At some point in the past couple of years, Bugatti asked itself, “What if we built a radically light vehicle around the legendary 8.0-liter W16 engine?” Keep in mind that “radically light” is in comparison to the Chiron, which weighs about 4,500 pounds. The luxury firm from Molsheim, France, answered its question with a concept it called the Bolide, a track-only two-seater with an appetite for aero and downforce. Scooped-out bodywork, intense massaging, and throwing luxuries out the wraparound canopy dropped its weight to 2,737 pounds. That’s less than a Subaru BRZ for a car producing 1,824 horsepower on 110-octane race fuel. Bugatti called the Bolide a one-off, but guess what happens in a car market where someone throws $140,000 at a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser? Potential buyers made Zoom calls to Molsheim from their bank vaults while sitting on pyramids of money like the Joker in “The Dark Knight.” So now Bugatti is making 40 Bolides, the same number it made of its last track superstar, the Divo.
CEO Stephan Winkelmann was at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering to announce the production version. Bugatti said it is honing the Bolide’s aerodynamics and handling, and adding FIA-standard safety systems. The center-lock wheels will see production, as will a fuel bladder and pressurized refueling, a six-point safety harness with HANS compatibility, and an automatic fire extinguishing system.
There are prices to pay beyond MSRP for making dreams come true, though. The production vehicle gains some weight, coming in 460 pounds over the concept at 3,197 pounds. Changes to the engine tune mean horsepower takes a hit, too. The concept got its 1,824-hp puissance from 110 octane. The production W16 will drink far more accessible 98 RON gas, which is about 94 octane in the U.S., topping out at 1,577 hp and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. That drops the power-to-weight ratio from 0.67 to 0.49 — just behind the track-focused Koenigsegg Jesko at 0.51. Oh, the humanity.
The company says Bolide development and production will take place over the next three years, the first example scheduled for delivery in 2024. The price: 4 million euros, or roughly $4.7 million U.S. at the moment, and a million euros less than the street-legal Divo. What’s the French word for “bargain?”
August 13, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti Bolide gets a 40-unit production run
You’re just a quick Google search away from discovering that there are A LOT of mind-blowingly-expensive cars out there. Take your pick from any variation of search terms like “most expensive cars in the world”, “highest price paid for an automobile” or “most valuable cars ever made”, and be prepared for results that will probably surprise you; a list of cars that is more diverse and extensive than you’re probably thinking right now.
It’s no longer uncommon to see automobiles being sold for well into the tens-of-millions, with auction sales – particularly for classic cars – skewing prices upwards into the stratosphere. Our list is focused on cars that can still be bought from the manufacturer brand new, either as a new build or right off the showroom floor (no auctions or older cars). We’ve gone ahead and done the work of filtering candidates from this interestingly vast pool of cars, using further criteria (outlined below) which allows us to whittle the shortlist down to ‘just’ 20 multi-million-dollar cars.
Still for sale or not explicitly declared by the producer as being discontinued
Well beyond the concept phase (i.e. it’s actually going into production, if not yet already)
While it’s totally expected that all of these cars will be built in extremely limited quantities, one-off models are not included
Even with all of these filters in place, compiling this list still presented some challenges. Given these cars’ limitless and bespoke customization options – in addition to limited-edition trims and special packages – actual prices can have little to no bounds. So, we go on the best information that’s out there with regards to “starting prices”, which manufacturers aren’t shy to asterisk as being “estimates” or “uh…we’ll tell you sometime after we get your down payment”. Everyone’s usually fine with this arrangement – that’s just how things work at this level of the game.
