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The Bentley Bacalar went from a sketch to a 650-hp roadster in nine months

Bentley's Mulliner division cemented its status as a modern-day coachbuilder when it unveiled the Bacalar, a two-seater roadster loosely based on the Continental GT. Nearly every part that drivers will see and feel is specific to the model, including the body panels and most of the interior, yet the company created it in just nine months. Mulliner has worked on many one- and few-off models in the past, it notably turned the stately Mulsanne into a six-seater limousine in 2016, but the Bacalar (pictured) takes customization to an entirely new level. Repeated requests from its most loyal clients convinced Bentley to expand the scope of its coachbuilding division. "We felt a strong demand from our high-end customers. They asked again and again, 'can you do something very special?' They weren't talking about one of a hundred, but one of 10 or even one of one," explained Stefan Sielaff, the company's lead designer, in an interview with Autoblog. He added the Bacalar project started shortly after Bentley introduced the EXP 100 GT in 2019 to celebrate its 100th birthday. This explains some of the visual parallels between the two cars. While the concept was electric, the sold-out production model receives a mighty, 650-horsepower W12 engine because Bentley couldn't create a suitable battery-powered drivetrain in the short amount of time it had to make the roadster a reality. Sielaff stressed the effort his team put into making the Bacalar in nine months shouldn't be underestimated. "We had to make sure the car was road-legal, homologated, and certified. The car you would have seen at the Geneva auto show is literally what the customer will get. It's not a crazy show car. The only difference will be the colors and the materials, because we will work with each customer to make an individual statement," he said. In the United States, the Bacalar will be imported under the Show and Display law, like the McLaren Speedtail. The expedited design process meant the 12 future Bacalar owners signed the dotted line after seeing only digital renderings of the car. They weren't shown the final product until much later. Their enthusiasm is encouraging; it tells Sielaff there's a tremendous appetite for one- and few-off Bentley models among wealthy clients.

This Bentley Bentayga takes fly fishing very seriously

Bentley's Mulliner coachbuilding division has put together a kit for what we assume are maybe three Bentayga drivers that enjoy fly fishing. As the company tells it, the kit packs everything a fisherman could need for a successful day on the river right in the big soft-roader's cargo hold. It's packaged in the only Bentley that has a chance of getting you to that river, too. Mulliner's upholstery and trim expertise is on full display – everything in the kit is either covered in saddle leather with white contrast stitching or finished in Burr walnut. The four leather-wrapped tubes on the underside of the tonneau cover house the fishing rods, while the master tackle box, refreshment case, and a box for stowing waders and boots sit on the cargo floor. Mulliner loaded down the tackle box with tools, cotton, hooks, and feathers to tie flies, and it includes four reel cases milled from solid aluminum. The refreshment case doesn't actually come with refreshments, but it does have three metal flasks and a set of china tableware, plus a food storage compartment. The tackle box and refreshment case both slide out for easy accessibility, and if an owner is short on seating, the entire housing can serve as a small bench. The waterproof storage compartment is removable, too, in case you need cargo space instead of pole storage. The best thing about this kit is the lengths Mulliner went to in order to keep the rear of the vehicle dry and fresh – the floor is waterproof and there's an electronic dehumidifier to keep things from smelling funky. Bentley didn't say when the fly fishing kit will be available, and because this is an ultra-exclusive luxury car, pricing wasn't published. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga Fly Fishing by Mulliner View 9 Photos News Source: BentleyImage Credit: Bentley Bentley Crossover Luxury bentley bentayga Mulliner

Bentley already considering smaller crossover

Bentley has yet to reveal (let alone start selling) its upcoming new SUV, but the company is already reported to be considering a smaller model to follow in that new model's footsteps. This according to Autocar, in speaking with Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer at the announcement of the company's record sales results for 2014. Prior to originally taking the helm at Bentley and Bugatti, Durheimer served as head of R&D at Porsche, which recently launched the Macan crossover to join the larger Cayenne. Tipped to be called the Bentayga, the forthcoming Bentley crossover will share its platform with the next generation of its sister company's crossover, whose success Bentley aims to emulate. The Bentayga (or whatever it's ultimately called) will be vital in helping Bentley achieve its sales target of 20,000 units per year by 2020. The storied British marque topped 11,000 units for the first time in 2014, and the new SUV will be a vital component in boosting those figures. Bentley says it has already received 4,000 "expressions of interest" for the crossover before it's even unveiled, suggesting that it could exceed earlier sales projections of 3,000 units per year. But even then, the big crossover wouldn't be enough to get Bentley to its target. That's why it's already considering the smaller crossover, among other options including a four-door coupe, a two-door sports car and a Mulsanne-based convertible. The company is also investing heavily in infrastructure and production capacity to ensure its supply can meet the demand it is working to build up.