Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – two-seater coachbuilt GT, 6.0L W12 TSI makes 659 PS, 900 Nm; 12 units only!

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – two-seater coachbuilt GT, 6.0L W12 TSI makes 659 PS, 900 Nm; 12 units only!

There’s luxury, and there’s extra. Extravagant, that is, and the new Bentley Mulliner Bacalar represents the pinnacle of Bentley Mulliner, the oldest coachbuilder in the world. Named after a gorgeous Mexican lake called Laguna Bacalar, the two-door, two-seater grand tourer is the brand’s most exclusive model to date, and just 12 units will be made. Every unit has already been sold, though.

On the design side of things, the Bacalar is distinctly recognisable as a modern Bentley, but the coupe is a roofless Barchetta open-air performance car that’s inspired by the EXP 100 GT concept car. All exterior panels are made from scratch, and the only shared component is the door handle, which is taken from the Continental GT, simply because it contains the keyless entry system.

The rear clamshell and top deck are made from aluminium, whereas the doors and wings are constructed from carbon-fibre. There’s also use of 3D-printing, although Bentley has yet to specify these components. Instead of a traditional badge, there’s a Bacalar script on the rear panel that’s ‘hidden’ behind layers of lacquer made from sustainable rice husk paint.

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – two-seater coachbuilt GT, 6.0L W12 TSI makes 659 PS, 900 Nm; 12 units only!

The haunches are extended, with the rear tracks being 20 mm wider than a Continental GT. These allow for huge 22-inch tri-finish wheels to be fitted, and the graphically-intricate headlights and tail lamps further anchor the car’s extravagant design. In case you hadn’t noticed, the lights and rump design were first seen on the EXP 100 GT, too.

The car you see here is finished in Yellow Flame, and Bentley says the pigment is synthetically-manufactured silicon dioxide platelet coated with iron oxide, a process which uses rice husk ash (a by-product from the rice industry) to create 90% pure silicon dioxide. This is further matched with Bentley Mulliner’s Khamun accent leather highlights for the interior.

Of course, each Bacalar will be built according to the customer’s desired specification. This includes rare paint options, additional exterior treatments, and design themes. In fact, with the launch of the Bacalar, Bentley Mulliner has begun offering three portfolios, those being Classic, Collections, and Coachbuilt.

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – two-seater coachbuilt GT, 6.0L W12 TSI makes 659 PS, 900 Nm; 12 units only!

For the cabin, Mulliner’s craftsmen have created a bespoke cockpit, featuring a wraparound design which flows from a steeply angled centre console into the dashboard, before sweeping into the door panels. These also lead towards a uniquely styled, semi-enclosed luggage compartment behind the seats, which is purposely designed for bespoke Schedoni fitted luggage.

Intricacy is the name of the game here, so the bullseye vents get a new knurled pattern that can also be seen on the steering wheel controls, infotainment switchgear, climate control, and speaker frets. Each element has a fine, Dark Bronze detail to further enhance the finish, with Midnight Black Titanium detailing.

Luxuriant Beluga leather is carefully sewn with Bentley’s heritage semi-gloss leather and natural wool. The door handles are replaced with a unique leather strap, and all 12 Bacalar models will get a unique graphic for the digital instrument panel and a unique key fob.

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – two-seater coachbuilt GT, 6.0L W12 TSI makes 659 PS, 900 Nm; 12 units only!

The Bentley Rotating Display, which debuted on the Continental GT, is featured here as well, albeit revolving around the 5,000-year-old Riverwood veneer. Again, this was taken from the EXP 100 GT concept, and the rare material has been naturally preserved in the Fenlands of East Anglia, England.

Riverwood was chosen for its dark aesthetic, a result of lying untouched in wet earth for thousands of years. It’s then air-dried in a controlled environment over a long period of time to prevent damage and conserve its natural grain. Once veneered, the dashboard is literally sliced in two and divided by a 3-mm chrome strip – the upper panel features a semi-matte finish, while the lower gets a high gloss treatment.

Bentley says owning a Bacalar is simply the start of a journey of discovery. Over time, the owner is expected to discover new and interesting details, such as the ornate inlays, driver controls, to the 148,199 individual stitches needed to embroider the Bacalar quilt on each seat. Each car also features a unique clock face with individual one-of-12 badging.

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – two-seater coachbuilt GT, 6.0L W12 TSI makes 659 PS, 900 Nm; 12 units only!

Finally, we get to the powertrain. The Bacalar is powered by the automaker’s renowned 6.0 litre W12 twin-turbo engine, which produces 659 PS and 900 Nm of torque. An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is standard, as are the 48-volt Dynamic Ride System, air suspension, and advanced AWD system.

Each Bacalar will be handcrafted in Mulliner’s dedicated workshop at the Bentley factory in Crewe, which it claims is the world’s first certified carbon neutral factory for luxury car production.

Bentley Motors’ chairman and CEO, Adrian Hallmark said: “The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar is our ultimate expression of an open-top, luxury grand tourer, and of the immense capabilities of our team in Crewe.”

“Bacalar is a rare and remarkable Bentley, and whilst clearly defined, will be an extraordinary and collaborative experience for just 12 discerning people who will now co-create, collect, drive and treasure one of 12 being built. Our customers are as excited as we are about Bacalar, as it brings our team and discerning enthusiasts together, to create the finest bespoke, hand-built cars, and push the boundaries of our imagination and capabilities,” he added. What a thing of beauty, no?

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 
 

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