When one spends over a million ringgit on a car, it can be taken for granted that it will be of the highest quality with the best materials. If it is a sports model, then it would be expected to deliver truly high performance. And where comfort is concerned, that’s a given – with emphasis on the rear accommodation taking precedence over the front (unless it’s a convertible which would usually be driven by the owner).
Bentley’s Azure range, introduced in May last year, goes beyond the realms of just being comfortable. With this range – available for all Bentley models – the wellbeing of the occupants is paramount and not only is there superlative comfort along the way but the occupants can also arrive at their destination in an even better shape, more relaxed than when they left home or office.
When production of Bentley’s W12 engine ends in April 2024, over 105,000 units of the iconic 12-cylinder engines will have been made in a 21-year period. The decision to end production has been made as part of Bentley’s acceleration towards a sustainable future through its Beyond100 strategy. This will see the company’s entire model line fully electrified by the start of the next decade
Once production of the W12 ceases next year, Bentley’s entire model line will be available with the option of a hybrid powertrain. In fact, even now, the journey of electrification has already begun with the Bentayga Hybrid and Flying Spur Hybrid.
A 70-year old Bentley with the registration JAS 949 has been a special car among Bentley models. It was one of only 208 units of the R Type Continental ever built – but the car had a greater impact than the limited numbers suggest. Quoted as ‘a modern magic carpet which annihilates great distances’, the R-Type Continental was the fastest 4-seat luxury sedan in the world when it debuted in 1952.
The first owner of JAS 949 was a Dr. Rowland Guenin in Switzerland, who received his car in December 1953. It was ordered in Ivory with a Red interior and a manual gearbox, a specification it retains today along with the original 4.6-litre engine.
In 2001, Bentley acquired JAS 949 and made it one of the models in the company’s 43-car Heritage Collection kept at the Heritage Garage in Crewe, where Bentley has its factory. It has been well maintained with the patina preserved and the car is driven on the road on a regular basis.
Since the first Bathurst 12-Hour race in 1991, the overall winning cars have been from many different brands and among them, in the 2020 event, was the Continental GT3. That year, with Bentley’s biggest ever motorsport programme, the Continental GT demonstrated its breadth of ability on the road and on the track.
That memorable victory inspired Mulliner and Bentley Sydney to create a special edition in conjunction with the recent launch in Australia of the new Continental GT S. Focused on driving performance and visual presence, the Continental GT S shares a number of characteristics with its track-based counterpart, thereby providing the perfect foundation for the pair of specially-commissioned road cars.
In August this year, Bentley unveiled the Batur coupe, a very exclusive model to be built by Bentley Mulliner and limited to only 18 units, each priced at from £1.65 million (about RM8.9 million). Named after a beautiful lake in Bali, the Batur is the second bespoke project by Bentley Mulliner after the Bacalar and the first customers (all units have already been booked) should start getting their cars in mid-2023..
With development work completed and two prototypes available, real-world testing is now underway to verify the performance after an extensive engineering program. The validation activities, with more than 120 individual tests, include durability for both the engine and whole vehicle, environmental compatibility and sunlight simulation, high speed stability, aerodynamics, noise & vibration, and driving dynamics.
The Speed badge on Bentley models, which goes back to the 1930s, signifies versions with an extra measure of performance. Typically, Speed versions have been at the top of their respective ranges and today, there are Speed versions for the Bentayga and the Continental. They are now joined by the new Flying Spur Speed, completing Bentley’s portfolio of Grand Tourers.
The Flying Spur Speed, which sits above the S model, has the familiar exterior Speed styling cues like dark tint finishes to the front grilles, headlamps and tail lamps, and of course, Speed badges on the lower wing. Also standard are jewelled fuel and oil filler caps, with the unique 22-inch Speed wheel as standard (a second optional 22-inch sports design is also available).
For customers who want to increase the performance-focused image even further, Bentley also offers its Styling Specification (carbonfibre front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser and subtle bootlid spoiler) and Blackline Specification which can be included at the time of purchase.
Crafted by hand in high gloss carbonfibre to exact tolerances following an extensive development programme, the Blackline Specification provides a contemporary alternative where most of the brightwork on the exterior of the car is replaced with Blackware.
The Flying Spur Speed’s 6-litre W12 powertrain produces an extra 85 ps/130 Nm for a total output of 635 ps/900 Nm. The improved output enables the car to go from 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 333 km/h. Maximum speed is reached in sixth gear with the same 8-speed ZF dual-clutch transmission as the Continental GT, the overdrive gears (seventh and eighth) being used to reduce fuel consumption when cruising.
The mighty Bentley W12 engine will be retired after 2026.
