Bentley announced at the beginning of the year that it would cease production of the W12 engine, and the last engine left the factory in July. The last 16 examples of the Batur Convertible will be fitted with this engine, which at 750 hp is the most powerful version ever developed.
The validation tests include engine and vehicle durability, environmental compatibility, sunlight simulation, high-speed stability, aerodynamics, noise and vibration tests and driving dynamics. More than 120 individual tests examine every detail, from the finish of the golden ventilation control to the hardware and software of the new W12 engine. The tests are scheduled to last 58 weeks and are carried out on two pre-production vehicles – the “Batur Convertible Car Zero” and the “Batur Convertible Engineering Car”.
The road tests began with a 3,000 kilometre drive through five countries, simulating real-life conditions. The route led from Germany through Italy, France and Spain, stopping briefly in Monaco for photo shoots before continuing in Spain for high-speed tests on private tracks.
Paul Williams, Chief Technical Officer at Mulliner, explains: “The aim of a public road test for technical validation is to test the performance, safety and reliability of a vehicle in real-world conditions. This allows our engineers to see how the vehicle performs in different environments, traffic situations and weather conditions that cannot be fully simulated in controlled test environments. This phase is crucial to identify potential problems, validate system integration and ensure that the vehicle meets regulatory standards and customer expectations.”
At the proving grounds, the Batur Convertible is tested for seven weeks for load, driving behaviour on different road surfaces, high-speed tests and punishing surfaces. Data and feedback are collected to ensure the technical objectives are met.
The last W12 Grand Tourer
The Batur Convertible continues the innovative design DNA of its coupé predecessor and will characterise Bentley’s future design.
The Mulliner-built Batur Convertible follows the hand-built Bacalar Barchetta and Batur Coupé. It is the last model to use Bentley’s iconic W12 engine, a hand-assembled twin-turbo 6.0-litre 750bhp engine that has fuelled Bentley’s success over the last two decades.
The fabric soft top offers a modern, aesthetic alternative to the hard top, which can be opened or closed in just 19 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h, transforming the vehicle from a luxury coupé to an open grand tourer at the touch of a button.
Mulliner’s in-house design team works with customers to customise each Batur Convertible. Using a special Mulliner visualiser, each component can be customised in colour and finish. A selection of unique materials adds texture to the process, so designs are limited only by the customer’s imagination.
Batur Convertible Car Zero
Like all Mulliner models, the Batur Convertible is fully customisable – each customer can choose the colour and finish of every surface from the exterior paintwork to the interior.
The “Batur Convertible Car Zero” development vehicle was given the same attention to detail as a customised customer specification. The exterior paintwork is bespoke – Vermillion Gloss over Vermillion Satin duo-tone – and emphasises the modern lines of the vehicle. The bodywork is rounded off with front splitter, side skirts and a rear diffuser made of high-gloss carbon fibre.
The front features an artfully designed radiator grille in Gloss Dark Titanium, accentuated with horizontal chevrons in a colour gradient from Beluga in the centre to the glowing sides in Vermillion Gloss. The “endless bonnet” and the 22-inch wheels are finished in Gloss and Satin Black Titanium with Vermillion Gloss accents.
The second development vehicle, the “Engineering Car”, has a completely different interior. The Midnight Emerald paintwork is complemented by a carbon fibre body kit and accents in Satin Dark Titanium. The wheels are tricoloured, combined with an accent pinstripe in Mandarin. The radiator grille also features a three-colour gradient. The interior mirrors the exterior: leather in Cumbrian Green and Porpoise with Mandarin topstitching, complemented by mechanically processed organ stops and Bullseye vents made of titanium. The veneers in the interior feature Mulliner’s special “guitar colour gradient” and end with a laser-engraved sound signature of the W12 engine.
