NAMED AFTER A CRATER LAKE ON THE ISLAND Nof Bali, the Batur is a rebodied Continental GT Speed that follows on from the Bacalar (see evo 286), the run of 12 barchettas that if nothing else gave Bentley the increasing self-confidence to publicly undertake these more extreme projects.
Such endeavours fall under the remit of the company's in-house coachbuilder Mulliner - the oldest entity of its kind in the world - which offers, much like the exclusive operations of other high-end vehicle manufacturers, varying levels of 'bespoke', from unique colours through to complete cars. There will be 18 Baturs constructed, and yes, you guessed it, they're already pre-sold: at this level a company has a very good idea who will buy such cars before the designer's pen even touches the sketch pad.
Yet the Batur is more than just an ultra-exclusive Mulliner side project, it also heralds a new era for Bentley design that we'll see on its forthcoming EVs. Moreover, it signifies the final flourish of the Bentley W12 engine after 20 years of being a motoring oddity, and, if nothing else, it's an interesting commentary on the world of the luxury performance car. All of which and more you might expect given it costs nearly ten times the price of the car on which it's based: a cool £1.65m plus local taxes.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Cupra Formentor Abt
It's farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It's a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
Renault Sport Clio 200 Turbo
This misguided departure from the French brand's hot hatch heritage saw the Clio fall from grace
REBIRTH OF AN ICON
The Kalmar 9X9 is a modernday reinterpretation of Porsche's game-changing 959 supercar, with a carbon body and up to 917bhp. And evo is helping to develop it
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The underachieving Mk8 GTI gets a shot at redemption with the new, revised Mk8.5 version. Is it the leap forward it needs to be?
BEST BUYS
FAST FORDS FROM THE CORTINA TO THE ESCORT AND THE FIESTA, Ford is responsible for some of the most popular cars in British history. But alongside these everyday machines it has also produced a stream of desirable driver's cars.
HY AND DRY
The switch to electric power means an early exit for Hyundai N's brilliant ICE hot hatch duo. We go for a farewell drive in the 120 N
SEXY BEAST
The Vanquish name is back for Aston Martin's latest seriesproduction flagship, with a stunning new look and simply brutal performance from an 824bhp twin-turbo V12
THE JOY OF DRIVING
From mastering the everyday commute to unlocking the full potential of your performance car, our new series will help you become safer, more confident and ultimately more skilled behind the wheel
TINY DANCER
You haven't seen a Mini dance like this before, but then you haven't seen a Mini with a 4-litre M Power V8 under the bonnet and rear-wheel drive. Introducing Vini...
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Grandaddy to the Temerario and the car that transformed Lamborghini was the brilliant, V10-engined Gallardo. We get reacquainted with a Lambo legend