Prices can even change drastically throughout the production process (and from as early as the concept phase) as automakers and customers encounter their own boons and obstacles – it’s amazing for example, how much currency exchange rates are at play when it comes to determining the final MSRP. Things like this may notably increase or even decrease previously marketed prices. Ultimately, $2.0 Million (USD) ended up being the baseline for entry onto this list. We tried to include a wider range of “supercars”, but at this stage our hand was forced to declare this as a hypercar-only space. That’s how crazy things have become, but I digress…
Hypercars are the new zenith in today’s automotive landscape, transcending the boundaries of the supercar to create a space occupied only by the most outlandish things that can still be called cars. While some of the relatively larger luxury and exotic car companies have created their own interpretations of the hypercar, many of these vehicles have been crafted by specialty automotive boutiques or singular-focused companies who are looking to showcase new technologies or smash land speed records. It is these very outfits that we will be focusing on, in this list of hypercars that are available to purchase in 2021. In terms of the everyday automobile, none of these will be household names; but they will be more than familiar to those who worship the automotive deities.
Bentley Bacalar – $2.0 Million
So what’s the most expensive, modern-day Bentley money can buy? That would have to be the $2,000,000 Bentley Bacalar, a two-seater, convertible luxury sports car that comes with the famous W12 engine and uses 5,000-year-old wood for its interior trim. While its engine is the evergreen W12 6.0L TSI unit that has been around since 2003, it has been further enhanced for the Bacalar to offer the smoothest ride possible, and still provide a massive 650 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Despite being closely related to the Continental GT, Bentley still had to produce over 750 custom parts for this car even though they only plan on releasing just twelve units to the public. While not normally considered a ‘hypercar’ marque, this particular Bentley however, certainly checks all the right boxes.
Ferrari Monza SP1 & SP2 – $2.0 Million
Both the Monza SP1 and SP2 are based on the Ferrari 812 Superfast and come with a 6.5LV12 engine with 810 hp sent to the rear wheels. An aluminum chassis and carbon fiber body make for a lightweight car with an absurd power-to-weight ratio. Expect a sub-3-second sprint from standstill to 60 mph, and scintillating 7.9 seconds to get up to 125 mph. Top speed will be around 186 mph. The primary difference between the two models is that the SP1 is a single seater, while the SP2 is a two-seater, with each configuration also impacting other elements of the car. The Monza SP1 has a tonneau cover, while the SP2 gets rid of the cover to make room for the second passenger. There is small windscreen and a second roll bar hoop in the SP2, which further differentiates the two designs from one another. We don’t think these cars will be approved for road use, so expect them to be track-day-only machines. Furthermore, only a maximum of 500 examples will be produced.
Lotus Evija – $2.1 Million
Lotus has been hyping their new fully-electric automobile, going as far as saying that the Evija will be a “mind-blowing supercar”. The car features two electric motors which output its outrageous 2,000 hp. The battery is placed in the middle of the car where a typical internal combustion mid-engine car would have its beating heart, helping it to achieve an ideal weight distribution. Lotus sought to strike the perfect balance between a track car and a road car, and that extends to the cabin – a minimalist, driver-focused interior design but with plenty of the comfort and convenience features you’d expect in a civil grand tourer. The Lotus Evija has been named as ‘The One to Watch‘ in Top Gear’s 2021 Electric Awards .
McLaren Speedtail – $2.3 Million
Meet the new Speedtail – an aptly-named addition to McLaren’s UltimateSeries of automobiles. This limited-edition car – of which only 106 examples will be built – represents McLaren’s unyielding pursuit of maximum top-speed. Whereas other McLaren’s blend handling, acceleration, and driving dynamics in a harmonious package, the Speedtail has a more singular focus. That focus is speed; ludicrous amounts of it. McLaren has labeled the Speedtail a Hyper GT, which seems fitting given the excess of the car and its abilities. This 1,055 hp car will take you to 250 mph, and then to the Opera, on the same set of tires (to paraphrase McLaren spokesperson, Wayne Bruce). More than that, the Speedtail is a car that reminds us that the automotive world serves to inspire and excite us, as much as it does in moving us from one place to the next. Though, in the case of the Speedtail, it moves us unlike anything else out there.
