Who Makes Britain’s Best Luxury Car? The Bentley Batur

Is the standard Bentley just a tad too “mass-produced” for your refined tastes? Enter the stage with a burst of regal silver, the all-new Batur, a statement so exclusive that it makes a regular Bentley look like a run-of-the-mill hatchback. We’re talking big, bold, and quintessentially Bentley – not to mention, it’s dressed up with a price tag upwards of £1.4 million (plus all those obligatory local taxes and tempting options). Yes you read that right, £1.4 mil. But oh boy, this isn’t your everyday Bentley; it’s a swan song for a 6.0-litre W12 bi-turbo engine that’s been around for nearly two decades, given a makeover by folks with brains so big they need complicated spanners to tame the beast.

You see, when Bentley says “more efficient,” what they mean is “more powerful.” None of that hushed Bentley speak here; the Batur roars to life with a jaw-dropping 730bhp, backed by a titanic 737lb ft of torque (or for those who prefer numerical tidiness, 1,000Nm), ready to thrust you into warp speed with a torque curve that’s curvier than your favourite park bench. In plain English, it’s as expensive as it is powerful, as exclusive as it is lavish, and yes, it’s fast enough to make Usain Bolt look like he’s walking.

Now, before you start imagining glorious high-speed escapades on the open road, here’s a dose of Before your imagination sets sail on dreams of magnificent high-speed jaunts along open British lanes, allow me to offer a reality check: my escapade with the Batur commenced with me navigating a pulse-pounding 35mph in a quintessential British downpour that persisted for what felt like an eternity. Visibility? A mere 20 feet, giving me an exclusive front-row view of raindrops engaging in a spirited tap-dancing performance on the windshield. The thunderstorm decided to engulf our British escapade, transforming what could have been a symphony of driving bliss into a cacophony of “backpack nuke of holiday hire cars.” Overdramatic, you say? Welcome to the Batur adventure.

But here’s the kicker, after surviving Noah’s Ark levels of rain, a spectacular revelation hit me on day two, and it had more to do with the weather gods than anything else. As I manoeuvred the Batur through the lush landscapes of the New Forest, the scenery shifted from picturesque greens to what could only be described as a scene from a Martian odyssey. And as I drove, a miracle transpired – the clouds parted, and glorious, golden sunshine bathed the world beyond the trees. And boy did the Batur shine! Its slick silver paint deepened, shapes became distinct, and every detail seemed to come alive. It’s like that moment when the hero in a movie discovers his superpowers.

Sure, the interior feels like a lavish rendition of the GT Speed, with all the Bentley trimmings, including fancy finishes like 18-carat gold organ stop vents and rotary controls. There’s even a stereo that can probably make angels weep, but then again, it should, considering it costs about as much as a small country’s GDP. But here’s the deal; once you’ve seen that iconic badge, you don’t need a DNA test to confirm it’s a Bentley.

Yet, when you spend some quality time with the Batur, it reveals itself as more than just a sum of exclusive parts and familiar Bentley DNA. The experience of piloting the Batur through the undulating British vistas, flanked by the grandeur of the countryside, brings about a transformation. It’s a paradox; a Bentley that’s both a poised GT and a ferocious corner carver, a bit like if James Bond moonlighted as a Formula 1 driver.

You’d think a car this big shouldn’t be this agile, like watching an opera singer execute parkour. The Batur defies its weight, but then again, it’s been given the Bentley version of a super serum – air suspension, 48V active ride control, an e-diff, four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive, massive carbon-ceramic brakes, and probably a butler serving tea in the boot. It’s a bit heavier than your standard GT, but that feeling, the feeling intensifies as you push it. Those subtle differences, the unique turbos, the distinct breathing, and those larger chargecoolers make power delivery a silk ribbon dance – so smooth you’d swear it’s faster than the official numbers. Launch control? Yep, it’s reliably spectacular, like firing a cannonball wrapped in silk. Be warned, this is not a scalpel; it’s a cleaver, but a cleaver with the elegance to make surgeons jealous.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, or should I say the Bentley in the garage – is the price tag worth it? Some might argue it’s a bit too sedate to warrant such a cost, but the value of a product is measured by what someone’s willing to pay. And guess what? All Baturs are already spoken for. It seems that the ultra-rich are still, well, ultra-rich. The Bentley Batur is for those who’ve moved beyond the show-off stage of wealth; it’s for the ones who expect bespoke as standard and couture as a necessity. Sure, many of these will probably collect dust in garages or do the occasional parade around the city, but here’s the kicker, the Batur isn’t just some high-strung, hyper-expensive toy; it’s a car you can actually live with, a daily with the guts to face the grind. Isn’t that what you’d expect for a cool 1.4 million quid?

In the end, the Bentley Batur isn’t just a car; it’s a statement, a piece of automotive art that marries British elegance with road-devouring excellence. It’s more than the sum of its parts; it’s a symphony of engineering prowess and design brilliance. Sure, most of us will never pilot one, but knowing that a car like this exists is what makes the world of automobiles so endlessly captivating. It’s a reminder that, in the realm of luxury, boundaries aren’t limits; they’re just starting points for the next masterpiece. Cheers to the Bentley Batur, the embodiment of stealth wealth and a solid daily driver – you know, in case your fleet of exotic toys need a bit of variety.

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