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Recently updated on August 22, 2022 at 02:51 am
Bentley Motors today unveiled the Bentley Mulliner Batur – a new, 18-piece limited-edition two-door grand touring coupe that marks the beginning of a design revolution at Bentley. Designed by design director Andreas Mindt and his team, the Batur is a prime example of the new design genes that will ultimately define Bentley's future battery electric vehicle offering. The collection comprises only 18 production examples and is the latest project from Bentley's in-house refinement company Mulliner. The Batur succeeds the Bacalar, a XNUMX-production run of a bespoke, designed and handcrafted sports car that breathed new life into coachbuilding at Bentley.
Mulliner Bentley Batur
Like its predecessor, the Bacalar, the Batur is named after a beautiful natural body of water. Lake Batur is an 88 meter deep, 16 square kilometer crater lake in Kintamani on the Indonesian island of Bali that both feeds the local hot springs and provides nutrient-rich water for agriculture there.
Featuring a 740+hp version of the legendary hand-assembled 6,0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine that has fueled Bentley's success, both literally and figuratively, for the past two decades, the Batur will be the car to date be the most powerful Bentley. It heralds the first part of a celebration of the power, torque and refinement of the W12 engine, which is nearing the end of its career as part of Bentley's Beyond100 full electrification strategy. The power of this engine is combined with the most advanced Bentley chassis ever, featuring air suspension optimized for the Speed models, active electric roll stabilization, eLSD, all-wheel steering and torque vectoring.
All 18 copies of the Batur are already reserved. Each one is designed in collaboration with the client and under the guidance of Mulliner's design team. Customers can choose the color and finish of virtually any surface of the Batur to create an automobile as individual as they are. The vehicles are then workshop-built over a period of several months at Mulliner's carbon neutral Bentley factory in Crewe handmade. The first deliveries are planned for mid-2023. The Batur was unveiled to nearly 500 VIP guests at the Bentley Signature Party during Monterey Car Week by Bentley's Chairman and Chief Executive Adrian Hallmark, who said:
“The Batur is a significant model for Bentley and much more than just the successor to the successful Bacalar. It shows the design direction we will be taking in the future development of our range of battery electric vehicles. Andi Mindt and his team have reinterpreted classic Bentley design cues, creating a more powerful, bolder automobile that is at once elegant and graceful. Beneath the beautiful exterior lies the most powerful motor we have ever developed. Our W12 is by far the most successful twelve-cylinder engine in history.
As he's about to be retired to make way for future hybrid and battery-electric engines, we want to give proper credit to his accomplishments. The 18 lucky customers who have already reserved their Batur will enjoy an unparalleled experience in specifying their vehicles, creating their bespoke dream vehicle alongside our Mulliner design team. The Batur represents the next step in Mulliner's expansion and demonstrates the demand for truly bespoke vehicles that combine luxury and performance in a way that only Bentley can deliver.”
A design revolution
The design of the Batur is the work of Design Director Andreas Mindt and his team, which also includes Tobias Suehlmann (Head of Exterior Design) and Andrew Hart-Barron (Head of Interior Design). Bentley's design genes, which have played a key role in the development of the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga product families, have been revolutionized for the Batur with new themes, approaches and details. This new design language defines the next chapter in Bentley's design story and is part of Bentley's Beyond100 strategy to become the world's leading sustainable luxury mobility company. The Batur previews the design principles that will inform the development of Bentley's first battery electric vehicle, due for release in 2025, and the product families that will follow. Andreas Mindt explains the design.
"For any design team, the chance to redefine their own rules is an extremely exciting challenge. We've reinterpreted the Bentley design language while maintaining some continuity with the past and present while drastically changing key elements. The design of a modern Bentley should always be powerful, inspiring and harmonious. The form must appear strong and muscular, but also graceful - there must be both an elegant flow and a certain athleticism. We use the term 'resting beast' – imagine a lion or tiger lurking in attack position in the long grass. This powerful shape – the ultimate power that conveys speed even when at rest – is the basis for our reinterpretation of the classic Bentley powerline and flank. A long bonnet has always been a sign of strength and prestige. Our new design features include a line that extends from the bonnet the full length of the automobile, connecting the bonnet and body, making the vehicle long and lean, and giving the front end an elongated proportion.
