Bentley Bacalar
2020–2021 · Bentley Bacalar — Grand Tourer, W12 Twin-Turbo, designed by Stefan Sielaff.
The Story
The Bacalar was Mulliner’s announcement that Bentley could build art. Revealed in 2020 as the division’s first coachbuilt car of the modern era — a craft Crewe had let lapse since the 1950s — it was a roofless, two-seat barchetta that shared not one body panel with any other Bentley, and all 12 were sold before the public ever saw it.
Named after Laguna Bacalar in Mexico’s Yucatán, it married a 650-hp W12 to materials no spec sheet expects: natural British wool and 5,000-year-old ‘Riverwood’ reclaimed from the peat of the East Anglian Fenlands. At roughly $1.9 million it wasn’t a car so much as a commission.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Stefan Sielaff
German designer, most of his career at Audi (Head of Audi Design under Walter de Silva), a spell at Mercedes-Benz, then Bentley Director of Design 2015–2021 (3rd-gen Continental GT, Mulliner Bacalar); since with the Geely Group.
Studio Motors POV
The car that reborn Mulliner coachbuilding — proof a Bentley can be sculpture. Early values wobbled, but rarity this absolute rarely stays cheap.
The Engine
Volkswagen Group 6.0 W12 (Twin-Turbo)
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About Bacalar
Worth Knowing About the Bacalar
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. Not a single body panel is shared with any other Bentley.
- 2. The dashboard veneer is 5,000-year-old 'Riverwood,' reclaimed from the peat of the East Anglian Fenlands.
- 3. It's named after Laguna Bacalar in Mexico; the launch 'Car Zero' demonstrator was effectively a 13th car beyond the 12 sold.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 12 units, all sold before the public reveal (2020).
- 2. 650 hp (659 PS) 6.0 W12; open two-seater.
- 3. Mulliner's first coachbuilt car of the modern era — reviving a dormant craft.
- 4. ~$1.9M (£1.5M); some have since traded near $2.2M.
- 5. Bodywork shares nothing with the donor Continental GT.
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
No famous owner named publicly. Documented examples: a Monaco-based owner held #5/12 (later sold at a heavy loss); a one-owner #12/12 surfaced with ~118 miles. Carwow’s Mat Watson test-drove ‘Car Zero’ (the 13th car). No celebrity owner verified.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
All 12 are bespoke — spec, materials and provenance define value; near-delivery-mileage cars and the known ‘Car Zero’ demonstrator are the talking points. With a 12-off coachbuild, the story is the asset.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Bentley Bacalar
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 2020–2021
- Units built
- 12 (all sold)
- Variants
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- W12 Twin-Turbo
- Engine family
- Volkswagen Group 6.0 W12 (Twin-Turbo)
- Displacement
- 5,998 cc (6.0 L)
- Power
- 650 hp
- Torque
- 664 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 3.5 s
- Top speed
- 200 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 269 hp/tonne · 8.2 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 8-speed dual-clutch
- Drivetrain
- AWD · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 5322 lb
Questions
Bacalar FAQ
What is the Bentley Bacalar, and how many were made?
The Bentley Bacalar is a Mulliner Coachbuilt two-seat open barchetta limited to 12 examples, all sold before the public reveal in 2020. It was Bentley Mulliner’s first modern coachbuilt car and shares no body panels with any other Bentley.
What is the Riverwood veneer used in the Bentley Bacalar?
The Bacalar’s wraparound dashboard is cut from Riverwood: wood naturally preserved for 5,000 years in the peat bogs and rivers of East Anglia. Bentley air-dries and hand-finishes each piece before fitting it to the cabin.
How fast is the Bentley Bacalar, and how is it powered?
The Bacalar uses a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 developing 650 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, covering 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds to beyond 200 mph. Each of the 12 cars is bespoke.
How much does a Bentley Bacalar sell for today?
All 12 Bacalars sold privately before public reveal at approximately $1.9 million each. The only documented public auction sale (RM Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi) realized $876,875 — well below the original allocation price.
The Bentley Lineup
Explore every Bentley
3 Litre ’216½ Litre / Speed Six ’264½ Litre ’27Blower 4½ Litre ’29
R-Type Continental ’52S1 Continental ’55S-Type Saloon (S1/S2/S3) ’55S2/S3 Continental ’59
Mulsanne (1980) ’80Turbo R ’85
Continental R ’91Azure ’95Arnage ’98
Continental GT (1st gen) ’03Continental Flying Spur ’05Azure (2nd gen) ’06Brooklands (Coupé) ’08
Mulsanne (2010) ’10Continental GT (2nd gen) ’11Flying Spur (2nd gen) ’13Bentayga ’15Continental GT (3rd gen) ’18Flying Spur (3rd gen) ’19
Bacalar ’20Batur ’22Continental GT (4th gen) ’24
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