The successful continuation of their heritage poses a challenge for traditional companies. Once again, the French luxury brand Bugatti has shown that it can transform these challenges into unique models. With its one-off car “La Voiture Noire”, Bugatti has again proved that it makes the world’s most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive hyper sports cars.
“The true form of luxury is individuality. ‘La Voiture Noire’ is now at the cutting edge of automobile production. It is a sculptural beauty with unique technology, the ideal grand tourisme,” says Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann. This is a coupé with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sports car.
A pioneering spirit, a passion for perfection and the desire to continually redefine its limits have been the key characteristics of Bugatti since the brand was established 110 years ago. “Our history is both a privilege and a responsibility – the responsibility for continuing the Bugatti heritage into the future. With “La Voiture Noire”, we are paying homage to our heritage and bringing speed, technology, luxury and aesthetics forward to a new era,” says Stephan Winkelmann. The new hyper sports car reflects Bugatti’s French heritage and its French identity – elegance through minimalism and refinement through intensification. This is a tailor-made creation only comparable with the haute couture of exclusive Paris fashion designers.
“La Voiture Noire” – more than a reinterpretation
“La Voiture Noire is a far more than a modern interpretation of Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic. It is a feast of aesthetics,” says Stephan Winkelmann. With its extended front end and the distinctive Bugatti C-line, the “Voiture Noire“ creates an elongated impression with the elegant waistline defining the contours of the coupé. Purism and elegance are reflected in the surfaces and the clear lines. The bumpers are smoothly integrated into the body and the windscreen seems to flow seamlessly into the windows at the sides like the visor on a helmet. Without any irritating lines, the surface is “all of a piece” and there is nothing to disturb the optical flow. This means that the hyper sports car has changed its attitude and become a grand tourisme – ideal for comfortable travel on long trips.
“Every single component has been handcrafted and the carbon fiber body has a deep black gloss only interrupted by the ultrafine fiber structure. This is a material that has been handled perfectly,” says Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé. “We worked long and hard on this design until was nothing that we could improve. For us, the coupé represents the perfect form with a perfect finish. The heart of the new creation is the iconic 16-cylinder engine – unique in the automotive world and the peak of the engineer’s art. “This is not only an engine but the heart of the vehicle and a technical masterpiece. There is no other car in the world with such an engine. It is not only extremely powerful but also beautiful to look at,” Stephan Winkelmann enthuses. The 16-cylinder engine with a displacement of 8 liters develops 1,103 kW/1,500 PS and 1,600 Newton-meters of torque. Six tailpipes at the rear bear witness to its incredible power and are also a tribute to the 16 cylinders.
For €11 million (before tax) this unique car has already been sold to a Bugatti enthusiast. It is the most expensive new car of all time. The car enthusiast is fascinated by the Atlantic; with the “Voiture Noire“, he has acquired a vehicle that takes up the legend and carries the idea forward to the present day. In its exclusiveness, style, quality and performance, “La Voiture Noire” is an unprecedented and unique car that continues a long tradition in the history of the automobile.
For more information on the Bugatti “La Voiture Noire” visit www.bugatti.com/la-voiture-noire/
Photos courtesy of the Bugatti Newsroom.