We call this the 'endless hood'. It is the only accent that emphasizes the clear form. At the same time, the vehicle's visual mass is shifted backwards, creating the impression that it is sitting on the rear axle, which gives the flanks even more depth. At the front, we've modernized the famous Bentley grille, making it lower and more upright to give it a more powerful face and commanding stance. This upright elegance conveys self-confidence and ensures a luxurious appearance. The grille is flanked by headlights with a new shape and design, which are an evolution of the lights on the Bacalar. As before, there is only a single large headlight on either side. This is joined by completely new rear lights, which sit on either side of an extendable spoiler. Overall, the shape is clearer and simpler. We rely more on curved surfaces that are optically broken in the right places to reflect light and dark and give more power to the design."
The next extraordinary Mulliner project
The Batur is the heir and successor to the Bacalar, a 18-car sports car design that saw Mulliner return to coachbuilding. Mulliner specializes in the realization of complex projects, including the Bacalar and the Blower Continuation Series - the world's first continuation of a pre-war automobile. The car body engineering reborn by these two projects is fused with the craftsmanship of a generation to build the Batur. All XNUMX copies are completely and carefully made by hand. Paul Williams, the director of Mulliner, has this to say about it:
“With the Bacalar, we've proven that our customers demand truly bespoke and individual Bentleys. With the Batur we build on this history. And the fact that all 18 are already reserved shows that our design team creates vehicles that our customers actually want to buy. The Batur is more than a beautiful, handcrafted Bentley – it is the next in a chain of significant automobiles built by Mulliner, including WO Bentley's favorite vehicle, the 8 Liter, and the now legendary R-Type Continental.”
Mulliner's in-house design team will design each Batur in partnership with the customer. In addition, a specially developed Mulliner visualizer is used, which makes it possible to design all the vehicle's equipment according to the customer's wishes. Countless samples of unique materials bring structure to the process and the resulting designs are actually created individually by the customer - limited only by their imagination. From the exterior color to the finish of the air vents, every customer can literally choose everything themselves. Thereafter, each batur is brought to life with handcrafted materials and exceptional colors by Mulliner's skilled craftsmen in a process spanning several months.
exterior design
Far beyond the pure form of the vehicle, the future owner has an almost endless range of options at his disposal. The number of paint finishes is endless - from the full Mulliner color palette to custom nuances and hand-painted graphics. Aerodynamic elements such as the front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser can be made of carbon fiber or the new sustainable composite material Natural Fibre. The decorative elements on the exterior are available in any combination of light and dark, matt and glossy or in titanium. As with the vehicle presented at Monterey, the grille can also be painted in a graduated contrasting color for a distinctive ombré effect. The Batur stands on unique 22-inch wheels, which are painted Black Crystal as standard and then given a high-sheen finish and polished. A darker variant has glossy surfaces and satin spokes.
However, the wheels can also be matched to the bodywork with or without a contrasting finish, or be chosen in a completely different contrasting colour. The Batur presented in Monterey was designed in such a way that its design language comes into its own. The exterior paintwork in the special color Bonneville Pearlescent Silver forms a flowing contrast to the curved surfaces. The body is accented with carbon fiber front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser in Black Crystal color. The front of the vehicle features a top-of-the-line grille – the main matrix is painted in Gloss Dark Titanium and accented with contrasting angles in a horizontal ombré effect that gradually darkens from Hyperactive Orange in the center to the sides and in Black Crystal transforms. The "endless bonnet" is painted in Satin Titanium, as are the 22-inch wheels, whose spokes are finished in Satin Dark Titanium to match the grille.
An interior of sustainable, individual beauty
The Batur's two-seat interior is designed for the ultimate in personalization and long-haul grand touring. Inspired by the appeal enjoyed by the Bacalar's interior design, the Batur builds on the core elements of the Bacalar but also introduces new sustainable luxury features. Each element of the passenger compartment is tailored to the customer's wishes. There are also various sustainable materials to choose from for the interior:
- Low carbon leather produced in Scotland, which has to be transported far less than leather produced outside the UK
- Sustainably tanned leather from Italy in five different colours
- Dinamica, a sustainable, suede-like alternative to real leather
The range of veneers available for the bodywork includes a material new to Bentley – Natural Fiber composite, a sustainable alternative to carbon fibre. Available in 2×2 twill weave with a satin finish, this composite brings a new sustainable texture to the interior. Regardless of the selected veneer, the instrument panel on the passenger side is finished with a unique engraving of the audio signature of the W12 engine - individual engraving is also possible. The carpets are also among the sustainable design elements. They are designed to complement the leather and are made from recycled yarn for the first time at Bentley. Interior trim is available in light and dark, with titanium options also available. Certain controls, like the air vent tabs, are even available in 3D-printed 18k gold.
