Resting beast

In the rarefied world of Bentley, there is a car that stands above the others as the ultimate collector’s item.

In August 2022, Bentley unveiled the Mulliner Batur two-door grand touring coupé to the world at the Monterey Car Week in California. Named after a beautiful lake in Bali, Indonesia, the automotive rarity is limited to 18 coupés and 16 convertibles, and all are spoken for at a base price reputed to be around R40-million.

Most clients will end up paying a lot more after they personalise it using a special Mulliner visualiser — a digital application that allows them to view and then specify the colour and finish of practically every surface of the Batur to create an individual car.

Offering more than the 46-billion “standard” ways to configure a Bentley, Mulliner operates as Bentley’s bespoke division, building on the standard models with the addition of even more options and luxury details. Customers who demand the rarest vehicles can work directly with the Mulliner design team to create unique and personalised Bentleys. It’s a blank canvas that gives customers the chance to own something nobody else does as they cruise through Saint-Tropez or Camps Bay, and the newly unveiled Batur Black Rose coupé is a striking example of such a co-created Bentley.

It features bespoke black-rose metallic paintwork commissioned exclusively for the customer by Mulliner with a gloss beluga upper body. Satin rose-gold accents garnish the front grille, bonnet brightware, mirror caps, lower-body kit, and 22-inch tri-tone wheels.

Inside the Batur Black Rose, dark beluga leather and charcoal-grey tweed fabrics are accentuated by rose gold. An industry-first gold 3D printing technique adds up to 210 grams of 18kt rose gold to driver touchpoints such as the drive-mode selector and vent controls, and there is a rose-gold marker denoting the 12 o’ clock position on the steering wheel.

Rose gold is one of a vast number of finishes available through Mulliner, located at the company’s headquarters in Crewe, UK. Customers have access to various leathers and woods, ranging from materials such as aerospace-inspired titanium to sustainable, leather-like textiles made from by-products of the coffee-roasting process. The only limit is the customer’s imagination.

A highlight of the Batur’s options list is a 20-speaker, 2 000W  Naim sound system. According to Bentley, one in four cars leaving the Crewe factory now feature Mulliner content, showing that demand for greater individuality and distinction continues to grow.

Rarity value aside, the Batur is one of the most luxurious and technically advanced Bentleys ever created.

It is the last car to be powered by Bentley’s venerable 6.0l 12-cylinder petrol turbo engine, which is being retired after two decades as emission rules become stricter. It is an upgraded version of the hand-built engine with power and torque outputs of 544kW and 1 000Nm, making it the most powerful Bentley to date.

The most advanced Bentley chassis yet enhances ride and handling with air suspension, electric active anti-roll control, four-wheel steering, and torque vectoring. Drivers get to choose between Sport, Bentley, Comfort, and Custom driving modes.

Bentley describes the Batur’s styling as “resting beast stance”, giving the impression that it is sitting on its rear wheels and haunches, ready to go. The “endless bonnet” is a design feature characterised by a line that stretches from the bonnet along the entire length of the car, giving the front end an elongated and lean appearance.

From the April edition of Wanted, 2025