Bentley Mulliner Batur |
Article | Image gallery (20) | Specifications |
|
Page 1 of 2 Next >> Bentley Motors has today unveiled the Bentley Mulliner Batur – a new two-door grand touring coupé limited to 18 series pieces that embodies the start of a design revolution at Bentley. Created by Director of Design Andreas Mindt and his team, the Batur is a showcase of 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 – a run of 12 individually specified, designed and handcrafted Barchettas that relaunched coachbuilding at Bentley. Like its predecessor – the Bacalar – the Batur is named after a beautiful natural body of water. Lake Batur is an 88m deep, 16 km2 crater lake in Kintamani on the island of Bali, Indonesia, and provides nutrient-rich water to both local hot springs and agriculture. 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. As the engine enters its twilight years as part of Bentley’s Beyond100 transformation journey to being fully electrified, the Batur forms the first part of a celebration of the W12’s extraordinary power, torque and refinement. 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. Each one will be designed collaboratively with each 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, to create a car as individual as they are. Each one will then be handcrafted over the course of several months in Mulliner’s workshop at Bentley’s carbon neutral factory in Crewe, England, with first deliveries expected in mid-2023. The Batur was unveiled at Bentley’s Signature Party at Monterey Car Week, in front of almost 500 VIP guests, by Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, who comments: “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. “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. “The 18 lucky customers who have already reserved their Batur will enjoy an unrivalled 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.” The design of the Batur is the work of Bentley’s Director of Design, Andreas Mindt, and his team including Head of Exterior Design, Tobias Suehlmann and Head of Interior Design, Andrew Hart-Barron. The Bentley design DNA that has driven the creation of the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga families has been revolutionised for the Batur, introducing new themes, approaches and details. The new form language defines a new chapter for Bentley design, as part of Bentley’s Beyond100 transformational journey to become the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company. The Batur previews the design principles that are driving the development of the company’s first BEV – due in 2025 – and the families of cars that follow. Andreas Mindt explains the design: “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. “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. “A mark of power and prestige has always been a long bonnet. Our new design cues include a line that stretches from the bonnet along the whole length of the car, connecting the bonnet into the body, making the car long and lean and giving an elongated proportion to the front end. We call this feature the “endless bonnet”, and it’s the only accent highlight to the cleaner shape. Meanwhile the visual mass of the car is moved rearwards, giving the impression that the car is sat on the rear axle, which adds further depth to the haunches. “At the very front of the car, we’ve modernised the famous Bentley grille and made it lower and more upright, to give a stronger face and a more dominant stance. This upright elegance bring self-confidence with a luxury stance. The grille is flanked by a new headlight shape and design, an evolution of the design used on Bacalar and maintaining the single large headlight either side. These are matched with all-new tail-lamps at the rear, that sit either side of a deployable spoiler. “Overall, the form is cleaner and simplified, and we rely more on curvaceous surfaces bisected in the right places to reflect light and dark and bring more muscle to the design.” The Batur is the heir and successor to the Bacalar, the 12-off Barchetta design that brought coachbuilding back to Mulliner. Mulliner has become adept at delivering complex projects, including the Bacalar and the Blower Continuation Series – the world’s first continuation of a pre-war car. The coachbuilding skills that have been reborn through both projects will combine with generational handcraftsmanship to deliver the 18 Baturs that are to be built, each one entirely and meticulously by hand. “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. Batur is not only a beautiful handcrafted Bentley – it is the next member of a distinguished line of cars coachbuilt by Mulliner, which include the W.O. Bentley’s favourite car in the 8 Litre and the now truly-iconic R-Type Continental.” 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. Endless samples of unique materials bring texture to the process, and the resulting designs will be truly individual and created by the customer – limited only by their imagination. 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. Through handcrafted materials and exceptional colours, each Batur will then be brought to life by Mulliner’s team of automotive artisans in a process taking several months for each car. Page 1 of 2 Next >> |
Article | Image gallery (20) | Specifications |
All Cars - Contact us - Privacy Statement - Top | © 1998 - 2024 Ultimatecarpage.com |