Bentley introduced Tuesday that growth work on the limited-edition Batur coupe has been accomplished, paving the best way for manufacturing of buyer automobiles later this yr.

Simply 18 buyer examples will likely be constructed, however the Batur was nonetheless subjected to a radical growth course of utilizing two check automobiles, dubbed Automotive Zero and Automotive Zero-Zero. The testing program, which started in late 2022, included a roughly 1,500-mile European tour, high-speed testing at as much as 200 mph, and greater than 600 hours of photo voltaic loading—equal to 5 years within the Arizona desert.

Bentley Batur testing

Unveiled through the 2022 Monterey Automotive Week, the Batur follows the Bacalar convertible in Bentley’s line of coachbuilt particular initiatives and serves as a bridge between Bentley’s internal-combustion previous and electrical future. It is based mostly on the Bentley Continental GT Pace, however its styling previews future electrical fashions, the primary of which is scheduled to launch in 2025.

As a result of it is based mostly on the Continental GT Pace, the Batur makes use of Bentley’s acquainted twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12. For the Batur, it is tuned to supply 730 hp and 740 lb-ft of torque, making this essentially the most highly effective road-going Bentley ever. That added energy comes from a brand new air consumption, modified turbochargers, and revised intercoolers. Testing these modifications, together with new calibrations for the transmission and stability management, concerned greater than 100 weeks of growth time, in line with Bentley.

Bentley Batur testing

Bentley additionally sought to replace its conventional hand-crafted strategy with sustainable supplies, comparable to pure fibers, in addition to 3D-printed gold inside trim. In what Bentley claims is an auto business first, as much as 210 grams of 18-carat gold created from recycled jewellery is used for the drive mode selector, vent controls, and steering-wheel insert. These items had been additionally totally examined, involving every little thing from thermal loading to resistance to sunscreen.

All 18 Batur manufacturing automobiles have been spoken for. Bentley expects every automobile to take round 4 months to finish, with the final one anticipated to be accomplished on the finish of 2024.