Development of Bentley’s coachbuilt Batur is complete. Each of the 18 cars that will be made will be handcrafted in the coming months at the Mulliner workshop in Bentley’s Crewe, UK factory with each one taking around four months to complete.
Two prototypes were made, known in-house as Car Zero and Car Zero-Zero. According to the company, both prototypes were built to the same levels of craftsmanship as the 18 customer cars – with the same bespoke exterior finish elements, materials and aesthetic items. All new components and finishing touches underwent a series of tough durability analyses. Every detail has been scrutinized, such as the 18ct yellow gold options for the charisma dial and the organ stop air vent controls. Made from recycled 3D-printed gold, these parts have been tested for everything from thermal loading through to resistance to sun cream.
The regime included durability analysis on handling tracks, in real-world conditions and on rough surfaces, and high-speed testing beyond 200mph. Analysis also included 600 hours of solar loading, equivalent to five years in an Arizona desert to test the sustainable materials used in the Batur. The prototypes were driven for 2,500km across Europe and subjected to extended exposure in the harshest environments. In total, more than 800 unique and one-off components have been tested and proved in 160 simultaneous weeks of intensive development work.
The W12 engine underneath the hood of the Batur is the most powerful W12 ever built by Bentley. The car’s new air intake system, modified turbochargers, revised intercoolers and new calibrations for engine, transmission and electronic stability control were also pushed to their limits across over 100 weeks of powertrain development.
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