The clutched system delivers drive to the rear axle and depending on the road conditions and wheel slip, it will then automatically send drive to the front axle as required, as an active all-wheel drive system. With turn-in response also improved, the understeer effect experienced with fixed all-wheel drive is virtually eliminated, making the car feel more balanced overall.
Torque distribution varies according to the selected Drive Dynamics Mode. In Comfort and Bentley modes, the system will send up to 480 Nm of torque to the front axle to offer greater grip and driveability. In Sport, the system limits the available torque to the front axle to 280 Nm, maintaining a higher torque level at the rear for a more dynamic feel.
Electronic All-Wheel Steering is standard, and during low-speed manoeuvres, the system steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels. This has the effect of shortening the wheelbase, reducing the turning circle, increasing agility and making parking noticeably easier too. During high-speed manoeuvres, the system steers the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels, increasing stability and making overtaking and lane-changes more assured.
Needless to say, a Bentley cabin has a luxurious environment and for the Flying Spur Speed, there is a new unique colour way including the use of Dinamica to all of the occupant touch points. Bentley uses Dinamica Pure which, compared to regular Dinamica, is made from 73% recycled polyester. There are more Interior colour choices as well.
The dashboard is the same as the other Flying Speed versions but in the driver’s information panel, new performance infotainment graphics can be seen. These take inspiration from luxury chronographs. The luxury theme continues with front and rear seat comfort specification as standard.
One thing about living in a high-rise apartment is that your car has to be parked some distance away. If you are very rich and live in a place like the Hamilton Scotts condo near Newton Circus in Singapore, then your car can be parked adjacent to your apartment unit as there is a ‘Sky Garage’ where the car is brought up by a lift.
Bentley Residences in Miami, USA, also has a similar idea and offers its residents a 4-car garage at whatever level their apartment is on. The ‘Dezervator’ lift, named after the development partner Dezer Development, will transport the car and passengers from road level to apartment.
There will be four ‘Dezervators’ which have a unique elevator design, conceived by Bentley’s partners. Each lift has a hydraulic system which pinches a car by its tyres to pull it on top of a robotic shuttle system which, in turn, transports a car up or down to the desired level.
The passengers need not get out and use a separate lift and can remain inside as it goes up to the apartment. On the way up, they will have a unique experience with the lower floors of the elevator shaft enclosed by glass offering a full panoramic view of the various areas of the building.
Each resident, right up to the 61st floor, will have a personal 3 or 4-car garage within their apartment offering private, convenient and secure storage for their car collections. RFID tags on each car will identify the vehicle and once verified, a sophisticated lighting system will guide the driver to the correct Dezervator to reach their own floor. The garages will also have a wallbox for charging electric vehicles.
Bentley Motors and Dezer Development announced their partnership in 2021, detailing plans for the first ever Bentley-branded residences, which will be 61 storeys high and offer bay and ocean views from each luxury apartment. There will be 216 apartments in total with prices ranging from US$6.35 million to US$12.95 million.
Bentley Residences in Miami, USA, will be completed by 2026.
Visitors to the Bentley Residences will be able to make use of the additional parking facilities beneath the building. The garage will also include fast-charging stations for EVs and plug-in hybrids.
The Bentley design team collaborated with Dezer on the exterior and interior of the building, translating Bentley’s luxury design to the residential experience. The design of the Bentley Residences offers unique ocean and bayside views, thanks to the building’s cylindrical form and floor-to-ceiling windows. The tower is designed to inspire new ways to embrace space and connect to the stunning surrounding environment.
Hamilton Scotts condominium in Singapore, opened in 2012, also has car elevators which takes owners’ cars up to their ‘Sky Garage’ in the apartment.
The Bentley Batur coupe represents the end of one era, as well as the beginning of another. While giving a glimpse of the new design language for the British luxury brand, it also marks the end of the iconic W12 engine which has evolved to become the most powerful powertrain in its history.
The Batur, named after a beautiful lake in Bali, is the second bespoke project by Bentley Mulliner after the Bacalar and only 18 units will be produced, priced from £1.65 million each ex-factory. (about RM8.74 million). The 18 customers who have already reserved a unit will receive their cars within 11 months.
Final version of the mighty W12 Although riding on a similar chassis as the Continental GT, the Batur has a more powerful 6-litre twin-turbo W12 engine, producing 740+ ps and 1,000 Nm. This final version is the most powerful of the mightY W12 engines that first appeared in the Continental GT in 2002. Although its power output is risen nearly 40% in 20 years, fuel economy has improved by 25%.