Rimac Nevera – $2.4 Million
Although it is not the first EV to be powered by 4 permanent magnet electric motors, the Rimac Nevera does come with its own unique electric drivetrain design. By strategically placing a pair of 200 kW electric motors in front and another two 500 kW electric motors in the rear, the engineers were able to give the rear-biased Nevera an ideal 48:52 (front:rear) weight distribution. It’s probably a good thing that this Rimac was built with a predisposition to exhibit ballet-like agility, because it’s going to need all the grace in the world to tame all that’s brewing within. In combination, all of the 4 electric motors can generate up to 1,914 hp (1.4 mW) and 1,740 lb-ft of torque (2,360 Nm). This allows the Nevera to absolutely annihilate the popular 0-60 mph benchmark in just 1.85 seconds, with an equally impressive 1/4 mile time of just 8.6 seconds – good enough to make it the fastest production vehicle ever made, by some margin. Top speed is stated as 258 mph (412 km/h).
Pininfarina Battista – $2.5 Million
I doubt that anyone would be offended – least of all, Pininfarina – if the Battista was mistaken as ‘just another’ one of Ferrari’s super cars. Afterall, the design elements are deliberately signature from the company; and that’s really the best part of it all. Beneath the silhouette lies something less familiar – the absence a typically mid-mounted combustion engine, for one. The Ferrari…. I mean…. Pininfarina Battista is fully-electric, and beyond that very notion, things only start to get even more crazy. The Battista utilizes 4 motors – one for each wheel – which produce a combined 1,900 hp and 1696 ft-lb of torque. That level of performance and technological sophistication won’t come cheap either, with each car priced at around $2.5 million USD. The decision by Automobili Pininfarina to start producing electric cars right off the bat came relatively easy for the company, which was not tied down by a past involving the combustion engine – they could begin their journey with a clean (no pun intended) slate.
Mercedes-AMG Project One – $2.7 Million
After months of teasing and speculation, Mercedes-AMG has officially unveiled the world’s first road legal car equipped with a Formula 1 powertrain – the 1,000 hp Project One. Its 4-digit power output comes from an improved version of the hybrid system found inside the W08 F1 car, which also includes a turbocharged 1.6L V6 engine and four electric motors. The two front electric motors on the Project One are of the latest and greatest technologies available, with each unit being capable of revving up to 50,000 rpm and producing 160 hp on their own. The third electric motor is integrated into the turbocharger, while the fourth is mounted directly on the car’s combustion engine, producing another 120 hp of the Project One’s total power output of “beyond 1,000 hp”. Mercedes-AMG has also claimed that the turbo lag on the Project One is not only eliminated in this setup, but the response times should now be shorter than those cars powered by a naturally-aspirated V8.
Koenigsegg Jesko – $2.8 Million
The Koenigsegg Jesko was unveiled at the most recent Geneva Motor Show to date – the 2019 edition – drawing a lot of attention in Switzerland when the covers came off. This was a brutal looking car in true Koenigsegg tradition; with a claimed top speed of 300 mph, from what they claim is their lightest and most powerful 5.0L twin-turbocharged V8 engine yet. Numbers like 1,600 hp on E85 biofuel and 1,280 on regular gasoline were mentioned, along with a maximum torque of 1,106 lb-ft requiring a special 9-speed multi-clutch gearbox built in-house by Koenigsegg. At 170 mph, the aerodynamic design of the Jesko with its massive rear wing at play, creates 2,200 lbs of downforce … at its top speed, this number increases to more than 3,000 lbs of downforce!
Bugatti Chiron $2.9 Million
With a name honoring Louis Chiron – Bugatti’s Grand Prix driver in the 20s and 30s, who swept up virtually all the major races he participated in – the stakes were always going to be raised even higher. Operating beyond the known best-standard in any field is incredibly tough; new battle lines had to be drawn. Alongside the pre-marketing activity, which led to those hundreds of names on the pre-order list, Bugatti tested the Chiron extensively across several continents. This was to ensure that whatever the conditions, it was head and shoulders above the competition. The 8.0L W16 from the Veyron is no bad place to start from any perspective; that engine had no shortage of power, producing 1183 hp in ‘SuperSports’ configuration – at launch, the fastest production car in the world. With the Chiron, Bugatti has built upon that blueprint and founded an entirely new platform – one which has seen extensive improvements in all areas over its predecessor. It is stunning, it is capable, and it has the price tag to match. The “base” Chiron is still a monster.
