Bentley Mulliner has revealed the all-new Bacalar. The Grand Tourer marks a return to coachbuilding by Bentley Mulliner – the oldest coachbuilder in the world. Just 12 examples of the Bacalar will be made and each model will be handcrafted in Bentley Mulliner’s workshop in Crewe, according to the individual customer’s personal tastes. It is named after Laguna Bacalar in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, a lake renowned for its breath-taking natural beauty, continuing Bentley’s strategy of naming cars after remarkable landmarks which started with Bentayga in 2015.
It draws on design DNA from the beautifully sculpted, award-winning EXP 100 GT. The dramatic, tapered cowls at the rear hark back to the Barchetta sports cars of old. The distinctive, wraparound cockpit flows from a new, steeply angled center console seamlessly into the dashboard and doors.
These then wrap rearwards towards the semi-enclosed luggage compartment behind the two seats. The rear clamshell and top deck of the Bacalar are crafted from lightweight aluminum, while the doors and wings are carbon fibre. Combined with the use of three-dimensional printing, it has allowed designers to create an even more distinctive car.
The Bacalar sits on extended haunches, with the rear track 20 mm wider than a Continental GT, to provide a more muscular, sporting stance. They house bespoke, 22-inch tri-finish wheels with dramatic depth and contour on the road. The unique front and rear horizontal lights add the distinctive, dynamic character that was first seen on the EXP 100 GT.
The Bacalar features an enhanced version of Bentley’s peerless 6.0-litre, W12 TSI engine. The most advanced 12-cylinder engine which produces 650 bhp and 900 Nm of torque. An advanced Active All-Wheel-Drive System varies the torque split between front and rear wheels. It allows the Bacalar to use rear-wheel drive as much as possible during normal driving for optimum efficiency and dynamic performance.