For the Batur’s W12 engine, a new intake system, upgraded turbochargers, new intercoolers and extensive recalibration was done to deliver exceptional. It is paired with Bentley’s 8-speed double-clutch transmission, and a sports exhaust to provide a soundtrack in keeping with the level of performance. The entire exhaust system is in titanium, while the finishers are 3D-printed in titanium in a first for Bentley.
As well as being the most power and most exclusive Bentley coupe to date, the Batur will also be the most dynamic with Speed-tuned air suspension, it is claimed. Adaptive 3-chamber air springs each have 3 switchable chambers, changing the volume of the air spring and varying effective stiffness. The driver can select the balance between ride comfort and body control using the 4-mode Drive Dynamics, choosing between Sport, Bentley, Comfort and Custom.
The Drive Dynamics Control also changes the behaviour of the 48V electric active anti-roll control system, which can provide up to 1,300 Nm of anti-roll torque in just 3/10ths of a second or completely decouple the wheels at either end of each axle. The anti-roll control system can also be used to adjust the roll stiffness front-to-rear, giving the Batur sharper turn-in and greater ability to balance the car on the throttle when in Sport mode.
Overall traction and cornering grip is maximised through the use of an electronic Limited Slip Differential that actively vectors drive torque across the chassis. This is complemented by torque vectoring by brake, whereby the car can lightly brake the inside rear wheel on turn-in for greater front-axle response, and also lightly brake both inside wheels on corner exit to move power across to the outside, loaded wheels for better traction.
New chapter in Bentley design The Bentley design DNA that has driven the creation of the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga families has been revolutionised for the Batur, introducing new themes, approaches and details. The new form language defines a new chapter for Bentley design, as part of Bentley’s Beyond100 transformational journey.
“For any design team, the chance to redefine our own rules is the most exciting challenge. We have reimagined the Bentley design language, keeping some continuity to the past and present while also drastically changing key elements,” said Bentley’s Director of Design, Andreas Mindt.
“A mark of power and prestige has always been a long bonnet. Our new design cues include a line that stretches from the bonnet along the whole length of the car, connecting the bonnet into the body, making the car long and lean and giving an elongated proportion to the front end. We call this feature the ‘endless bonnet’, and it’s the only accent highlight to the cleaner shape,” he said.
“At the very front of the car, we’ve modernised the famous Bentley grille and made it lower and more upright, to give a stronger face and a more dominant stance. This upright elegance brings self-confidence with a luxury stance. The grille is flanked by a new headlight shape and design, an evolution of the design used on Bacalar and maintaining the single large headlight either side. These are matched with all-new tail-lamps at the rear, that sit either side of a deployable spoiler,” explained Mindt.
Meanwhile, the visual mass of the car is moved rearwards, giving the impression that the car is sat on the rear axle, which adds further depth to the haunches. Overall, the form is cleaner and simplified, relying more on curvaceous surfaces bisected in the right places to reflect light and dark and bring more muscle to the design.
Ultimate personalisation The interior space of the Batur for two persons is designed for ultimate personalisation and long-distance grand touring. Inspired by the interior design of the Bacalar, the Batur builds on the core elements of the Bacalar’s cabin design and adds new sustainable luxury features.
Every element of the cabin is tailored to the customer’s specifications. Each car will be unique, designed collaboratively with the customer with guidance from Mulliner’s in-house design team. Customers will be able to specify the colour and finish of practically every surface of the Batur, to create a car as individual as they are.
There’s variety of sustainable interior materials to choose from, while the passenger fascia panel is finished with a unique etching of the audio signature of the W12 engine (but bespoke etching is also available). Bright or dark treatments to the interior brightware and titanium options are also available. Certain controls – like the organ stops for ventilation – can be in 3D-printed 18K gold, if desired.
“With Bacalar, we proved the appetite of our clients for truly bespoke and individual Bentleys. We’re building on that story with the Batur, and the fact that all 18 cars are already reserved is testament to the fact that our design team is creating cars that our clients want to buy. Batur is not only a beautiful handcrafted Bentley – it is the next member of a distinguished line of cars coachbuilt by Mulliner, which include the W.O. Bentley’s favourite car in the 8 Litre and the now truly-iconic R-Type Continental,” said Paul Williams Director of Bentley Mulliner.
What if the Batur became a convertible? Here’s what our friend Theottle, the master at reimagining car designs, has come up with today.
The Bentley Bacalar by Mulliner was unveiled in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to sweep across the world. Though a model of significance, it was overshadowed by global affairs that included shutdowns of industries and businesses in many countries. Nevertheless, when introduced, it already found customers for all 12 units to be built.
This exceptionally rare car is appropriately named after Laguna Bacalar in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, a lake renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, continuing Bentley’s strategy of naming cars after remarkable landmarks which started with Bentayga in 2015.