GMA T.50 $3.0 Million
As impressive as a 12,100 rpm redline sounds, its 654 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque doesn’t sound extraordinary by today’s standards. But rest assured this engine, and this car, are on the cusp of a truly “redefining” moment in automotive history. Crucially weighing at just 178 kg, the engine plays a huge factor towards the T.50’s overall curb weight of just 980 kg – about one-third that of a contemporary supercar or hypercar. The GMA T.50 is the culmination of decades of Gordon Murray’s aerodynamic and mechanical engineering experience. Part of what makes the T.50 so exciting, is that it incorporates the design and function of the infamous Brabham BT46 “Fan Car.” A gigantic fan – powered by the camshaft of the engine and coupled with the curved underbody of the BT46 – created an active venturi effect that quite literally vacuumed the car onto the road, and allowed it to corner at barely believable speeds and levels of grip. The T.50 will feature something similar, and likely more advanced. On a road car. We can’t wait to see this in the flesh.
Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro – $3.1 Million
The new Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro isn’t just another version of the original Aston Martin Valkyrie with some added aerodynamic parts. They’ve also increased the wheelbase of the original chassis by 380 mm, and added 96 mm and 115 mm to the front and rear track width respectively. These changes effectively lengthen the entire car by 266 mm, essentially making it a ‘longtail’ version, as their rivals McLaren would call it. The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro still uses the same Cosworth-built naturally-aspirated V12 engine with a 6.5L displacement – but now with 1,000 hp available at a screaming 11,000 rpm. Significant weight has been shed on the Valkyrie AMR Pro by removing the entire hybrid system, using an extremely light carbon fiber body, and incorporating carbon fiber suspension components. Thanks to its aerodynamic efficiency, the Valkyrie AMR Pro offers track performance previously only seen on Formula One cars.
W Motors Lykan Hypersport – $3.4 Million
This list just wouldn’t be complete without a car that had a starring role in the Fast and Furious Movie franchise, or would it? Well, here is one such car – the W Motors Lykan Hypersport. After its World Premiere launch at the International Qatar Motor Show on July 28th 2013, W Motors revealed to the world its first model, the Lykan HyperSport limited to only 7 units worldwide. Over 150,000 visitors attended this event with the presence of regional and international media covering this historical event for a global exposure and coverage. Other than having some legit Hollywood cred, the car is also famous for being the first to feature a holographic display system with interactive motion, giving the driver and passenger full interaction with the multimedia interface of the Lykan as well as other vehicle control systems. So the car is hardly new; but according to the W Motors website, they’re still open for business and are keen to take on new orders.
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut – $3.4 Million
About a year later Koenigsegg unveiled the Jesko, they had something even more impressive on tap – the Jesko Absolut. While the ‘regular’ Jesko is more of a track-focused machine with balanced attributes and extensive aerodynamics, the Absolut was built to smash all top speed records. It has been designed to be as smooth as possible, with the least possible amount of drag – a coefficient value of only 0.278 Cd has been achieved, allowing for a top speed in excess of 330 mph (532 km/h), figures which would certainly fulfill its purpose. The first of these $3,000,000-ish hypercars are ‘Made in Sweden’ and will be delivered to their fortunate customers by the spring of 2022. I’m really curious as to what special color combinations we’ll be seeing for the builds, and just how split the numbers will be between the Jesko and Jesko Absolut; will more customers opt for the brutal, race-inspired-LeMans-style of the Jesko, or will the Absolut woo over more customers with her sleeker lines and higher top speed?
