Out and about in the Bentley Bacalar: the wind in your hair

It’s a sunny Saturday morning in California’s luxury enclave, Pebble Beach, a few miles from Monterey. Despite the summer season, even shortly after ten o’clock, cool air comes over from the Pacific, which is much too cold, as always. But even without heated seats you can stand it with a view of leather, wool and woods that couldn’t be more elegant. Meanwhile, the heating system blows air at a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius into the open interior of the Bacalar. Here and there a few late joggers are overtaken and the view from the 17-Mile-Drive remains spectacular with its shattered coast – even if it has been enjoyed many times over the past decades. The open Bentley fits perfectly into this place – something between reality and fiction – just like Pebble Beach with its countless luxury villas, priceless cars and cosmetic surgeries every three quarters. Out and about in the only development vehicle of a special edition, the likes of which Bentley has never seen before. For the well-heeled customers, there are only twelve vehicles around the world, each of which has been individualized according to his or her own wishes. But whatever paint, which wood and whatever combination of carbon, leather and wool – the open two-seater is a lavishly converted Continental GT Cabriolet that, through weeks of bodywork, has turned into a radiantly beautiful Barchetta – a small, fast luxury yacht on four wheels. The well-known twelve-cylinder with a displacement of six liters and an output of 485 kW / 659 hp and 950 Nm of torque ensures that things proceed as quickly as possible if requested. Its impressive top speed: over 320 km / h, which destroys your hairstyle despite the wind trap in your back.

Similar to Rolls-Royce, Bentley does not leave it in its in-house high-end forge Mulliner to individualize the slim and high-priced model portfolio with special leather upholstery, wood or exterior colors, but is returning to real body construction. In the past hundred years, Mulliner has made a name for itself like no other. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the body forge HJ Mulliner & Co. has been creating unique bodies for the rich and beautiful in the automotive world. After an eventful history, the refinement specialists landed at Bentley. They reflect on the roots of this craftsmanship and the result is an exclusive two-seater with the name Bentley Bacalar. The name refers to the “Laguna Bacalar”, which is part of the Mexican peninsula Yucatan. Because it traditionally doesn’t rain here, the Bacalar doesn’t have a protective roof.

The Bentley Bacalar is clearly reminiscent of the Continental, but looks more spectacular than its platform encoder thanks to its numerous details on the front, rear and flanks. Similarities with the future study of the EXP 100 are not exactly coincidental. More than 750 components have been newly developed for the noble dozen and specially created for the open two-seater. Many parts such as the trunk lid or the entire front apron, which forms a part together with the front fenders, are made of carbon fiber. The rear fenders are also wider than you know and so the Bacalar looks beefier and sportier than the normal GT. The open Brit-Beau is perfect for a trip along the Californian coastline, which is hardly anywhere as beautiful as here around the peninsula of Pebble Beach, where those customers for the at least 1.8 million euro expensive Bacalar also live and like that slowly making larger numbers towards the golf course.

The lush engine output of more than 650 hp is brought onto the road at a slight backward tilt via the two drive axles, so that the propulsion also fits in the worst-case scenario when the pilot queries the power. The well-known eight-speed dual-clutch transmission has hardly any work to do on the slow cruise tour on the 17-mile drive and so the quick gear changes are reserved for the brisk gallop outside the closed area and the 48-volt electrical system including electronic roll stabilization currently has hardly anything to do except to marvel at the slightly churned sea from the spotlight. The chassis with air suspension guarantees the successful spread of the driving modes between comfortable and sporty. The cockpit hugs the driver and behind the two seats there is perfect space for the Schedoni bags, which are manufactured exclusively for the Bentley. Even in this two million league, the bag set still costs extra. How unique the Nobel glider is is shown by the fact that 148,199 stitches are required for the elaborate embroidery for each seat. For example, the cockpit is made from Riverwood, from naturally fallen trees that have been in the rivers and lakes of eastern England for around 5,000 years. But it can be even more exclusive. One of the customers asked to have his Bentley Bacalar without exterior mirrors. However, since this would contradict the approval regulations, the customer not only receives the individually compiled Bacalar, but also a second set of doors – without exterior mirrors. With that he can do what he wants on the home area – and hopefully only there.