Pinnacle bespoke project The Bacalar represents the first in a new series of pinnacle bespoke projects that have spearheaded a return to coachbuilding by Bentley Mulliner – the oldest coachbuilder in the world. Eight units have been delivered to customers, with four more to soon be finished. Once their work is finished, the Mulliner team to focus attention towards their next project, which the carmaker says will be revealed soon.
The Bacalar also launched a new Bentley Mulliner operation, part of a new strategy that will see the division offer three different portfolios: Classic, Collections and Coachbuilt.
6 months of work With the level of handcraftsmanship, each car has taken around 6 months to complete. Needless to say, each one is unique in more than just the colour as each customer has chosen from a myriad of options and materials. For the Bacalar, Bentley Mulliner revived its specialism in providing rare coachbuilt cars to discerning customers.
A roofless Barchetta design with all-new and highly muscular coachwork, the Bacalar has a carbonfibre bodyshell. The car sits on unique 22-inch Tri-Finish wheels, with polished faces, dark grey satin spokes and accent highlights to complement the exterior.
“Designing a Bacalar is an exercise in imagination, with the material, colour and finish of practically every interior and exterior surface being bespoke. Regardless of personal style, whether it be specifying a bold Yellow Flame exterior paint synthesised with rice husk ash, or a more subtle Moss Green that reflects Bentley’s heritage, developing personalised artisan piping, or co-creating a unique fabric blend, the Bacalar has provided all of these opportunities,” said Maria Mulder, Head of Colour, Materials and Finishes.
6-litre 12-cylinder engine The Bacalar is powered by an enhanced version of Bentley’s 6.0-litre, W12 TSI engine. Claimed to be the most advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world, it produces 659 ps/900 Nm. An advanced Active All-Wheel-Drive System varies the torque split between front and rear wheels. It allows the Bacalar to use rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance.
Uniquely designed details and features in the cabin emphasise the coachbuilt character of the car, with an almost infinite number of ways for the 12 customers to express their personal taste and commission a unique interior. From the use of precious inlays and unique finishes to the driver controls, to the 148,199 individual stitches needed to embroider the unique Bacalar quilt on each seat, owners will find details and components not seen before on a Bentley.
Displayed at Goodwood Festival of Speed One of the finished Bacalars was shown off at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England where it was also handed over to its new owner. The car was finished in bespoke Sunset Orange, with customised tri-colour wheels and gloss black highlights providing a bold contrast to the vibrant exterior.
The centres of the headlamps were colour-matched to the Sunset Orange bodywork, either side of a set of gloss black grilles and surrounds. The bonnet vents provided a textural difference being finished in satin carbonfibre, as were the wing mirrors. Satin carbonfibre also gave additional definition to the ‘power humps’ behind the front seats – accented with Sunset Orange brightware – along with the side skirts and rear diffuser, complemented by exhaust finishers with gloss black outers and matte black inners.
The customer chose a white and black cabin with Mandarin Orange accents, creating a striking contemporary interior theme. A satin carbonfibre technical finish encapsulates the occupants, sweeping from one side of the cabin to the other, matching the exterior technical details harmoniously. Every panel and detail of the interior was specified to the customer, through careful combinations of leather and Alcantara in white, black and orange, gloss and satin metals in black, dark tint and bright chrome finishes, and the twin usage of both gloss and satin carbonfibre.
Mandarin Orange leather accentuates the form of the top roll, the centreline in the steering wheel and both the door release and gear lever. This continues with further stitching details to the rear of the seats within the oval perforated Beluga piping and hand cross stitching along the door following the styling line around to the centre console.
Other fine details include the analogue clock faces of the Bentley Rotating Display provide a splash of contrast in Bacalar Blue. The carpets feature a ‘diamond carved’ pattern, with binding and stitching in Mandarin Orange, while the split line between satin carbonfibre and gloss black in the luggage area – usually unseen and hidden by luggage – was specified to be in satin dark tint.
For each customer, personalising the Bacalar was ‘a voyage of discovery’, and this too applies to other models which are configurable in literally billions of ways. The process of designing a Mulliner goes even further – with infinite combinations of materials, colours and finishes. The only limitations are vehicle construction laws and the imagination of the customer… the cost is unlikely to be a concern.
In the 1960s, Volvo drew attention to the importance of a car seat being designed for a correct posture to provide not just comfort but also promote driving safety. Its seat designers consulted specialists on a subjected that would come to be known as ‘ergonomics’ and developed a revolutionary seat that would set new standards in the industry.
