Bentley unveils topless Mulliner Bacalar

BENTLEY has peeled back the covers of its Mulliner Bacalar, its most bespoke and exclusive car “of the modern era”.

Limited to just 12 examples worldwide – all of which have been spoken for – each Bacalar will be handcrafted according to the customer’s tastes and come with an uprated version of the brand’s signature twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 petrol engine.

In this guise, the engine produces 485kW of power and a huge 900Nm of torque, fed to the road by all four wheels via Bentley’s eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

No performance figures have been released as yet but given the extra 18kW on tap compared to the Continental GT Convertible W12, it would be safe to assume the Bacalar can reach triple digits in the same 3.8-seconds, if not a couple of tenths quicker.

Derived from the EXP 100 GT concept car, the Bacalar shares none of its body panels or pieces with any other vehicle in the Bentley line-up save for the door handles which have been pinched from the aforementioned Continental GT for its keyless entry system.

The body itself has been crafted from a mix of lightweight aluminium and carbon-fibre, the latter of which is used for the doors.

Bentley describes the Bacalar as a Barchetta, namely “a luxury, two-seat, open-air performance car” with brand chief executive Adrian Hallmark labelling it the “ultimate expression of an open-top, luxury grand tourer”.

“In Bacalar, we have created a fully bespoke Bentley, orientated towards a two-seat open top experience, and carrying a number of the forward-thinking elements of future luxury, first heralded in our EXP 100 GT as part of our Centenary celebrations last year,” he said.

“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.”

The overall silhouette and stance on the road is far sportier than any other model in Bentley’s line-up with a higher window-line, more raked back windscreen and sleeker overall (would-be) roofline.

The entire front end including the headlights, grille, lower intake air ducts and even the bonnet have all been effectively carried over from the EXP 100 GT concept albeit with a few minor tweaks to the grille sizes.

The only major difference is the black rather than chrome grille mesh.

At the back there is a narrow, Aston Martin-esque LED tail-light arrangement and integrated lip spoiler, a pair of large chrome exhaust tips and subtle rear diffuser.

With a rear track 20mm wider than a Continental GT’s, the Bacalar rides on 22-inch tri-finish alloy wheels front and rear with its adaptive chassis utilising Bentley’s 48-volt Dynamic Ride System.

Inside there is a completely new and exclusive interior, headlined by the bespoke wraparound cockpit which starts with a steeply angled centre console that flows up to become the dashboard before sweeping around into the door panels.

Behind the seats is a semi-enclosed storage compartment designed specifically for Schedoni fitted luggage which is available as an optional extra and designed specifically for the Bacalar.

Given each car will be tailor made and specified in accordance with the individual owners, the Bacalar’s exact spec and interior finish will vary somewhat though the theme of sustainability will be present throughout all 12 units.

The paint for example contains rice husk ash to deliver its metallic finish, the wood used in the wraparound dash has been cut from naturally fallen Riverwood while the wool and yarn used in the carpets and cloth surfaces were also “natural”.

Other features that will remain constant include a new D-shaped steering wheel with Alcantara leather inserts, digital instrument cluster, Bentley Rotating Display, configurable infotainment and vehicle data windows and a unique clock face badged one through 12.

GoAuto has contact Bentley to see if any of the ultra-limited run Bacalars are headed Down Under.

So far this year Bentley has sold 29 cars across the country, 15 of which were sold last month, marking a 30 per cent dip in sales compared to February 2019.

Last year the premium British marque shifted 191 units in total, 17 less than it did in 2018.