Ever Wanted A Bentley-Inspired Ducati? No? Here's One Anyway

Bentley's last internal combustion-powered model is the $2.1-million Batur coupe. Just 18 of the 740 horsepower grand tourers will be made, and to celebrate, Ducati is building 550 motorcycles. Sound a little weird? Well, at least the bike looks good.

If you didn't know, Ducati is a subsidiary of Lamborghini, which is, in turn, a part of Audi. Audi is part of the VW group, of course, which also includes Bentley. That's the connection that makes collaboration between a British luxury brand and an Italian motorcycle company possible. The answer is always Germans.

The bike itself is a beast even before it gets any Batur-inspired touches. The Diavel V4 packs 168 horsepower from a 1.2-liter V4 "Granturismo" engine. It's transformed into a Bentley-branded bike with several aesthetic changes.

The Scarab Green color is straight out of Bentley's ultra-luxury Mulliner Palette, for instance. The Forged wheels also match those found on the Batur very closely. Beyond that, Ducati and Bentley designers worked together to try and match the two and four-wheeled vehicles together as much as they could. Components like the air intakes, front mudguard, fairing, and fuel tank were all sculpted to be reminiscent of the $2.1-million coupe.

A total of 500 standard examples of the bike will be built at a price of $70,000 a piece, but an additional 50 so-called "Diavel for Bentley Mulliner" bikes will be available for Bentley Mulliner customers. Those clients will be able to customize their motorcycles' color and trim to their liking, with tons of possible options. You'll need $90,000 to get your hands on one. 

Ducati's CEO Claudio Domenicali anticipates that "by the end of the week it will be completely sold out." The company is currently taking deposits on the bikes, with deliveries set to begin in the summer of next year.

Photos: Jeff Perez For Motor1

27