Growing up, there was nothing fancier than a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Watching my neighbor emerge from his driveway each morning in a cream Bentley Mulsanne Turbo and disappear down the road made me loathe my wood paneled Jeep Grand Wagoneer that had the acceleration of an ice cream truck; it was pretty great in the heavy Toronto snow unless the rear window refused to defrost or go back up.
Bentley felt like the car of really affluent doctors and business owners and one could only imagine the experience of driving one down University Avenue and feeling the stares of curious onlookers.
As luck would have it, a family friend offered me the opportunity to drive his Bentley Azure down the Florida Turnpike from Orlando to West Palm Beach where it was being traded in for a Porsche and Maserati.
The first few moments felt like Anthony Michael Hall getting behind the wheel of Jake Ryan’s fathers Rolls-Royce in 16 Candles and the sheer feeling of terror that one might scratch it or crash into some Bubie in a Buick.
I think I need to experience that again in the new Bentley Batur by Mulliner with Naim’s bespoke hi-fi system down that same road.
In a continuation of a partnership spanning more than fifteen years, Naim has created an exclusive Hi-Fi system for the 2024 Bentley BATUR by Mulliner, the latest model from the famous car manufacturer’s Mulliner division.
This $2.1 million car – the fastest and most powerful Bentley has ever created –deserves nothing less than an exceptional sound system. Backed up by Focal’s unique sound expertise, Naim has poured its 50 years of audio innovation into the creation of a unique system.
The engineers at Naim have developed a bespoke system, with help from Focal as their sister brand within the VerVent Audio Group. Made in France at the Focal’s own workshops, the speaker drivers benefit from the audio brand’s renowned expertise and boast the sound signature produced by Utopia, one of the best audio products in the world.
The Naim For Mulliner system is the result of 10,000 hours of innovation developments inherited from both brands. The speaker drivers feature patented ‘M’ cones. This exclusive ‘M’-profile made from a single piece (with no dust cap) provides incredible rigidity and perfectly combines the three criteria for a speaker driver: rigidity, lightnessand damping.
The result? According to Naim, an extremely linear frequency response, a low distortion rate and better sound dispersion. This cone boasts a breathtaking level of detail to the listening experience, along with captivating realism. The TAM tweeter has been chosen to produce a silky treble.
Its distinctive wide-angle diffusion is beneficial for the ‘off-axis’ listening of in-car environments. Comprising an ‘M’-profile aluminum/magnesium cone, it delivers flawless harmonic balance and impressive purity. The whole system produces a sound that claims to be immersive, exhilarating, warm and powerful.
Naim for Mulliner: £25,000 hi-fi option developed exclusively for coachbuilt Batur by Mulliner, limited to just 18 cars — all of which are already accounted for.
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