The Batur is more than just a glimpse of Bentley’s future design. It will be a significant step towards the way future Bentleys will be made, using the planet-friendly materials and techniques needed for a more sustainable vision of luxury car manufacture.
For Mulliner customers, the ability to specify bespoke colours, materials and finishes is of the highest priority and the Batur demonstrates even further Bentley’s ability to use unique combinations of colour and materiality.
Carbon fibre is known for its incredible balance of strength with low weight – but it is not a sustainable material. New, natural alternatives to carbon fibre are now possible using high-performance composites made from flax – a sustainable ‘super-fibre’. Immensely strong and incredibly light, this material has proved suitable for use throughout the Batur, from the exterior body kit to the internal hard surfaces.
Where leather is used, it will be sustainably sourced, thanks to a production process that uses less water and aldehyde than traditional tanning. There will also be the option to select traceable, low-CO2 leather – something that is only possible today in the low volumes involved in coachbuilding. Sustainable, leather-like textiles made from by-products of the coffee roasting process can even be selected, as can carpets made from recycled yarn.
A wealth of innovative new finishes are available for the Batur. From hallmarked 18-karat yellow gold crafted using additive manufacturing, to aerospace-inspired titanium, and the composites and textiles detailed above, choices like these only add to the immense range of leathers, woods and other options.
W.O. Bentley built the first car to bear his name in 1919. Immediately, his creations were in high demand – but he was an engineer, first and foremost. He made engines. He would affix them to a chassis, with wheels and a transmission system. The resulting machines were certainly cars – but to turn them into luxurious recreational vehicles, streamlined racing cars, or both, the services of a coachbuilder were required.
From the Roaring Twenties onwards, Mulliner built bespoke bodies and cabins for some of the world’s most iconic Bentleys, including the famous R-Type Continental of 1952. Today, Mulliner operates as Bentley’s personal commissioning division, delivering everything from bespoke modifications to coachbuilt cars.
By Mark Slack
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