Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

Bentley Batur Convertible #4

Bentley’s Mulliner division has never been shy about excess, but Batur Convertible #4 takes bespoke indulgence to a level that even Crewe’s most seasoned craftspeople must pause to admire. This is not merely another ultra-limited Bentley with a paint-to-sample exterior and a few special badges. It’s a deeply personal expression of what coachbuilding looks like when time, money, and taste are allowed to roam freely—and when the client knows exactly what she wants.

That client is Sonia Breslow, a collector whose garage already reads like a greatest-hits album of Bentley history: a Blower Continuation Series, a Speed Six Continuation Series, and the Bacalar that effectively rebooted Bentley’s modern coachbuilt era. Batur Convertible #4 doesn’t just join that lineup; it converses with it, carrying forward a visual and material language that’s uniquely hers.

From the outside, this Batur leans into elegance rather than shock value. The tri-tone exterior uses Breslow’s own commissioned colors, anchored by a hairline 6-mm gloss-silver stripe that accentuates the Batur’s defining feature—its seemingly endless hood. The upper body wears “Breslow Blue,” a shade so personal it extends beyond paint. Mulliner color-matched the convertible roof canvas to it, creating the first bespoke-colored roof of its kind. Drop the top, and the same hue reappears on the Airbridge beneath, turning a functional aero element into a design flourish.

Subtlety continues elsewhere. A Midnight Breslow Blue pinstripe traces the hood, wheel accents and mirror caps quietly echo the primary palette, and polished titanium exhaust finishers add a muted sparkle at the rear. Bright silver grilles keep things classic, reminding you this is still a Bentley—even if it’s one filtered through an intensely personal lens.

The real theater begins when you open the door. Bentley’s animated welcome lamps are already a party trick, but here they cross into signature art. Using more than 415,000 microscopic mirrors, the system projects Sonia Breslow’s handwritten name onto the ground. It’s not flashy in a Vegas way; it’s intimate, like a signed first edition waiting on your doorstep.

Inside, the cabin trades cool blues for warmth. Autumnal tans and caramel tones dominate, offset by restrained light-blue accents that pull the exterior Breslow Blue into the interior without overwhelming it. Contrast stitching runs across the tonneau, seats, headrests, and instrument panel, tying the space together with quiet consistency. Look down, and you’ll spot the outline of Mount Batur—namesake of the car—woven subtly into the deep-pile floor mats, a detail most owners would never notice but Mulliner insists on perfecting anyway.

The dashboard blends old and new in a way only Bentley seems able to pull off. Inspired by early Bentleys, a bright aluminum engine-spin finish spans the fascia, shimmering softly rather than shouting for attention. The Bentley Rotating Display—equal parts gimmick and genius—features bespoke-colored gauge faces and a satin-blue clock face that matches the overall theme. It’s the kind of detail that feels indulgent until you realize how cohesively it’s been executed.

Then there’s the metalwork. Batur Convertible #4 marks Bentley’s first use of three-dimensionally printed platinum. The top-dead-center marker on the steering wheel and each organ stop are crafted from the precious metal, adding literal weight to the term “bespoke.” It’s innovation hiding in plain sight, more jeweler’s atelier than automotive factory.

For all its handcrafted artistry, this Batur doesn’t forget to perform. Under that endless hood sits the most powerful version of Bentley’s iconic W12: a hand-assembled, twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter engine delivering 740 horsepower. In an era where downsizing and electrification loom large, the Batur Convertible feels like a last, defiant love letter to excess internal combustion. It’s not about lap times or Nürburgring bragging rights; it’s about effortless, continent-crushing grand touring, roof down, horizon ahead.

Breslow herself sums it up best. This isn’t a speculative asset or a concours queen waiting for its next auction appearance. It’s a forever car, designed down to the last stitch and pinstripe to reflect its owner’s passion for detail and individuality. In that sense, Batur Convertible #4 isn’t just a Bentley—it’s a collaboration, a rolling manifesto of what modern coachbuilding can be when the client is as committed as the craftsmen.

As it joins its Mulliner siblings, this Batur stands as a reminder that true luxury isn’t about shouting the loudest. Sometimes, it’s about a handwritten name in light, a roof dyed just right, and a W12 beating beneath a hood that seems to stretch on forever.

Source: Bentley

NEW CARS

2027 Ford Bronco RTR

Ford has never been shy about stretching the Bronco nameplate, and for 2027 it’s doing exactly that—again. Meet the Ford Bronco RTR, a factory-backed off-roader born from Ford Performance and Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR Vehicles. The pitch is simple and compelling: Raptor-style high-speed desert capability, dialed-up visual drama, and a starting price that undercuts some of the Bronco lineup’s more hardcore trims.

If you’ve been paying attention to RTR’s work on Mustangs and Broncos, this move feels inevitable. RTR-built rigs have long blended attitude with real performance upgrades, and now Ford is folding that recipe directly into the production lineup. The Bronco RTR isn’t a dealer-installed appearance package—it’s a purpose-built model with meaningful hardware changes.

