Bentley will debut its latest coachbuilt model next week during the Monterey Car Week festivities, and while details are scant, the brand says the car, called the Mulliner Batur, will preview the design language of Bentley’s future EVs. The Batur name is taken from a deep crater lake in Bali, Indonesia.
As you may be aware, Mulliner is Bentley’s customization and coachbuilding arm, which recently has produced few-off models like the vintage Speed Six Continuation Series and the Continental GT-based Bacalar roadster. The Batur is described as a grand touring car, so my guess is that it will take the form of a large two-door coupe and likely use the same MSB platform that underpins the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Porsche Panamera. Bentley’s first electric car isn’t coming until 2025, so the Batur should still use an internal combustion engine, though it may be fitted with a hybrid system.
Bentley says the Batur’s styling “showcases themes and forms” that will be signatures of its EVs, but from the sole teaser image we can’t see anything besides the grille. The classic Bentley wing badge is inset into a trim piece at the top of the grille, which features an intricate diamond pattern with red inserts. It’s a more complex and angular design than the grilles on current production Bentleys, including the Bacalar.
The Mulliner Batur will be revealed on Aug. 20, the evening before the Pebble Beach Concours. We don’t yet know how many of the Batur will be made or how much it will cost, but Bentley describes it as hand-built and exclusive, so expect a price tag of at least a couple million dollars.
