Yahoo Autos Bentley Bacalar Is All About Exclusivity
Exclusivity was never an issue in the early years of the automobile. Those who were wealthy enough to afford cars before the era of mass manufacturing would normally commission their favored style of bodywork from the same coachbuilders who had previously made horse-drawn carriages. It was a largely separate—and more dignified—trade to the grubby business of making frames, engines, and axles.
Coachbuilding survived for an impressively long time after the arrival of production line-built cars, but it became increasingly harder and more expensive as vehicles got more and more complex. But Bentley is now bringing back something very similar. Previewed by the Bacalar, Bentley's in-house Mulliner division is offering a radically different, limited-edition car built on the same underpinnings as the existing Continental GT convertible.
This approach is not entirely new—Lamborghini seems to launch two or three unobtanium-grade special models a year—but it's less common in the ultra-luxury segment. Bentley announced its plan to build a limited run of a dozen Bacalars earlier this year. The debut was originally scheduled for the Geneva auto show but, following its cancellation, the reveal was subsequently held online. At the same time, it also confirmed that all the cars had already been sold, despite their roughly $2 million price tag and the fact that Bacalars could only be imported to the United States under restrictive show-and-display regulations.
None of the customer Bacalars has been built yet, let alone a baseline prototype for honing the mechanical package. But we were given the chance to experience the concept that was meant to be on the stand at Geneva, with an exclusive drive on the Goodwood Circuit in the United Kingdom.
The combination of a seven-figure show car with zero weather protection and what is meant to be the height of the British summer produces an entirely predictable outcome: near-torrential rain. Not ideal conditions for a 650-hp car on an infamously crashable, high-speed racetrack, although it soon became clear that the show car is not built for speed, whatever the conditions.
The Bacalar's damp but beautifully finished interior quickly proves to be a theatrical set. Trying to close the windows reveals that the switches don't work, and the milled-aluminum temperature controls spin without altering either the display on the digital readout or the cabin's airflow; there is no actual climate-control system behind the dashboard. The hands of the clock and the trio of dials that sit on what should be a rotating panel atop the dashboard are frozen in place. The digital instrument display works, but it only plays a looped video to represent rising speed and revs. This means we do get to enjoy the unlikely experience of turning into Goodwood's tricky first Madgwick corner at an indicated 170 mph, but it's not one that reflects reality. On the plus side, at least the windshield wipers work.
