Bentley to showcase the exclusive Bacalar and Batur from their Coachbuilt by Mulliner division together at Salon Privé 2024

Salon Privé has today confirmed the presence of the bespoke and coachbuilding arm of Bentley Motors, Mulliner, at this year’s Blenheim Palace event, held later this month on 28-31 August.

The British luxury brand will be showcasing the prototypes of these ultra-bespoke creations, the Bentley Bacalar and the Bentley Batur. Both are extremely rare Bentleys, and are being presented at Salon Privé for guests to inspect and see in action during the famous Salon Privé Parade.

The Bentley Bacalar marked the return to bespoke coachbuilding for Bentley Mulliner, which lays claim to being the oldest coachbuilding company in the world. Revealed in 2020, the two-seat Bacalar was created to be “the ultimate expression of two-seat, open-air luxury”, with the roofless ‘Barchetta’ design featuring an ultra-modern and extreme wrap-around cockpit and a semi-enclosed rear compartment for bespoke luggage from renowned Italian leather goods company Schedoni.

Just 12 Bentley Bacalar were designed, engineered and hand-crafted to individual customers’ taste. Both the design DNA and use of sustainable materials were inspired by the Bentley EXP 100 GT concept car, launched to celebrate Bentley’s centenary in 2019. Produced in the world’s first certified carbon neutral facility for luxury car production, materials included rice husk ash paint and 5,000-year-old Riverwood.

The Bentley Bacalar was named after Mexico’s Laguna Bacalar. Located on the Yucatan peninsula, it is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, and continued Bentley’s strategy of naming its cars after remarkable landmarks which began with the Bentayga in 2015. The owner of this Bentley Bacalar chose the striking colour of Scarab Green.

The Bentley Batur coupe, revealed in the summer of 2022, was the first to preview Bentley’s new design language. Crafted by Mulliner Coachbuilt, it was limited to just 18 examples. Customers were introduced to a level of personalisation, materiality and colour never seen before on a coachbuilt vehicle, using techniques pioneered and mastered by Mulliner.

The Bentley Batur became the most powerful W12 in the firm’s history, with its iconic producing 750PS and 1,000Nm of torque. The chassis was also the most advanced in Bentley’s history, with a calibration exclusive for this car. 

As with the Bacalar, each of the 18 Bentley Batur customers enjoyed an unrivalled co-creation experience with a dedicated Mulliner Designer, to ensure each customer benefits from a true one of one creation personal to them.

The stunning Aqua-Marine Batur prototype is to be on display at this year’s Salon Privé, a fitting choice of colourway given that the Batur is named after Lake Batur on the island of Bali, Indonesia. The crater lake in Kintamani is 88 metres deep and provides nutrient-rich water to both local hot springs and agriculture.

Bentley Mulliner has three portfolios: Curated by Mulliner. Bespoke and Coachbuilt by Mulliner. Curated by Mulliner presents clients with the most luxury-focused derivatives of the Continental, Flying Spur and Bentayga models, whilst Mulliner Bespoke offers the next level of personal commissioning with an exclusive tailoring service for each of our clients.

Finally, the Coachbuilt by Mulliner division create the most exclusive portfolio of vehicles from the factory. On the classic side, they are famously responsible for the rebirth of the 1929 Team 4 ½ litre supercharged Bentley Blower, followed by the 1930 Bentley Speed Six, both in continuation form and built to Le Mans factory racing specification, limited to just 12 customer cars of each respectively.

For the modern era of coachbuilding, they have created the Bacalar and Batur, both being rare, unique and iconic to the brand – with more ultra-exclusive models to follow in the future.

Salon Privé Director David Bagley said: “We are delighted to welcome Bentley to Salon Privé with these two remarkable creations from Mulliner. The Bentley Batur is one of just 18, and the Bentley Bacalar is even rarer, being one of 12. To have them both together at Blenheim Palace for our guests to inspect is very exciting, and I can’t wait to see them underway in the Salon Privé Parade.”