New Bentley Batur Convertible is the final open-top W12 Bentley

The latest member of Bentley’s ultra-luxurious Mulliner coachbuild series has been revealed in the form of the Bentley Batur Convertible. Joining the Bacalar and Batur coupe in the exclusive club, only 16 convertibles will be built, each specified exactly to the individual customer's specification. 

Underpinning the Batur is a modified version of the Bentley Continental GT’s chassis, fitted with completely bespoke bodywork and styling elements. The body itself is constructed from carbon fibre, and as with the coupe it’s said to preview the new design direction of Bentley’s future models. 

Also like the coupe, which features a distinct three-box profile rather than the more fastback shape of the Continental GT, the Batur Convertible’s subtle rear haunches and reprofiled rear deck are a complete change from the Continental GT Convertible. The design also includes a new rear lip spoiler on the bootlid, plus a slick integration of the Batur’s bonnet-mounted trim pieces that now loop right around the cabin. 

Unlike the completely roof-less Bentley Bacalar, the Batur Convertible features an electrically-folding fabric roof that’s able to be operated at up to 30mph.

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The example shown in these pictures is car number ‘zero’, and features only an example of the sort of personalisation on offer. Here, Bentley has combined a satin paint finish across most of the body, with a contrasting gloss finish to the bonnet, mirrors, windscreen surround and the painted aerobridge situated behind the seats. 

Inside, the cabin is lifted directly from the Batur coupe. While the basic layout is similar to the one in the series production Continental GT, the material options are on another plane. Almost all finishes are variable and can be specified to the owner’s taste – this example, for instance, features 3D printed rose gold on some of the interior switchgear and the iconic organ-stops for the air vents. 

Under the bonnet sits the most powerful iteration of Bentley’s 6.0-litre W12 engine ever, producing 741bhp and 1,000Nm of torque. This represents a 40 per cent increase in power compared to the original use of this engine in the 2003 Bentley Continental GT, but perhaps even more impressively uses 25 per cent less fuel – such is the progress of modern powertrain engineering. 

The engine is connected to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive system, here featuring the same locking differential that was introduced in the latest generation of Continental GT Speed. 

This will be the last open-top model to feature Bentley’s venerable W12 engine as it’s destined to be discontinued in the summer of this year, replaced in series production models with a new V8 plug-in hybrid combination. 

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