740PS Mulliner Batur is the most powerful Bentley ever

We can’t help but get the impression the Batur is a last hurrah, a celebration, of the monstrous W12 engine. Happily, Bentley says the Batur “forms the first part of a celebration of the W12’s extraordinary power… as the engine enters its twilight years”. More to come, then. For now, with 740PS (544kW) and 1,000Nm (737lb ft), the Batur is comfortably the most powerful Bentley in history. That boost in power comes thanks to a new intake, turbos and intercoolers, while the engine's vocals come through a new titanium sports exhaust.

None of that shove is wasted either, given it borrows chassis tech from the latest greatest Continental GT Speed, including that car’s trick and transformative rear eLSD, four-wheel-steering and 48-volt active roll control.

As a coach built special, though, it feels somewhat vulgar to talk about performance. This car is intended more as a work of art, than a corner-carving track weapon. It’s also a highly important car design-wise in terms of indicating the direction Bentley is to take, as the marque’s Chairman Adrian Hallmark explains:

“The Batur is a significant car for Bentley. Far more than the heir to the highly successful Bacalar, the Batur 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 to a stronger, bolder design that remains both elegant and graceful.”

Indeed, the Batur is even more a step on from what is ‘familiar’ Bentley, than the Bacalar, with increased aggression and what Bentley calls a “resting beast stance”. The rounded lights make way for sharper items, flanking an even broader more upright grille. At the side, the upswept window profile of the Continental has made way for a more stately downward sweep, reminiscent of the likes of the old Brooklands. Again, at the back, the familiar rounded tail light signature is gone in favour of more technical items, while the traditional sculpted Bentley rump has been reprofiled too.

It’s certainly a bold thing, playing fast and loose with elements that have previously been essential to the traditional ‘Bentley’ look. A good thing we think, that the Batur is here to show us what the future holds. All that said, the stately profile that the Continental underpinning lends the Batur helps retain an unmistakably ‘Bentley’ look. Likewise, the long sprawling bonnet, which is accentuated by a car-spanning accent line that goes from nose to tail, which Bentley calls the “endless bonnet”. New for the Batur also are aerodynamic features that can be crafted in a new natural fibre composite, as well as carbon fibre, depending on the buyer’s choice.

Needless to say, as a Mulliner project, each of the lucky 18 buyers will have limitless opportunities for customisation and bespoke appointment. Customers will be “limited only by their imagination, from the main exterior paint to the surface finish of the air vents, and literally everything in between”.

There’s an emphasis on sustainability, with low-carbon Scottish leather, sustainable tannage or an alternative suede-like material called Dinamica available. The natural fibre composite optional on the outside continues as an option on the inside too. Recycled yarn carpet joins as an option for the first time too. As standard, an etching of the W12’s audio signature features on the fascia panel, though of course a custom etching can be commissioned. The options for interior jewellery are broader than ever too, with 3D-printed 18k gold possible on the vents. There really is very little limit to what you can do with your custom Batur.

As a celebration of the past and a preview of the future, the Batur has a role in Bentley’s history a bit beyond its station as a limited-run coach build. It’s a special thing, as well the 18 lucky buyers, each shelling out more than £1.65million before taxes, would hope.