Bentley’s limited-edition Batur will be limited to 18 coupes, based on the Continental GT but with all-new bodywork.The Batur gets a 729-hp version of Bentley’s long-lived W-12 engine. As is the norm these days among new-car reveals, this one is showing the future design direction of forthcoming EV models.It might seem odd to be looking at a car powered by a 729-hp W-12 engine and thinking about EVs, but that is what Bentley is ordering us to do with the Batur, a limited-run coupe that has just been unveiled at Monterey Car Week. Because, while the Batur is still powered by sweet, sweet hydrocarbons, we’re told that it showcases the design direction the British luxury brand is planning to take as it develops its first full EV, which is due to arrive in 2025.
Beneath its all-new bodywork, the Batur is based on the floorpan and mechanical package of the existing Continental GT. Just 18 will be built by Bentley’s bespoke Mulliner division, and all have already been reserved by clients, none of whom was apparently put off by the base price, which translates to nearly $2 million at current exchange rates. We’re told that at least some of those customers already own examples of Mulliner’s previous Conti-based limited run, the roof-free Bacalar from 2020. The speed at which the speedster sold out its even more restricted run of 12 cars encouraged Bentley to commission more of the Batur, and it seems likely that additional ultra-exclusive models will follow.

Resting Beast Face Like the Bacalar, the Batur is named after a body of natural water, in this case Lake Batur, a 290-foot-deep crater lake in Kintamani on the Indonesian island of Bali. Award yourself a geography point if you already knew that. The muscular aesthetic is the work of a small team led by Andreas Mindt, Bentley’s recently arrived director of design, with a reimagined style language that seeks to combine elegance and the projection of power. What the company refers to as a “resting beast stance: picture a lion or tiger laying low in attack position in long grass.”
While the Batur’s sizable radiator grille is a familiar detail from existing Bentleys, the new teardrop headlight units are a radical departure for a brand that has become associated with large circular lights, with the smaller apertures containing three powerful projector units. Behind this, the Batur’s long hood gives apparent proof that even fully electric Bentleys will keep the brand’s distinctive cab-rearward stance. The side profile is pleasingly reminiscent of a muscle car, and the Batur’s rounded rump is softer and more organic than the more angular lines of the Continental GT. The only carried-over parts are the door mirrors, these containing too many sensors to make it economically viable to create new ones for such a limited run.The cabin keeps the basic dashboard architecture of the Conti, since Bentley was unable to radically alter safety-critical systems like airbag placement for such a limited run. But, of course, it is finished with even plusher and rarer materials, with buyers able to specify a practically limitless range of colors and with trim options including a natural composite that is described as a more sustainable alternative to carbon fiber. The fascia includes a laser-etched sound wave that represents the sound of the W-12.

Bentley

Twilight SentinelWhile much of the Batur is forward-looking, the 6.0-liter W-12 is definitely part of Bentley’s past. Even the official release acknowledges it is entering its “twilight years” but also describes this version as being its ultimate development. A new intake system, upgraded turbochargers, and recalibration have boosted output to 729 horsepower, a 79-hp increase over the output of the W-12–powered Continental GT Speed. The Batur’s chassis uses the W-12 GT’s combination of air springs, adjustable dampers, and a 48-volt electromechanical anti-roll system. It also has an electrically operated torque-biasing rear differential, carbon-ceramic brakes, and bespoke 22-inch wheels as standard.Several Batur buyers have apparently traveled to Monterey to watch the unveiling and to complete the specification of their cars, with deliveries due to start in the middle of next year. If you’re kicking yourself for having missed out, you may want to head over to your local Bentley dealer and beg to get on the list for the next limited run.
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Michael SimariCar and Driver How much does climate control, specifically heat, affect range? We took our long-term Tesla Model 3 to the Chrysler Proving Grounds’ five-mile oval track to test energy consumption with various levels of HVAC usage. With the seat warmers on and the heat on full blast, the Tesla lost over 60 miles […] More

