First of 12 examples of the open-cockpit, handcrafted grand tourer finished as work begins on next three cars.
The first example of the $2.86 million Bentley Mulliner Bacalar has been completed at the company’s workshop in Crewe.
Dubbed ‘Car One’, the car’s carbonfibre body is finished in Atom Silver satin paint, riding on 22in wheels sporting a ‘Tri-Finish’ with polished faces, dark grey satin spokes and gloss, Moss Green highlights.
The green detailing appears on several other areas of the exterior, as well as on the hide of the console wings inside. The seat centres are finished with fine Nappa leather, with beluga diamond-carved carpets bound together with matching green stitching.
Virtually every detail has been specified by the car’s soon-to-be owner, making the Bacalar entirely bespoke. Meanwhile, the first example of the Bentley Blower Continuation has also been finished.
“Seeing these first two cars now finished has given the whole team an enormous sense of pride,” said Paul Williams, Bentley’s director of Mulliner and Motorsport. “Years of work have gone into the design and development of these projects, and seeing them together is incredibly rewarding.
“Mulliner is truly the only place in the world that could deliver a 21st century, coachbuilt grand touring barchetta at the same time as recreating an iconic road-going 1929 race car. I’m excited for our customers to take delivery of their new cars, and to seeing the rest of the orders in both series come to life.”
You can read our prototype drive review of the Mulliner here.
The next three cars for each model are now being constructed, with customer deliveries set to take place shortly.
The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar began a test and durability programme earlier in 2021, which included proving the 320kph+ top speed.
The £1.5 million (AUD$2.86m) Bacalar spearheads a new era for the British car maker’s coachbuilding division, which will launch an ultra-exclusive model as often as every two years. All 12 units have already been allocated to loyal customers.
The two-seat design is heavily inspired by the EXP 100 GT concept, which was revealed for Bentley’s centenary last year, with the two cars having been designed side by side.
Features echoing that concept include the single front lights, rather than the twin arrangement found on current-generation Bentley models, and the dark bronze brightwork. The strongest similarity is the dramatic rear end, including the blade design of the tail-lights.
The Bacalar was first revealed in March 2020, but Bentley has now released a set of six Bacalar specifications created by its design team to show the many possibilities available for the coach-built two-seater.
Bentley head of colour and trim Maria Mulder said: “The six example specifications we have created each have their own personality and purpose, but what they share in common is that only Bacalar can reflect this level of personalisation and attention to detail.”
Rachel Burgess