Updated 05:24 PM,Dec 22,2021
Emirates Bentley unveiled the Bacalar at 'Gate Avenue 8' within the Dubai International Financial Centre, marking its first presentation in the United Arab Emirates. This exclusive, high-performance Grand Tourer with two doors is among the rarest Bentleys ever produced, embodying the essence of modern open-top luxury two-seaters. It also heralds a powerful resurgence of Bentley Mulliner’s craftsmanship in bespoke car design—particularly notable as it holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest such division.
The Bacalar, the most exclusive two-door model from Bentley today, marks the beginning of Bentley Mulliner’s renewed initiatives and forms part of the world’s oldest luxury car manufacturer’s broader strategy to offer three distinct vehicle lines: Classic, Collections, and Coachbuilt.
Bentley Mulliner boasts a remarkable heritage tracing back to the 16th century, when its core focus was customizing ornate horse-drawn carriages. Thus, the distinctive Bacalar stands as a culmination of nearly 500 years of exceptional expertise and rich tradition in automotive design.
As a symbol of purposeful progress, the Bacalar propels Bentley toward a century of exceptional achievement. The design team has engineered this model with dynamic precision tailored for contemporary excellence. Dramatic, tapering surfaces at the rear draw inspiration from classic Barchetta sports cars, while emphasizing an immersive driving experience centered on the driver. The interior cabin features elegantly sculpted lines with meticulous attention to detail, flowing gracefully from the sharply angled center console across the instrument panel and door panels, then curving backward toward the semi-enclosed luggage compartment behind the two seats.
Sustainable materials sourced ethically—previously showcased in last year’s EXP 100 GT concept—are now a tangible reality in the Bacalar, achieved just eight months after the initial unveiling. These include paint infused with ash from rice husks, offering a sustainable way to achieve a rich metallic finish, alongside naturally sourced British wool and Riverwood timber aged nearly 5,000 years, harvested from ancient coastal plains of East Anglia in the UK.
The Bacalar features an enhanced version of Bentley’s formidable W12 TSI 6.0-liter engine. This most advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world delivers 650 horsepower (659 PS) and 900 newton-meters (667 lb-ft) of torque.
In place of a traditional badge, Bentley designers took an innovative step to uniquely define the car’s identity. The name Bacalar appears on the rear plate, discreetly hidden beneath the final layer of sustainable rice husk-based paint, with the letter A subtly integrated into the lower bumper’s artistic contour.