A Connecticut dealer just sold a brand-new Lotus Evora S coupe after having it in stock for seven years.
We’re calling this the oldest new car sold in the U.S. Prove us wrong! The 2014 model now has an expired warranty, and it was sold for $20,000 under sticker.
Don’t worry, dealer Steve Plona’s got other Lotus cars for sale, including the next-oldest: a 2018 Evora 400.
Steve Plona just sold a new Lotus Evora—and it took him only seven years to do it.
Omitting the last Lexus LFA that’s presumably still out there, this 2014 Evora S 2+2 was unofficially the oldest new car for sale in America until a few days ago. How on earth could a $90,000 sports car sit unsold in Connecticut, a state brimming with wealthy sports-car owners, under three U.S. presidents? Forget a moment that it’s a new Lotus—an obscurity that doesn’t quite age like a good French champagne—and instead picture this white-on-black coupe as one man’s quiet dissent.
“It was a protest to some schemes of the pricing people had,” said Plona, general manager for Secor Lotus in New London. “I think it’s an undervalued brand.”

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The buyer was an Elise owner from Long Island, New York, who claimed the car for about $70,000, he said. The factory warranty is expired. The tires, engine oil, and battery are original. But that sounds worse than it is. Plona said he plugged in a trickle charger, overfilled the tires to avoid rot, and changed all fluids except for the synthetic oil, which he kept for the new owner to change out at the 1000-mile engine break-in. Every so often, Plona would take the Evora out from climate-controlled storage to let it run. The odometer clocked less than 100 miles.

Secor Lotus

“There were a lot of dealers that were deeply discounting those cars,” he said. “I thought that was hurting the brand.”

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2020 Lotus Evora GT

Plona’s discount, seven years on, is roughly what many Lotus dealers were doling out in 2014. Steep depreciation and a near-invisible presence have made modern life hard for Lotus dealers. Yet the U.S. is the company’s number-two market behind Germany, and North America is the number-one region. Lotus sales were great in 2020—a couple hundred, according to Plona—and so were his dealership sales: seven, both new and used.

Secor Lotus

It’s not like Lotus the company has been in a hurry. The Evora’s door card shows a December 2013 build date, noting the airbag exemption that would expire shortly after. Lotus didn’t install a passenger airbag with a child sensor in time, so it stopped importing cars into the U.S. for an entire year. In 2014, we asked then CEO Jean-Marc Gales about this little problem, who “insisted there is enough inventory of ’14-spec Evoras to meet demand until the new model arrives.” Lord, was Gales right.
When the Evora debuted in 2010, Lotus was on top of the world supplying Tesla with Elise bodies. The British automaker soon promised a five-car lineup and made music producer Swizz Beatz a vice-president. Then the world fell. The company’s board fired the CEO and went without one for nearly two years. Its two prime cars, the Elise and Exige, failed to meet U.S. emissions and safety rules. They left the U.S. in 2011 and only returned five years later as track-only specials. Chinese automaker Geely bought Lotus from a Malaysian investment group in 2017 and now promises a 2000-hp electric hypercar.
“People in the know, they know what the brand is and its storied past,” Plona said. But there aren’t many, which means Plona will happily valet cars for service—one customer lives more than 100 miles away in Massachusetts—and keep those people from buying a Porsche.
Plona’s devotion to customers and refusal to underprice might make him this country’s staunchest Lotus advocate, or maybe he’s just the rare car salesman who exercises patience. He loves the Evora. He’s got seven new GT models in stock, and already he’s on to the next long game: a 2018 Evora 400 in custom Red Velvet paint. Perhaps it might be yours in another few years.

