Created by design chief 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 fully electric cars, with the first one due in 2025.
The Batur is the most powerful Bentley in history, and will continue to use
a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine to produce over 730hp and 1,000 Nm of torque.
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 lake in Bali, Indonesia.
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 power, torque and refinement.
This development of the engine is in celebration of its achievements over 20 years, over which time it has been developed to produce nearly 40% more power while fuel economy has improved by 25%. For the Batur, the W12 is paired with Bentley’s eight-speed double-clutch transmission, and a sports exhaust made of titanium.
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.
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.
The two-seat interior space of the Batur is designed for ultimate personalisation and long-distance grand touring. Inspired by the success of the interior design of the Bacalar, the Batur builds on the core elements of the Bacalar’s cabin design and adds new sustainable luxury features.
Every element of the cabin is tailored to the customer’s specifications. Clients can choose from a variety of sustainable interior materials.
The range of veneers available for the fascias include a new material for Bentley – Natural Fibre composite, which is a sustainable alternative to carbon fibre. Available as a 2x2 twill weave and finished in satin lacquer, the Natural Fibre composite brings a new sustainable texture to the cabin.
Regardless of the veneer chosen, the passenger fascia panel is finished with a unique etching of the audio signature of the W12 engine – and bespoke etching is also available.
The final sustainable elements are the carpets, which are matched to the leather and made from recycled yarn, in a first for Bentley.
Clients will choose between bright or dark treatments to the interior brightware and titanium options are also available. Certain controls – like the organ stops for ventilation – are even available in 3D-printed 18K gold.
The interior of the launch Batur has been trimmed by hand in a combination of black, red and orange.
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 car revealed in Monterey has been specified to showcase the Batur’s form language. The exterior paintwork is a bespoke colour – Bonneville Pearlescent Silver – that provides flowing contrast across the curvaceous surfaces.
The bodywork is underscored by carbon fibre front splitters, side skirts and rear diffuser painted in Black Crystal.
The front of the car features a grille of exceptional art – with the main matrix finished in Gloss Dark Titanium, accented with contrast chevrons in a horizontal ombre pattern that flows from Hyperactive Orange in the centre and gradually darken to the sides to Black Crystal.
The “endless bonnet” line is finished in Satin Titanium paint, as are the 22” wheels – with the spokes in Satin Dark Titanium to match the grille.
The Batur sits on unique 22” wheels, with the ‘standard’ option being painted in Black Crystal and then surface bright machined and polished.
A darker option combines dark gloss faces with satin spokes, while customers can also choose to paint-match the wheels to the body with or without contrast finish, or to choose a totally different contrast colour.
Tyres are supplied by Pirelli.
Braking is via Bentley’s CSiC (Carbon-Silicon-Carbide) braking system, with 440 mm front and 410 mm rear discs, matched with 10-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.
“Overall, the (Batur) 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,” said Mindt.
