Got a spare $2,900,000 to invest in your next ride? If you’re a one-percenter not content with the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, then the new Bentley Bacalar maybe just what’s needed to snap the fussy out of you…
Engine: 6.0 litre twin-turbo W12
Transmission: 8 speed automatic
Power: 484 kW
Torque: 667 pound-feet
Top Speed: 322 km/h
0-100km/h: 3.5 seconds
Price: $2.9 million
Designed by the world’s oldest coachbuilder, Mulliner, the exterior takes cues from last year’s EXP 100 GT concept — with only the door handle surviving.
The metallic Yellow Flame paint job is made from a special rice husk ash that creates a 90% pure silicon-dioxide pigment; explaining the extra zero in the price tag. Rather a boring badge, Mulliner went fancy with a ‘Bacalar’ graphic on the rear panel.
Being a Bentley, it comes with attitude outside, and class inside. Those custom lights and bumpers resemble BMW M-like grilles, and the overall aerodynamics give off Ferrari-style aero aggression.
While the exterior is impressive, it’s inside where Mulliner really starts showing off. The wood trim is not just veneer, it’s called Riverwood, and estimated to be over 5,000 years old. All seats and carpets are made from Wilton-woven pure wool, while the car comes bundled with a matching set of luggage — an option lacking with a Hyundai.
At the heart of this prestige beast is Volkswagen’s latest evolution of the twin-turbo 6.0 litre W12 engine, pumping out a mind-numbing 650 horsepower. All this comes hooked into a revised 8 speed, dual-clutch automatic which gladly delivers quicker gear shifts, enabling a top speed post 322 km/h.
Billed as the ‘rarest two-door Bentley of the modern era’, only 12 of these will ever exist, the way it should be. Nothing shows elite superiority like a rare Bentley; but if you want to make the boys at the Bentley club envious, go Mulliner, and get it tailored.
By Bill Varetimidis
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