MOST POWERFUL W12 BENTLEY STARTS ITS SIGN-OFF JOURNEY

Pair of Batur Convertible development cars begin final development trails across Europe

16 Batur Convertible examples among the last W12-powered Bentleys, after the retirement of the engine in July

Extensive whole vehicle development program includes 120 individual tests over more than a year

Testing opens with 3,000 km drive from Germany to Spain, ahead of high-speed assessment at Idiada proving ground

Both development cars reflect the choices available to Mulliner customers, with bespoke colours and finishes to every single surface of both the cabin and the exterior

Bentley announced the end of production of the W12 engine earlier this year, with the last one being built in July. The 16 Batur Convertibles will be the last to be fitted with the 750bhp W12 engine, the most powerful version ever developed.

The car’s testing includes checking engine efficiency, environmental standards, sunlight simulation, stability, aerodynamics, noise and vibration and handling. The 120 tests cover everything from the gold organ stop surfaces to the new W12 engine’s instruments and software. Testing will be conducted over 58 weeks to validate the capabilities of the Batur Car Zero Convertible and Batur Engineering Car Convertible. The tests began with a 3,000-kilometre journey across five countries in Europe to test the car in road conditions. The journey started from Germany and reached Italy, France and Spain through mountains, highways and cities, with a brief stop in Monaco for filming before continuing to Ideada in Spain, where high-speed testing was carried out on a dedicated track. Paul Williams, Mulliner’s Technical Director, said: “The road test is designed to validate the car’s design, performance, efficiency and safety. It also allows our engineers to assess how the car operates in a range of weather and traffic conditions that we can only test in the real world, where we can identify potential issues and check that the car’s systems are integrated and meet regulatory and customer expectations as part of the engineering development testing programme. It was clear from the start that we had to design it as an open-top grand tourer, so the body, engine and handcrafted cabin have been meticulously designed.
The Batur convertible will be tested on a range of tracks and roads in a variety of conditions, including high-speed and challenging testing at the test grounds over a seven-week period, gathering data and providing feedback to ensure that the technical objectives of the tests are met.

The last W12-powered grand tourer
The Batur enhances the innovative design of its coupé counterpart, which will be used in future Bentleys.
The Batur Convertible by Mulliner is modelled on the hand-built Bacalar barchetta and Batur coupé. The Batur Convertible continues Mulliner’s long tradition of creating bespoke cars tailored to the needs of discerning customers.
The Batur Convertible is powered by the most powerful version of the hand-assembled 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, delivering 750bhp, which has helped Bentley’s sales boom over the past two decades. The Batur Convertible will be the last Bentley to be powered by the W12 powertrain.
The convertible roof offers a stylish alternative to the traditional hardtop, with a combination of insulation, improved sealing and acoustics creating a comfortable environment within the vehicle’s system. It can be deployed or stowed in just 19 seconds at speeds of up to 30mph (50km/h), transforming the car from a luxury coupé to an open-top grand tourer at the touch of a button. The Mulliner design team has worked closely with the company’s customers to design the Batur Convertible using the bespoke Mulliner Display System, which allows any part of the car to be customised in terms of colour and trim. The design can also be enhanced with a range of unique materials, enabling bespoke designs to be produced to the customer’s specifications.
Batur Car Zero Convertible
Like all Mulliner Coachbuilts, the Batur can be customised with an endless array of options, with customers able to choose their own colours and trims for the exterior and interior.
Every detail has been taken into account in the Batur Car Zero Convertible Concept, with the customer’s specification including a two-tone exterior paint finish – Crimson Gloss and Crimson Satin Duo – providing a distinctive colour to the exterior and interior. The exterior is enhanced by the front splitter, side panels and rear diffuser made from high-gloss carbon fibre.
The front of the car features a striking front grille design – with titanium-finished headlights