McLaren Sabre -$3.5 Million
McLaren’s Special Operations bespoke division has produced 15 cars exclusively for the US market. The first McLaren Sabre has already been delivered by McLaren Beverly Hills, with the company stating that the Sabre has “ideas and innovations that global homologation would not permit.” – this probably explains why it’s only available to customers west of the Atlantic. The McLaren Sabre is powered by a twin-turbocharged V8 engine which produces 824 hp and 590 ft-lb torque (with a top speed of 218 mph), which happens to make it the most powerful non-hybrid engine to date. Every example of the Sabre has been built specially for each customer, all of whom were intimately involved during the development and assembly process. In terms of looks, the Sabre could best be described as if the McLaren Speedtail and Senna had a child – with such good genes to draw from, that ultimately serves as a compliment. McLaren is not sharing any other specifications at this time, but we’ll probably get to know more as the other 14 cars get delivered in the coming months.
Pagani Huayra Roadster BC – $3.5 Million
If you like your hypercars over-the-top and amazing, then the Huayra Roadster BC is for you. We’ve reported on this car before – now it’s officially here. The car is a $3.5 Million machine with a crazy powerful engine and looks that will catch the eye of anyone. Pagani recently revealed the car, and it’s a stunning example of what makes them so special as an automaker. The Huayra Roadster BC features a 6.0L AMG V12 which is good for a whopping 800 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque, making the Roadster BC is more powerful than the coupe version. It weighs only 2,685 pounds and should be good for a 0-60 mph run in under 2.5 seconds. However, what the Roadster BC was truly designed for, was to conquer the twisty roads and race tracks. Pagani says the car can pull 1.9 Gs of max lateral force in corners. The company will make only 40 of the Roadster BC, and the car made its first official appearance during Monterey Car Week.
Lamborghini Sián – $3.6 Million
The original Sián introduced the concept of a naturally-aspirated V12 engine with a mild hybrid electric motor built into the transmission to boost performance. Unlike other hybrids that came before it, the electric motor provides only 34 HP and instead of a battery pack, uses a regenerative supercapacitor instead. With the newfangled hybrid system and the revamped 6.5L V12 engine, the car is able to do a 0-62 mph sprint in just 2.8 seconds along with a top speed of over 217 mph. The regenerative braking has the ability to fully recharge the supercapacitor in full, adding to the electric motor’s capability to assist the engine at speeds under 80 mph. Compared to an EV battery which takes much, much, longer to fully recharge, and weighs substantially more, you might be wondering why supercapacitors aren’t the dominating technology in electric or hybrid vehicles today. Well, there are a few very important reasons for this. By nature, supercapacitors aren’t able to store energy for long periods of time like a battery, making them unviable to be the primary food source for an electric vehicle – at least for now.
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport – $3.6 Million
Usually, Europe is the most important market for Bugatti, but for the first time in history, during the first six months of 2021, the leading region has been taken over by the United States of America, with an immense interest in the impressive Bugatti Chiron, and more specifically the very special Pur Sport, a model that focusses on agility and acceleration instead of all-out top speed. Even 24 Hour of Le Mans class winner and longtime Bugatti test driver Butch Leitzinger was impressed with the Chiron Pur Sport during extended testing in Southern California, he stated: “The seamless marriage of agility and brute force give the Pur Sport abilities that are unmatched, not only by any other car, but also by any other Bugatti.”, so despite the price tag in the $4,000,000 region, there are more customers than ever willing to park the Chiron in their garage. There will be only 60 units built for the entire world.