Start with the basics. Standard equipment includes 33-inch all-terrain tires wrapped around RTR’s beadlock-capable Evo 6 wheels. A high-clearance suspension adds a modest lift, while Hyper Lime accents, an RTR grille, and distinctive lighting give the Bronco RTR a look that’s impossible to miss, especially when it’s barreling toward you across open desert.

But the real story here isn’t the paint and plastic. Ford and RTR have poured serious desert-racing know-how into this truck, most notably through revised engine software. The Bronco RTR gets off-road–optimized anti-lag technology that keeps the turbo spinning even when you lift, maintaining boost for smoother, more predictable throttle response. It’s the kind of tweak you don’t notice on the spec sheet—but you absolutely feel when you’re flying over washboard at speed.

To keep things cool when the terrain—and temperature—turn brutal, Ford also installs the Bronco Raptor’s cooling fan. That’s a strong signal that this truck is designed to be driven hard for extended periods, not just posed for social media.

For buyers who want to go all-in, there’s the optional Sasquatch package. That upgrade swaps the standard 33s for 35-inch tires and, more importantly, brings the HOSS 3.0 suspension into the mix with Fox dampers. Previously reserved for the Badlands, HOSS 3.0 trickling down the Bronco lineup is a win for enthusiasts—and it transforms the RTR into a much more serious high-speed off-road weapon.

Ford is also keen to emphasize value. According to Bronco brand manager Haley Skiko, the Bronco RTR is meant to be a “sweet spot” in the lineup, delivering Raptor-inspired performance at a lower starting price than a Badlands Sasquatch. Translation: it’s aimed squarely at buyers who want real desert capability without the full Raptor commitment—or cost.

The Bronco RTR will make its public debut at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, with a more natural habitat awaiting it shortly after at King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley. Orders open in October, and deliveries are slated for January 2027.

In a lineup that’s already crowded with capable trims, the Bronco RTR still manages to carve out its own identity. It’s louder, faster, and more desert-focused than most Broncos—and crucially, it feels like more than just another badge. If Ford’s goal was to inject RTR’s racing DNA straight into the showroom, this Bronco looks like a mission accomplished.

Source: Ford

NEW CARS

The Jensen Interceptor Is Back—and This Time It’s Packing American V-8 Thunder Again

Some names never really die. They just wait for the right moment—and the right engine—to come roaring back. The Jensen Interceptor, one of Britain’s most charismatic muscle-bound grand tourers, is officially set for resurrection, nearly 50 years after the last original rolled off the line. And yes, it’s bringing a V-8 with it.

The reborn Interceptor comes courtesy of Jensen International Automotive (JIA), a Banbury-based outfit best known for painstakingly restoring and reimagining classic Interceptors into modern restomods like the Interceptor R. This time, though, JIA isn’t reworking history—it’s writing a fresh chapter. The upcoming GT is the company’s first clean-sheet design, a fully new car that merely tips its hat to the past.

Production will be extremely limited—“ultra-low,” in JIA’s words—which is shorthand for don’t ask the price unless you already know you can afford it. Hand-built in Britain, the new Interceptor positions itself as an ultra-high-performance luxury GT aimed squarely at drivers who think the word “analogue” is a compliment.

That philosophy should resonate with anyone tired of capacitive sliders and menu-diving. JIA promises a fully analogue driving experience, which strongly suggests a manual gearbox and a cabin heavy on real switches and physical controls—much like the original Interceptor, only without the 1960s build tolerances.

Under that long hood will be a familiar but formidable powerplant. While final specs haven’t been released, Autocar reports that the car will be based around the latest Chevrolet Corvette’s 6.2-liter V-8. In stock form, that engine produces 495 horsepower and 452 pound-feet of torque, but JIA says the powertrain will be “bespoke,” which likely means tuning, calibration, and possibly hardware changes tailored specifically to this car’s GT mission.

That transatlantic engine choice is entirely in keeping with tradition. The original Interceptor relied on a big-block Chrysler V-8—6.3 liters initially—making around 250 horsepower and pushing the car to nearly 140 mph, serious numbers for its era. The new car aims to honor that same formula: British luxury and style, American displacement and punch.

The chassis will be a lightweight aluminum structure, a modern foundation designed to keep mass in check and maximize the power-to-weight ratio. No curb weight figures yet, but the intent is clear: this won’t be a soft boulevard cruiser masquerading as a performance car.

Design details are still under wraps, but the first official image confirms that JIA understands what made the Interceptor visually iconic. Expect a long bonnet, a raked roofline, and a low, muscular stance—classic GT proportions interpreted through a modern lens rather than a retro caricature.

Managing director David Duerden says JIA is “taking the theme of the luxury British GT to fresh, thoroughly modern heights,” while emphasizing that the car will stand as an all-new machine rather than a nostalgic remake. That’s the right call. Icons survive by evolving, not by pretending time stopped in 1971.

As for when we’ll see it in the metal, no official debut date has been announced. Still, given JIA’s emphasis on British identity, a reveal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this July would make perfect sense. Fast cars, loud engines, historic names reborn—it’s exactly the kind of setting where the Interceptor belongs.

Half a century on, the Jensen Interceptor is returning not as a museum piece, but as a modern GT with old-school values: big engine, rear-drive attitude, and a driver-first mindset. And frankly, we could use more cars like that.

Source: Jensen Motors