Bentley has previewed a new design direction for its future battery electric cars with a limited-run two-door coupé.
Dubbed the Batur, only 18 examples will be made by the company’s bespoke Mulliner coachbuilding division.
The car sits on 22’’ wheels, and features the famous Bentley grill, an aggressive front bumper, and ultra slim tail lights.
The design of the Batur is the work of Bentley’s Director of Design, Andreas Mindt, who previously spent six years as Audi’s head of exterior design, where he worked on the Audi Q8, and Audi E-tron SUV - a car which also set the groundwork for designs of future battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from Audi.
On the Batur marking a new era for the luxury Crewe-based automaker, Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark said: “The Batur is a significant car for Bentley {and} showcases the design direction that we’re taking in the future as we develop our range of BEVs.
“Andi Mindt and his team have reimagined the classic Bentley design cues into a stronger, bolder design that remains both elegant and graceful.”
The interior remains the same as the Bentley Continental GT, though can now be customised with three new types of sustainable materials. These include Scottish and Italian leather, as well as Dinamica faux suede. Rather than using carbon fibre, the Batur’s cabin also features a new fibre composite, which is said to be more sustainably sourced.
The drive mode selector, found on the centre console, can also come in 18K gold, as an optional upgrade, as can the organ stops, which are the vent knobs located across the dash.
Although the exterior establishes a new, future design direction for Bentley, things look more familiar beneath, with its long, “endless bonnet” accommodating space for the company’s mighty 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine - a hand-built power plant which first appeared in the Bentley Continental GT back in 2002.
Making its last appearance in the Batur, the W12 engine now produces 750hp, meaning the Batur is the company’s most powerful Bentley to date.
Priced at £1.5 million, all 18 units have already been reserved, with the first round of deliveries expected in mid-2023.