, choosing between Sport, Bentley, Comfort and Custom, which also changes the behaviour of the 48V electric active anti-roll control system, providing up to 1,300 Nm of anti-roll torque in 0.3 seconds or completely decoupling the wheels at either end of each axle.