Bugatti Divo – $5.8 Million
For starters, the Bugatti Divo is based on the Bugatti Chiron, and is certainly no less over-the-top. The Divo shares most of the important mechanical features with the Chiron; most notably the same quad-turbocharged 8.0L W16 engine which produces an extravagant 1,500 horsepower. According to Bugatti President, Stephan Winkelmann, the goal of the Divo is to be “the most agile and dynamic car Bugatti has ever created – a perfect homage for the 110th anniversary, which will be held in 2019”. In order to achieve this, many changes to the Chiron were made to its bodywork and chassis to amp up its aerodynamic efficiency and handling. Such drastic changes ensured that the Divo and Chiron are easily distinguishable, visually. Overall the Divo also has sharper angles and more aggressive looking body lines, with the horseshoe shaped grill, centre line running over the top of the car, and scoop-shaped doors being the only truly pronounced Bugatti features. “Happiness Isn’t Just Around The Corner. It Is The Corner.” – The Bugatti Divo.
Bugatti Centodieci – $9.0 Million
The Bugatti Centodieci is the brand’s homage to one of its most iconic supercars of all time – the Bugatti EB110. Images of the Centodieci were leaked ahead of its launch and many rumors had spread before the reveal. Despite this, the car is undeniably impressive and a force to be reckoned with when compared to any car ever produced. With sleek EB110-inspired looks, Bugatti did a good job of making the car look like an homage to the old supercar, while still giving it modern appeal. It might be built upon the Chiron platform, but there’s no question that this vehicle is much more than the car it’s loosely based on. After all, it shares the same engine with the Chiron, but in the Centodieci, it makes quite a bit more power with 1,578 hp on tap. The car is also 44 pounds lighter than the Chiron and will complete the 0-60 mph sprint in just 2.4 seconds, on its way up to 124 mph in as little as 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 236 mph. In short, the Centodieci appears to be a near-perfect blend of the Chiron and EB110, with a few of its own unique design elements to set it apart from both of those cars.
August 10, 2021 / Comments Off on 20 Most Expensive Hypercars On Sale Today
There are many cars out there in the world that are deemed to be “classic cars,” from restored and Concours d’Elegance-level original 1930’s Fords, to modified mid-1960s Austin Healey’s and Lotuses. While all of these cars are classic in their own ways, there are several tiers of classics that are becoming the must-have items on the auction blocks around the world: the classic supercar.
So, what defines a supercar from before the 1980s, when the term was invoked for the Porsche 959 and Ferrari F40? Aggregating what most experts say about the subject, three major factors determine what is a classic supercar.
Rarity
While the original Ford Shelby GT350 Fastback is a prime example of a beautiful classic, it doesn’t count as much towards the rarity count as there were tens of thousands of the car made. However, another car that Carroll Shelby helped design is certainly valid for the rarity scale, the road homologation versions of the Ford GT40, of which only 105 were made.
Power at the Time of Production
To make this clear, we’re counting power as a combination of raw HP and torque, as well as the speeds that the car could reach. Using the Mk II and Mk III versions of the aforementioned GT40, power was from a Ford 427 V8 and reached a nominal 485 HP. The car also topped out at 201 MPH. This was faster than anything anyone was able to pump out for a homologation road car in 1965.
Value/Pedigree
To realistically be considered a supercar, the car in question must have some intrinsic value to it. It may be because it was the most expensive car on the market at the time, or was a demonstration of racing technology for the road, and had a racing pedigree that made it famous. As well, most of the cars that are considered classic supercars have appreciated in value over the years after the standard depreciation most vehicles undergo.
With this in mind, we can look back only a short way back to the mid-2010s to find a couple of classic supercars. One is the most expensive classic supercar, ever, to be sold at auction. The other is an American limited edition of a car with pedigree and history behind its marque.
The 1962 to 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO
In the opinion of many, the Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the, if not the, most beautiful cars ever made. Seductive curves, the classic long hood, short tail grand touring body, and one of the best V12 engines ever put in a metal body with four wheels. While there were many 250 GT’s made and sold, there were only 36 250 GTO’s… ever.
The history behind the car also adds to its overall value. Using the 250 GT SWB as a base, the Ferrari racing department got to work modifying the car to be able to enter the FIA Group 3 Grand Touring Car championship. Part of the regulations stated that at least 25 road-going versions needed to be homologated so that the race car could be certified as being based on a road-going GT.
