August 26, 2021 5 minutes read
Anybody who has ever driven a car knows the thrill of driving. However, the fear and anxiety of hitting a curb or worse are lingering subtly.
That feeling is yours? That's great. Imagine how that feeling multiplies when the car you drive is a $2 million car, which is only one of 12 worldwide.
I had the pleasure, and momentary panic (after recalling the time I almost hit a deer in my first car at 16) of trying out the Bentley Motors Bacalar Car Zero in Monterey Car Week. It was located along the famous 17-mile drive.
Each one of the 12 Bacalar cars can be customized to your liking, including the paint color, seat stitching, leather, and dashboard. As long as you have the money, it can almost always be done.
You can't make them all, as they have been sold to private buyers.
It's a return of bespoke coach-building to Bentleys Muliner division. This allows the Bentley team to interact one-on-one, giving them a level and accessibility that is almost priceless (aside the $2 million).
Photo courtesy of Bentley
I entered Car Zero and sat down carefully, not wanting to damage it.
I stopped for a second to admire the interior. It is a place that can only be described with complete elegance.
First, the interior wood isn't an oak or dark brown as one might think, but it is completely black.
It wasn't painted in that way. Riverwood is a unique wood paneling option that comes from trees that have been aged in peat bogs and lakes in the UK for more than 5,000 years. The wood has a distinctive black color and unique look.
Are you chic and eco-conscious? It's what we love to see, but it is also what we have come to expect from Bentley. The brand has set itself the goal to become the most sustainable luxury vehicle company in the world. All cars will be electric by 2030.
The contrast between the leather and the gold yellow piping of the Beluga leather seats is striking. This interior can also be compared to the Scarab-green exterior. It's a color that must be experienced in person. It's like emerald green and hunter-green had a baby, and it got 10 volumes of gloss. It's as sharp as they come.
It also features a wraparound cockpit design that blends the cockpit with the dashboard, doors, and custom luggage compartment.
Photo courtesy of Bentley
I hit the start button, and it began to go at a steady 0.2 miles an hour.
It was quite cold in Monterey and that was why I was first introduced to the heat scarf idea.
It was not a scarf for my head, although I had one. It was a ring that could be activated by pressing a button. This would blow warm air around any part of my body that was not exposed to outside air. Genius.
As expected, the car drove smoothly and quietly. However, when sport mode was activated I could hear the engine getting louder which made for quite the spectacle.
This car deserves to be seen. There were dozens of car enthusiasts and potential YouTubers waiting to snap a quick shot as the Bacalar drove past. This is probably the closest I'll get to being able to defend myself against paparazzi. Let's be real, if you drive the Bacalar, you will love every moment of it.
Although the body design is based on Bentleys EXP 100 GT concept, it is entirely unique to Bacalar. This makes the car instantly recognisable and a real head-turner.
Photo courtesy of Emily Rella
It was easy to jump to higher speeds along the coast, thanks to the 6.0-L W12 TTI engine that can reach upto 650 HP. (Not that I ever tried pushing my limits because the speed limit was only 25 mph).
I reluctantly returned to the Bacalar and placed it in park. It was then that I realized that I couldn't get out of the door.
This was not an attempt to make my car more reliable, but a fact. The door handle was a leather strap and had to be pulled down to open the door.
The perfect ending to a joyride. Just when you think that you know it all, Bentley sneaks in a feature unlike any other.