The interior of the previously unveiled Batur has been handcrafted in a stunning combination of black, red and orange - Beluga, Hotspur and Hyperactive to be exact. The predominant leather in Beluga is contrasted with the new, even more sustainable, low-carbon Mulliner leather in Hyperactive Orange. Dinamica – a suede-like alternative to real leather – adds extra texture to the interior, both in Beluga and Hotspur. The unique chevron pattern of the "Batur Chevrons" on the outer seat edges is delicately hand-embroidered in Snap Orange, while the rest of the upholstery is finished in white thread throughout for contrast. The soft elements are set off with new, handcrafted beluga piping. The center of the seat, on the other hand, has piping in Hyperactive Orange and the lower spoke of the steering wheel is also finished in Hyperactive Orange.
The instrument panel, trim and door veneers are finished in Gloss Black and feature a gradient to Fine Brodgar, leading from the dashboard to the doors before fading back to black. The dashboard also features a unique piece of art - a laser engraved sound wave representing the unique sound of the W12 engine. The interior's metalwork is black anodized aluminum and satin-finished titanium, complemented by a Bentley Dynamic Drive selector in hallmarked 18k gold and a center stripe on the steering wheel at "twelve o'clock".
The mighty W12
The Batur features the most powerful engine ever fitted to a Bentley. The 6,0-litre W12 that ushered in Bentley's rebirth in 2002 with the Continental GT has since undergone several facelifts and is now the world's most advanced 740-cylinder engine. It has always been handcrafted at Bentley's carbon neutral factory in Crewe. With the Batur, a new intake system, upgraded turbochargers, new intercoolers and extensive recalibration deliver over 1.000 hp and 20 Nm of torque to ensure the exceptional performance of this new top-of-the-line grand tourer. This further development of the engine honors the achievements of the last 40 years, in which performance has been increased by almost 25%, but fuel consumption has been reduced by XNUMX%.
In the Batur, the W12 engine is paired with Bentley's eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and a sports exhaust to produce a sound befitting the level of performance. The entire exhaust system is made of titanium - the tailpipes are made of titanium using the 3D printing process for the first time at Bentley. But the W12 is now nearing the end of its career as Bentley moves towards the era of electrification. Before it retires, this masterpiece of engineering deserves an award. And the Batur provides the perfect setting for the final version of this stunning engine.
The right chassis system
The Batur is not only the most powerful and exclusive Bentley coupe of all time, it is also the most dynamic. The adaptive three-chamber air springs each have three switchable chambers that change the volume of each air spring and thus its effective stiffness. The driver can adjust the balance between driving comfort and body control with the vehicle dynamics control in the center console with four modes: Sport, Bentley, Comfort and Custom. The vehicle dynamics control also changes the behavior of the 48-volt active stabilization, which can provide roll torque of up to 0,3 Nm within 1.300 seconds or completely decouple the wheels at both ends of each axle. This stabilization also allows front-to-rear roll stiffness to be adjusted, giving the Batur sharper turn-in and better balance when accelerating in Sport mode.
Traction and cornering grip are maximized through the use of an Electronic Limited Slip Differential (eLSD) that actively distributes drive torque to the chassis. This is complemented by the torque distribution via the brakes - the inside rear wheel can be braked slightly when turning in order to achieve better front axle response. Both rear wheels are then braked slightly when needed exiting corners to transfer power to the outer, weight-bearing wheels for better traction. Bentley's CSiC braking system features carbon silicon carbide discs measuring 440mm in diameter at the front and 410mm at the rear, paired with ten-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear. The Batur also rides on special 22-inch wheels with Pirelli tires.
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Bentley Mulliner Batur
Photo credit: Bentley
