The first member of the Bentley Mulliner Coachbuilt portfolio – the Bacalar – is now undergoing final test, development and durability work ahead of the start of build next year of 12 pre-sold customer cars. The on-car validation programmes have been condensed into an extremely busy schedule covering 20 weeks, which started this month.
So far, the car – designated Bacalar Car Zero – has completed wind tunnel-based aerodynamic assessment, high speed stability and top speed testing, handling and dynamics evaluations, appraisal of noise and vibration, and careful thermal measurements. It now enters a period of ongoing customer-focused mileage accumulation and durability work, before a phase of climate cycle testing up to 80°C and an intensive electrical system validation.
The purpose-built engineering prototype and the first barchetta-style Bentley of the modern era is already accumulating mileage and passing crucial quality tests at a variety of locations around Europe.
All of this work is vital to sign-off the new and bespoke nature of the Bacalar. It incorporates a total of more than 750 new components, all of which have to pass Bentley’s exceptionally stringent quality, functionality and durability standards. More than 40 of those parts are crafted in carbonfibre, while a complement of nearly 100 are produced using rapid additive manufacture techniques.
“Very much like Blower Car Zero that we unveiled earlier, Bacalar Car Zero is the crucial prototype that we’re using to sign-off the design, engineering and craftsmanship of this ground-breaking part of Bentley Mulliner’s future. The Bacalar is a thoroughly modern iteration of the coachbuilt Bentleys of the past – extremely rare, entirely handcrafted, totally bespoke to each customer and exquisite in its details. The whole team behind the car is thrilled to see the prototype shrugging off every test we throw at it, and we’re really looking forward to starting the build of the 12 customer cars,” said Bentley’s Director of Mulliner, Paul Williams.
Just 12 examples of this striking, limited edition model are being created, guaranteeing rarity and exclusivity. The Bacalar looks to the future of bespoke luxury motoring as each model will be handcrafted according to the individual customer’s personal tastes.
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.
The Bacalar brought to life by Bentley Mulliner is a roofless Barchetta design with all-new and highly muscular coachwork. Embracing a myriad of options and materials, each Bacalar will be truly unique, the result of direct interaction between the Bentley Mulliner design team and the individual customer.
The Bacalar features an enhanced version of Bentley’s 6-litre, W12 TSI engine. Claimed to be the most advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world, it produces 659 ps/900 Nm, delivered to the wheels through an advanced Active All-Wheel-Drive System. The system allows the Bacalar to use rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance.
The Bacalar shares no body panel with any other car in the Bentley model line-up and derives inspiration from the dramatic EXP 100 GT concept car conceived to mark the company’s centenary last year. Indeed, it only shares one exterior component with a Continental GT – the door handle, simply because it contains the keyless entry system.
The rear clamshell, wings and top deck of the Bacalar are crafted from carbonfibre, while the doors are lightweight aluminium. Combined with the use of three-dimensional printing, it has allowed designers to create an even more distinctive car.
The exterior look of each model is completed in collaboration with individual customers, who have been able to further personalise their car, choosing from rare paint options, exterior treatments and design themes. The Bacalar represents a return to the exciting early years of Bentley, allowing owners to help shape the car of their dreams.
Only 12 people will get to own this super exclusive Bentley Bacalar (w/VIDEO)
