Bentley has revealed the new Batur Convertible, a soft-top follow up to the ultra-exclusive Batur coupe, and the third ‘coachbuilt’ model that the company has launched, following the ‘Bacalar’ roadster.
The last of the W12s
As with the Batur coupe, the Batur Convertible is based on the Continental GT, and the 16 Batur Convertibles that will be built will be some of the final Bentley models to use its famous 6.0-litre W12 engine.
For the Batur, that mighty W12 has been bumped up to 750hp with a massive 1,000Nm of torque driving all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. This final hurrah for the W12 is some 40 per cent more powerful than the original engine but is also 25 per cent more economical. It gets a titanium exhaust, too - no common old stainless steel here, thanks.
Titanium and Vermillion
We say that 16 Baturs will be built, but the number is technically 17, as this car in the photos is Bentley’s own, the Batur Convertible car #0, and officially a development prototype. The bespoke paintwork - Vermillion Gloss over Vermillion Satin Duo - is set off by a carbon-fibre exterior aero kit, while the grille is finished in Titanium paint with a contrasting chevron pattern. Those wheels are humongous 22-inch affairs, with the spokes in Gloss and Satin Black Titanium with Vermillion Gloss accents, while the bonnet is finished in Dark Titanium paint.
Two seat layout
Whereas the Bacalar was a completely open roadster with no roof, this Batur does get a retracting soft top, but it tucks away under distinctive ‘cowls’ behind the seats, which recall the aerodynamic styling of racing cars from the 1950s. Unlike the standard Continental, the Batur is a two-seater, not a 2+2.
The whole idea of the Batur is that customers will essentially design the car’s colours and interior finishes themselves, with the work of creating the finished cars given to Bentley’s bespoke vehicle division, Mulliner. The claim is that customers are “limited only by their imagination” when it comes to the final specification. Bentley hasn’t given a price for the car, but it’s likely to exceed two million pounds in the UK, and that’s in standard specification.
Some items which can be included are 3D-printed rose-gold accents for the cabin, and unique parts handmade not by vehicle engineers but by actual jewellers.