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The 16th running of our annual Lightning Lap is coming to an internet near you on February 7.This year we ran 17 different vehicles, including one convertible, one minivan, plus even one of our fleet-footed editors. Want to set your own times? Join us as we host a Lightning Lap–inspired track event on May 10 at Virginia International Raceway.For 16 years, we’ve used Virginia International Raceway’s demanding 4.1-mile Grand Course loop as a rubric for measuring the overall performance of cars. In that time we’ve tested more than 300 vehicles; some of the highlights include the third Lexus LFA ever built, a chart-topping Mosler MT900S, and even a handful of police cruisers. This year’s group answers some important questions. Curious how the new 670-hp Chevy Corvette Z06 or Honda Civic Type R fared? We’ve got answers. For those wondering how fast “regular” vehicles can lap, we ran our long-term Kia Carnival minivan. We even sent out one of our former track-star editors to see how long it takes to lap VIR on foot. There are plenty more questions answered—and video footage—when we post the full Lightning Lap package on February 7. If you got here via a QR-code link from the print issue, we’re sorry that we’re a little tardy getting the videos up, but those links will be restored when everything publishes on the 7th.Like Thunder, Like Lightning:Your patience will be rewarded with onboard videos of the fastest lap times from each of this year’s 17 entrants. Those videos will also be made available on the Car and Driver YouTube channel and will include commentary by the editors who wrestled at the wheel to achieve the fastest laps. If you think you can do better, we suggest joining us on May 10 at VIR to compete for your own Lightning Lap glory. Without giving away too much, we will say there were a few surprises. A compact performance SUV beat the times of some of our favorite hot hatches of the past. A new EV contender beat the last Tesla time by a landslide. Plus, the Z06 ended up in company with the quickest McLarens and Porsches we’ve ever run. And, uh, were you paying attention earlier when we mentioned we set a time in a minivan? Michael Simari and Marc Urbano|Car and DriverFor the sake of drama, we’ve included a list of every car at this year’s running. If you follow us on Instagram, you’ve likely already spied on what we strapped the Racelogic timing gear onto back in October.2022 Volkswagen GTI2022 Subaru WRX2023 Hyundai Kona N2023 BMW i42023 Audi RS32022 Hyundai Elantra N2023 Honda Civic Type R2022 BMW M240i2023 Toyota GR Supra2023 Toyota GR Corolla2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z062022 Kia Carnival2023 BMW M4 CSL2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing2022 Mercedes-AMG SL632023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RSMeanwhile, last year’s Lightning Lap is worth checking out. The five classes (sorted by vehicles’ prices with options) have made for especially good banter among weekend warriors and professional armchair analysts alike. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

• The E30-generation 3-series was the brand-defining sports sedan for BMW in the late ’80s and early ’90s.• This 1990 four-door was just listed on Bring a Trailer.• The auction ends on Thursday, July 1.Car enthusiasts might have been aware of BMW as far back as the days of the 2002, but the brand really entered the public consciousness in the 1980s with the emergence of yuppies. To save our younger readers the task of Googling: Yuppies were Young, Upwardly-mobile Urban Professionals and were typically derided for their materialistic outlook and acquisitive behavior. They were major purchasers of premium-priced European cars, most stereotypically BMWs. It turns out they were onto something, because the yuppie-favorite BMW 3-series of that era is pretty great.

We’ve called the E30-generation (1987–1993) 3-series “some of the purest driver’s cars of all time.” They’re so good to drive that most have been driven into the ground, which makes nice examples hard to find. That’s why this 1990 325i just listed on Bring a Trailer—which like Car and Driver is part of Hearst Autos—caught our eye.

Bring a Trailer

First of all, you want the six-cylinder 325i, because the earlier four-cylinder cars were considerably slower. Secondly, this one is equipped with a five-speed manual, which is much preferable to the four-speed automatic, being far better for wringing out the rev-happy 168-hp straight-six. According to the seller, this one was sold new in the Bay Area and remained with its original owner until his passing in 2013. His surviving spouse eventually donated it to charity in 2021.

Bring a Trailer

The seller acquired the car from the charity and proceeded to undertake a recommissioning that included replacement of the timing belt, oil pan, water pump, motor mounts, tires, hoses, and more. The body is presentable, although bumps and bruises are evident. The leather interior appears in equivalent condition, with wear on the driver’s seat upholstery but no cracks in the dash. The overall condition is about what you’d expect after 127,000 miles in a gentle climate.

Bring a Trailer

Bring a Trailer

At this writing, bidding is just getting started, so there’s still time to put in a lowball offer and hope this listing flies under the radar. But this 1989 325i sedan that sold for $19,000 back in December probably represents a reasonable barometer of the likely hammer price—it was the less-desirable automatic but had slightly lower mileage. Regardless of the selling price, the negative yuppie connotations have been consigned to history, leaving the winning bidder with a standout driving experience unencumbered by cultural baggage.

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