Batur to lead Bentley's W12 send off at the Festival of Speed | GRR
The Bentley Batur will make its dynamic debut at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard as Bentley celebrates two decades of its W12 engine. It will also be showcasing its coachbuilding skills with the world debut of the Speed Six Continuation, which is based on the car that raced at Le Mans in 1930.
Bentley's 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 has become as synonymous with the modern firm as the 6.75-litre was with Bentleys of old – carrying the struggling brand through to the sales success that it is today. The W12 was first fitted to the original 2003 Continental GT and will bow out in April 2024, making way for an electrified future.
The Batur is prepared to arrive at Goodwood next weekend where it can give that W12 a fitting send-off. With 750PS (552kW) and 1,000Nm (738lb ft) of torque, it is the most potent W12 Bentley has ever produced. Just 18 Baturs will be made, and the Marina Teal Car Zero-Zero – an engineering prototype – tackling the hill is just one of two pre-production cars in existence.
A Continental GT Le Mans Collection will join the Batur. According to the firm, it represents the pinnacle of W12 performance in a 'mainstream' Bentley. It has a mere 650PS (478kW) and is one of 48 examples that will be built.
The Edition 12 is another W12 tribute. Based on Speed versions of the Continental GT, Continental GTC, Flying Spur and Bentayga Speed, Bentley will build 120 examples of each – all finished in new Opalite paintwork. A Flying Spur Speed Edition 12 will showcase this particular line.
The Continental GT Pikes Peak comes from the opposite end of the Bentley spectrum and is another Goodwood debutant. It set the Production Class record at the famous Colorado hillclimb in 2019, conquering the 12.42-mile course in just ten minutes and 18.488 seconds.
Finally, a Continental GTC Speed convertible – with stone veneers and Cyber Yellow accent – will showcase the company's personalisation programme, called Mulliner's Personal Commissioning Guide. The final car going up the hill is a Bentley Blower from the company's continuation series.
A parade of 12 W12-powered cars on Thursday rounds off the list of W12-based celebrations and includes:
- A Continental GT W12 and Continental Flying Spur.
- The first production Bentayga W12.
- A second-generation Flying Spur W12S and a second-generation Continental Supersports.
Two record-holders will also be in the parade – a Continental Supersports ISR (it set a new Ice Speed Record in 2011 in the hands of Juha Kankkunen) and Pikes Peak Bentayga (it set the Production SUV record at Pikes Peak in 2018).
Away from the hill, Bentley will showcase its latest project, the Speed Six Continuation Series – a faithful tribute to the car that raced at Le Mans in 1930. Bentley will build 12 customer cars, while the car on show at the Bentley stand (next to the Supercar Paddock from Thursday 13th July) will be one of two development models. You can also see a Batur and a heavily personalised Flying Spur Mulliner there.