BENTLEY BACALAR

What do you buy when you can have it all?

- ANGUS MACKENZIE

AS THE GREAT GATSBY author F. Scott Fitzgerald once noted – and the $2.9 million Bentley Mulliner Bacalar proves – the very rich are different from you and me. You’d think launching one of the most extravagant Bentleys ever made during a global pandemic would be a disaster. But all 12 of the 12-cylinder, 320km/h Bacalars were quickly snapped up shortly after the ultra-luxe barchetta’s virtual launch in March last year. What’s more, not a single customer has since cancelled their order. Crisis? What crisis?

In simple terms the Bacalar is a Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible wrapped in unique carbon fibre and aluminium panels by Bentley Mulliner, the company’s in-house coachbuilding, customisation and classic car operation. That means it has the 485kW, 900Nm version of the recently refreshed 6.0-litre twinturbo W12 under the bonnet, driving all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch that’s been tweaked to deliver faster shifts. The GT Speed hardware also means the Bacalar gets that car’s rear-axle steering system, along with its electronic rear differential and quicker steering calibration.

Mulliner, which traces its origins to a saddlery business founded in the 1500s, became a coachbuilder in the 1760s, and has been a part of Bentley since 1959, has used both traditional hand-crafting methods and state-of-the-moment manufacturing technique to create the Bacalar’s arresting exterior and plush interior. More than 750 of the car’s components are new, including 40 carbon-fibre parts and almost 100 individual 3D-printed components.