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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.

Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept is a British Racing Green dream [w/video]

"Oh, hey there Bentley EXP10 Speed 6. You're damn handsome." That, of course, was our reaction to seeing Crewe's latest concept under the lights of Geneva's Palexpo convention center after yesterday's debut. Finished in a gorgeous, heavily metallic shade of British Racing Green, the EXP 10 Speed 6 is, as we said yesterday, a truly different take on what we've come to expect from Bentley. It's low, featuring a classic long-hood, short-deck design that expands on the British luxury marque's traditional styling features. The egg-crate grille and quad headlights give the Speed 6 a face that is at the same time new and familiar, while the wide rear haunches bleed over the rear wheels and add to the car's svelte silhouette. The cabin, meanwhile, is absolutely striking. Open the swan-wing doors and aside from the tan quilted Poltrona Frau leather on the seats and doors, the aluminum accents on the steering wheel and shifter are the big aesthetic takeaways. The digital dash and tablet-like center stack are modern takes that Bentley desperately needs to implement in its production models, while the cockpit-like layout places a greater focus on the driver than even the more enthusiastic Continental GT. Take a look at our full gallery of live images of the new EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept above, and hope that Bentley sees the wisdom in putting this stunner into production. EXP 10 SPEED 6 - A VISION OF BENTLEY DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE MAR 2, 2015 Concept for sector-defining two-seater sportscar Futuristic Bentley design, a statement in modern British luxury Potential future model line (Crewe / Geneva, 2nd March 2015) Bentley Motors is showing the future direction of luxury and performance with the EXP 10 Speed 6 at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show. The concept is a British interpretation of a high performance two seater sportscar using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology. From the racing success of the company's early years to the international motorsport success of today, 'speed' is part of Bentley's DNA. This inspiration is expressed throughout the EXP 10 Speed 6, where iconic Bentley design cues are fused with progressive craftsmanship techniques and modern technologies. Copper elements are used as accents to both exterior and interior features to highlight the performance hybrid potential of the concept's advanced new powertrain.

Bentley releases special Pikes Peak edition Bentayga

Hot on the heels of its SUV class Pikes Peak record, Bentley is dedicating a special Limited Edition to the hill climb-prepared Bentayga. 10 specially outfitted cars will bear the Pikes Peak Bentayga name and badging. The 10 cars will all have the six-liter twin turbo W12 engine with 600 horsepower, paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a permanent four-wheel-drive system. There's adaptive air suspension and Bentley's 48V Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system. However, not all of the cars will be finished in the dazzling Radium Satin lime green, as Beluga Black paint is also an option. The carbon bodykit is standard, as is a Mulliner interior package with lime-colored accents and Alcantara on the seats, the door cards and the steering wheel. On the dash is a green motif of the Pikes Peak course, and a matching counterpart can also be seen on the front fenders. The wheels are also two-tone, painted in Beluga with lime green accents. The Pikes Peak edition Bentayga will be available to be ordered both in the United States and Europe from August onwards. We expect a majority of the limited edition cars to find owners across the pond from Crewe. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga Pikes Peak Edition Image Credit: Bentley Bentley SUV Luxury Performance pikes peak bentley bentayga