Bentley Batur made its debut during the 2022 Monterey Car Week as the brand’s limited-managed grand tourer. Now, public testing of two prototypes has started in Europe to ensure that the models are up to the company’s standards. The development plan includes 120 tests over 58 weeks.
Bentley calls one of these machines Batur Car #0. The engineering team built it exactly like a future customer sample.
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The crew gave it a bespoke Purple Sector body color while keeping the front splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser in high-gloss carbon fiber. The grille starts as a Purple Sector in the center and flows into the shadows of the Black Crystals on the outer edges. Trim along the bonnet and lower windows is painted in Satin Titanium.
The little arrows on the body are a unique touch. They let engineers monitor whether the panels move during vehicle testing.
Car Batur’s first job #0 is a big job. The journey is 1,553 miles (2,500 kilometers) starting in Germany and passing through Italy, France and Spain. Then, the car underwent seven weeks of testing to improve handling and run the engine at high speed. After that task, there’s an additional 4,660 miles (7,500 kilometers) of real-world driving.
This development was separate from powertrain development for over 100 weeks. The Batur is the most powerful Bentley production car ever. Its twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 pumps out 730 horsepower (544 kilowatts) and 738 pound-feet (1,000 newton-meters) of torque.
A grand tourer must be comfortable to ride. It rides on air suspension. The vehicle also has an active anti-roll bar and four-wheel steering. Bentley will work with Batur customers to personalize each Batur. On the inside, the company offers materials such as Scottish and Italian leather. Carpet comes from recycled yarn. Buyers can even specify 3d printed 18k gold elements.
Bentley will only build 18 Baturs for customers. Each cost £1.65 million ($2,028,741 at current exchange rates). The first deliveries should occur in mid-2023.
