BETTER PARTSBentley Batur review: Wonderful daily driver for almost two million euros
Do you think a standard Bentley is a mass-produced product? Then we would like to introduce you to the extremely exclusive (and extremely purple) new Batur
Currently, the Bentley Batur is the most expensive and powerful production Bentley the company has ever made. It costs around 1.9 million euros, and that's before the tax authorities have come along and you've even glanced at the options list.
It houses one of the last manifestations of the 6.0-liter biturbo W12, which is now almost two decades old and has been made 'more economical' by people with big brains and complicated glasses.
The power of the Bentley Batur
Although in the modest language that Bentley tends to speak, 'more economical' can be translated as 'more powerful than ever before': 740 hp and no less than 1,000 Nm of pulling power, delivered from 1,750 to 5,000 revolutions per minute on a 'torque curve'. that looks like a shoebox.
It is terribly expensive, exclusive, strong and very, very fast. And that hurts. Because for the past four hours, in the pouring rain, my top speed has been at most 50 km/h and I have used at most 60 of the available horsepower.
'Wait, what does this magical gold button do? On to the instructions!'
The visibility is about ten meters, and you get the feeling that real views are hiding just behind that thick wall of fog, if only because the climbing, winding mountain roads strongly hint at them.
But Tropical Storm Oscar has wrapped its clammy, suffocating arms around Tenerife since we landed here and it's been all hands on deck ever since. The roads here may be interesting, but in these types of weather conditions the Bentley Batur is quite hopelessly overqualified.
How the Bentley Batur came about
Well, it does provide an opportunity to think about this strange but fascinating machine. It was released last year as a limited edition of just eighteen examples, hand-built by Bentley's Mulliner department. He is not only the brother of the homeless Bacalar, but also a preview of what electric Bentleys could look like in the future. In terms of style, then.
It is a two-seater coupe – the rear seats are now a bench on which the tailor-made luggage set can find a place – with a carbon fiber body that designer Andreas Mindt is clearly based on the Bentley Continental GT Speed from which the Batur is derived, but plays with all shapes. That makes it look like a Continental that just rolled off a movie set in 2035. Whatever it is somewhere.
Only the windshield, the strip above the grille and a few interior details remain of the GT Speed. The new face shows narrower headlights flanking a grille that is more upright. A set of lines in chrome run from just above those headlights all the way back to the base of the C-pillar, creating what Bentley calls an "endless hood" and certainly emphasizing the car's length.
The usual wavy hips give the car volume and a beautiful, slightly pointed rear - again with tighter lighting - gives it an athletic appearance. The titanium tips of the exhausts refer back to where we started: with that executioner of a petrol engine. It's surprisingly subtle for a car with such a price tag, although in the real world, where camera lenses don't steal its perspective, it makes a lot more of an impression.
Isn't almost two million euros a bit much?
Still: it is at least special to ask millions for a car that basically costs less than four euros (in the very expensive Netherlands - in Belgium it is listed for a ton less in the price list). The interior feels like an intensely luxurious version of that of the Continental GT Speed, albeit with beautiful finishing details such as 18-carat gold frames for the ventilation grilles (also available in titanium, if you want), 'sustainable' leather and soft materials .
The optional audio system from Naim is probably the best you can get in a car, but that is also possible for an additional cost of almost 60 grand... Well, it is all recognizable. Once you've seen the badge, there's no need to cross-examine the DNA to find out who the parents are.
But once you spend a few days with the Bentley Batur, you realize it's considerably more than the sum of a familiar base and a few unique parts. It's on the second day of testing that we come to that conclusion, and it has more to do with the weather than anything else.
Finally we can go riding with the Batur
We drive through the mini rainforest on the way to the top of the mountain, and the landscape gradually becomes less vegetated and looks more and more like Mars. As we get higher, we break through the cloud cover and find… the sun. Glorious, blissful sunshine, loaded with the golden glow of the afternoon. And a volcano.
It is a beautiful sight and the Bentley fits in with it. The paint on the Batur suddenly deepens, expands, comes to life. The details become clearer and the lines more defined. Is this the future form of electric Bentleys? It still seems a bit far-fetched – that long hood screams internal combustion, so to speak.