The carmaker’s pioneering work encouraged other companies to also give more attention to car seats and not treat them as just a place for the occupants to sit on. In the years to follow, many more new ideas (some by Volvo) would be introduced in seat design which would increase comfort as well as safety.
New benchmark in wellbeing
In 2022, the new Airline Seat Specification of the Bentley Bentayga EWB represents ‘the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car’. It demonstrates a new benchmark in wellbeing features, providing the most comfortable experience possible for those travelling on extraordinary journeys. 50% of the customers who are buying the longer version of the Bentayga have specified this seat to go with their purchase.
Along with the systems to deliver Auto Climate and Postural Adjustment, the Airline Seat has a suite of technology beneath its handcrafted leather surfaces. An array of no less than 12 electric motors operate silently to deliver 22 ways of adjustment in the seat alone. This allows the user to shape the seat to suit their body shape and also to work or rest. The motors are joined by three intelligent pneumatic valve electronic control units, and the combination of motors and valves is overseen by a master Seat Motion & Wellbeing ECU.
Studies have shown that actively supporting body weight in a dynamic way relieves strain, which can prime mental stress and create lack of focus. Natural supported postures have been shown to alleviate stress from tensed muscles. The postural adjustment system automatically makes micro adjustments to the passenger’s seating position and pressure points, using an algorithm developed in collaboration with a chiropractor.
The system can apply 177 individual pressure changes across 6 fully independent pressure zones over a 3-hour period, improving comfort and minimizing fatigue throughout a journey. By subtly changing the shape of the surfaces of the seat over time, no single area of the body endures pressure fatigue for an extended period – meaning the occupant is always comfortable.
Postural Adjustment System
While many fatigue recovery system exist (seat massage, for example), the Postural Adjustment system is the next step further providing a proactive anti-fatigue system. By subtly adjusting the contact pressure between body and seat through soft pneumatic activation zones, the system goes beyond the 2D motions typical of adjustable seats, and employs a 3-dimensional twist to relieve pressure points. These motions are controlled by complex algorithms that have been developed in collaboration with a chiropractor who deals with clients who experience discomfort on long car journeys.
Working with specialists Comfort Motion Global (CMG), Bentley has developed a scientific, pneumatic postural adjustment system. CMG has been working in the field of fatigue prevention for several years, conducting medical-based research trials that highlight the benefits of changes in posture for comfort and wellbeing.
By creating subtle changes in the seat surface contact zones, body tissues that have been under pressure are relieved, and other areas, pressure is then applied. This allows the body a chance to locally recover naturally. The postural motion creates small changes in back and limb angles and can increase blood flow. Particularly in the lower back and lower limbs reducing discomfort, therefore passengers remain more alert and focused for a much longer period.
Seat surface sensing system
Many premium and luxury models have ventilated seats nowadays, with fans within that blow hot or cool air onto the body. The Airline Seat offers even more with the world’s first seat surface sensing system for thermal comfort. It uses a suite of sensors that constantly measure both passenger contact surface temperature and humidity level, to an incredible accuracy of 0.1°C every 25 milliseconds.
The passenger defines an optimal surface temperature target from 7 settings. Sensors measure and produce live data to determine what seat heating, cooling and ventilation levels are required to achieve the best comfort temperature for the passenger. The system then maintains the optimal thermal comfort throughout the journey with micro adjustments to the seat thermal system to maintain the setpoint.
In trials, it was observed that a human can only notice a change in surface temperature between 1° -2°C, but the system is constantly monitoring actual temperature to a much more detailed level, so it knows what the passenger is going to need before they would know themselves. This live data allows the system to activate before the passenger even knows it is required, providing an intelligent and autonomous experience where manual control is no longer needed to maintain comfort.
Auto Climate System
The auto climate system, which has 7 set points) uses existing seat heating technologies, but a new seat ventilation fan has been developed that can move approximately 80% more air than the previous system. Less power is consumed than the current seat climate system and, in Auto Climate mode, the overall power consumption of the complete system is around 40% less than being manually activated by the passenger.
The EWB Airline Seats have optimized seat contact profiles as well as a complex seat interlayer construction, tuned to work in perfect harmony with the chassis of the car. Working together the ride comfort is smooth and passengers are isolated from road vibration.
The adjustable profiles can morph to suit different customer shape and build. The adjustable leg and footrest feature allows customers to achieve a seated posture that is individually comfortable to them for longer periods.
The Airline Seat Specification also adds further cushion and backrest bolster adjustment, cushion extension, electric headrest height adjustment and a deployable footrest to the back of the front passenger seat. The rear seat passenger on this side of the car can also move the front passenger seat forwards via a ‘VIP mode’.
