-Flexjet takes design cues from Bacalar for themed Gulfstream G650 private jet and Sikorsky S-76 helicopter
– Both custom Flexjet aircraft are painted in gold chameleons, inspired by Bacalar’s julep exterior color
– Seats in exclusive Bacalar wicker stitching with Beluga and linen leather upholstery
– Interior veneers match 5000 year old river wood made for Bacalar hut
– Satin Bacalar bronze fittings and diamond engraved rug
-Bacalar Car Zero meets G650 at Farnborough Airport before flying to New York City
(Crewe, October 18, 2022) Inspired by the new Bentley Bacalar, an aerospace entrepreneur has teamed up with Mulliner Design to create two bespoke personalised aircraft that are now part of his private airline Flexjet fleet a part of.
Flexjet owner Kenn Ricci has been a Bentley customer for over a decade. His experience with the brand, which includes several co-created cars, led him to consider how to apply bespoke personalisation to his own industry. Mr Ricci is now working on The Bacalar project with members of Mulliner’s in-house design team, creating two new aircraft inspired by one of the rarest two-door Bentleys in modern times, his own Bentley Bacalar.
The Bacalar represents Mulliner’s return to bodybuilding, with 12 highly bespoke cars, meticulously handcrafted by Mulliner’s team of artisans in Crewe. Flexjet’s new Gulfstream G650 private jet embodies the same attention to detail and design excellence, paired with the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, both individually designed to reflect Bacalar’s unique specifications.
The rare and unique Julep colour option Mr. Ricci chose for his Bacalar inspired a unique variation from Flexjet livery to chameleon livery – usually red and gold chameleons – but for this pair it became the silver used. Green chameleon livery for accent accents.
Inside, the copper head shapes and woven stitching on the alcove Bacalar canvas and Beluga leather-trimmed seats inspired the custom seats in the Gulfstream G650 and Sikorsky S-76.
The 5,000-year-old reclaimed river wood that makes up Bacalar’s handmade veneer inspired the matching wood veneer type used on both aircraft. Satin Bacalar bronze fittings adorn the cottage, as do the unique diamond-engraved rugs.
Flexjet offers a bespoke luxury travel experience, but it’s not the only company that recognises the individuality that bespoke personalisation can bring. Since 2020, the percentage of customers choosing Bentleys with specific Mulliner features has grown almost exponentially. Demand for Mulliner specialty coatings more than doubled; Mulliner tripled the number of individual assignments, allowing the Mulliner team to truly realize their individual vision.
While Mr. Ricci’s car was getting the finishing touches, the first and original Bacalar — a development car known as the Car Zero — met up with a Gulfstream G650 at Farnborough Airport before flying to New York. Meanwhile, in August, the S-76 made its public debut at The Quail at Monterey Car Week.
Inspirational Design
The individual design of the luxury aircraft was inspired by the specifications of Mr. Ricci’s own Bacalar. Finished in a rare Julep exterior paint finish, the car features 22-inch custom tri-colour dark grey satin wheels with polished surfaces and Northern Lights highlights for a drab contrast to the lively exterior. The color of the headlight center matches that of the satin bronze exterior lights on the hip rails and satin carbon fiber rear deck surround. Air intakes on the hood create a visual effect and, like the exterior mirrors, are made of satin carbon. Satin carbon fiber also adds definition to the “power hump” behind the front seats, as well as the side skirts and rear diffuser. Exhaust pipes with a satin bronze exterior and matte black interior complete the look of the rear of the vehicle.
White and black cabins with Bacalar bronze accents create a striking modern interior theme. Covered in gloss black, a double-layered open-pore river wood veneer wraps the passenger and extends from one side of the cabin to the other, harmoniously matching the technical details of the exterior. Every trim and detail of the interior is custom made through a careful combination of white, black and bronze leather and the use of Alcantara, shiny and satin black metal, dark and shiny chrome finishes, and satin carbon fiber.
Bacalar bronze leather accentuates the shape of the upper rollers, steering wheel centreline and headrest surrounds. This continues with further stitching in the rear of the seats within the oval perforated Beluga duct, and hand-cross stitching along the doors, along the styling line all the way to the center console.
Ultimate Personalisation
The uniquely designed details and features in the Bacalar cockpit accentuate the car’s body character, offering customers virtually limitless possibilities to express their personal taste and order a unique interior. From the use of luxurious intarsia, the unique finish of the driver’s controls, to the 148,199 individual stitches required to embroider the unique Bacalar quilt on each seat, every Bentley’s specification is a journey of discovery, even if The “standard” model can also be configured in literally a billion ways.
Mulliner’s design process takes it a step further – infinite combinations of materials, colours and finishes. The resulting fine luxury tourer is limited only by national laws and the client’s imagination.