The grace of the Batur may have appeared suddenly, but much else has disappeared. The trees are nowhere to be seen, replaced by crunchy volcanic bones as far as the eye can see. Large pieces have been carved out of the imposing walls. Mount Teide is currently sleeping, but the last time it spoke it left its mark.
Yet its ruggedness is beautiful, and this morning's pounding rain has chased away the tourists; they are probably now on the beach, lightly frying in the Piz Buin. Except for a few brave souls in rental Seats, the roads in this national park are virtually empty. And those roads are great.
However, there are still some things. The storm has sunk its teeth into the rock walls and managed to loosen several pieces of rock, which now follow the laws of gravity until they come to a stop on the road. Which produces a few heart-in-the-throat moments.
The Batur steers impressively and effortlessly
Now that we finally have some forward vision and grip levels are less treacherous, the Batur moves forward at a not inconsiderable speed, like a leather-clad bobsled, impressive and effortless. Then we go around a bend and see that the road is strewn with rocks. Big rocks. Rocks the size of beach balls, which absolutely cannot fit under the car.
I take a quick, deep breath, drive over the first fist-sized stones and steer sharply to the right, followed by sharply to the left and miraculously manage to avoid all the misery. A geological moose test on a damp road with a 60 meter deep ravine on one side, in someone else's multi-million dollar car. Fine.
In a vehicle weighing more than two and a half tons, this little escapade should have ended in an awkward conversation with an insurance company and, at best, some serious spray painting, or at least a trip to the beach via the shortest vertical route . Still, the Batur pulled through like a hot hatch: it weaved through the spontaneous chicane with no worse consequences than an increased heart rate and a mildly tarnished ego.
The bag of tricks keeps you on the road
It would be nice if I could say that the driver's skill prevented a disaster, but that would be a lie. The Batur simply managed to get physics to look the other way by pulling open every available mechanical and electronic bag of tricks. There is air suspension with a 48-volt system that keeps the bodywork flat. There's an electronic differential, all-wheel drive and steering, and huge carbon-ceramic brakes.
And while you will always be aware of Batur's mass, it is blithely hidden as best as possible by engineering ingenuity. It may only be 10 to 15 percent more than the GT Speed, but enough to feel, enough to impress. That feeling gets stronger the more you push him.
The Bentley Batur has different turbos than the Speed, different breathing for both inhaling and exhaling, and larger intercoolers. It's not night and day difference, but the way all the power simply comes and hangs means that gliding smoothly through the first four of the eight gears is way too much for these roads – even on the straights.
And yes, the launch control is nothing short of spectacular; the Batur feels even faster than the official figures claim. But be warned: this is not a scalpel, sharp and precise, but a butcher's ax that can chop a curve into bloody pieces. On the other hand, when it comes to fighting, I would always be more afraid of that axe.
The Batur is the most expensive daily driver in the world
Honestly, a big fat Bentley shouldn't excel on winding mountain roads like this. What feels like a luxurious, comfortable GT doesn't really have the right to bite into the asphalt with its metaphorical teeth as much as this car does. The difference between whizzing sovereignly and screaming bloody murder is a matter of turning the gilt-edged knob once. This is probably the most expensive daily driver you could drive in the real world.
Editor enjoys the view. Except for a photographer hidden among the rocks
So: is it worth the money? Well, some might suggest that it's not outrageous or extreme enough to warrant such a price, but a product is only as valuable as what someone is willing to pay for it, and all the Baturs have already been sold. Rich people are still very rich, it turns out.
The Bentley Batur is a car for people who have passed the stage of 'showing how rich you are' and are now happy with stealth wealth, the slightly less ostentatious stage of having tons of money. The people for whom tailoring is the benchmark and couture is a necessity.
It's a shame that most Baturs will never travel many kilometers or end up in collections, because for once this is not a limited edition car based on air castles and marketing, but a machine that you could use every day. to use. And isn't that the least you can expect for a million or two?
Specifications of the Bentley Batur Mulliner (2023)
Engine 5,998 cc, W12 biturbo 740 hp, 1,000 Nm Drive four wheels 8v automatic Performance 0-100 km/h in 3.5 s top 333 km/h Consumption 12.3 l/100 km 311 g/km CO2 Weight 2,715 kg Price €1,950,000 (excl. taxes)