Thus was born the GTO nameplate, which stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, or Grand Touring Homologated. Powered by the now legendary Tipo 158/62 3.0L Colombo V12, the lightweight GTO produced a respectable 296 HP and 217 lb-ft of torque. And Ferrari meant lightweight, with the body shell being made entirely out of aluminum, with a hollow oval steel chassis frame. With the engine in and all fluids topped, the 250 GTO weighed only 2,000 lbs.
This, of course, made it ridiculously fast for the day. In fact, during the very first race outing of a 1962 250 GTO, in the 1962 12 Hours of Sebring, the car, driven by Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, came in second overall. The pedigree of the car was secured overnight, and it soon became the hot item for the wealthy of the world to drive.
However, this proved to be a bit of a problem for 99% of the wealthy, as to be allowed to buy the car, you needed to be approved by Enzo Ferrari himself. The $18,000 USD asking price was really a bit of an afterthought (equivalent to $160,000 USD in 2021), but you had to sit down with Il Commendatore himself, look him in the eye, and explain why you wanted to buy the car. If he didn’t like your reasons, you didn’t get the car.
Immediately, all three of the determining factors to name the 250 GTO a classic supercar are instantly met. It is extremely rare, it established its pedigree in the very first race it entered, and it was immensely fast with a glorious V12 3.0L engine. Of the original 36 cars, 33 were what is known as Series I, the classic, well-known body shape. Only the last 3, after redesigns of the 250 GTO to make it competitive for the 1964 Le Mans race, were given the scalloped rear window and dropped trunk, known as the LM or Series II body.
A combination of its timeless beauty, racing pedigree, and the purchase process has made the car one of the most highly sought-after classic supercars of all time. In 2012, a 1963 250 GTO went across the block at $35 million USD, and a scant 5 years later, one of the first chassis made in 1962 crossed the Sotheby’s of London block for $48 million USD.
However, in 2018, at 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis number 4153GT, changed hands privately for $70 million USD. This specific chassis was actually raced, taking part in the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans where it finished fourth, and the 1964 Tour de France road race, where it won outright. It was also, at the time, owned by the Marquis Philippe de Montaigu, a very wealthy and popular gentleman racer.
1963 Ferrari 250 GTO Series I chassis #4153GT
Out of interest, and to give an idea of what kind of protection you would need to insure such a classic car, we contacted American Collectors Insurance, a specialist in classic supercars, collectibles, and heirloom level insurance. Following their guidelines of needing the car to be stored in a temperature-stable garage, only driven a few times a year to a Concours or such, and based on the average $50 to $70 million USD assessed value of the car, the average owner of a 250 GTO would be paying about $250,000 to $300,000 per year.
Yet, if you have the $50 to $70 million to afford the auction price of a 250 GTO, that is almost pocket change.
The 2017 Corvette Grand Sport Collector Edition
Now, before you point out that this car is way too recent to be a classic supercar, hear us out. The 2017 Corvette C7 Grand Sport Collector Edition ticks off all three of the boxes required to be labeled as such. At the time of its introduction, the Collector Edition was the most expensive Corvette released by Chevrolet, often starting at $90,000 despite an official MSRP of $81.185 for the Coupe Manual version.
It is a limited series, with only 935 made, and has a special VIN code that was assigned to it. Any Grand Sport Collector Edition has a VIN that ends in 530XXXX, where XXXX is the sequence it left the production line. It also is an auction superstar, as the original Chassis #0001 was auctioned off in the 2016 Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction for $170,000. The final car, Chassis #0935, was not sold to anyone but given to the Corvette Museum.
And it has pedigree, as this specific version of the C7 Grand Sport was made to celebrate recent successes of the C6.R and C7.R in both North American and international racing events. With the production code Z25, it included a lot of exclusive features, including a special paint (Watkins Glen Gray) with Tension Blue hash marks over the front wheels. It also had a two-tone Tension Blue leather interior.
It received all of the carbon fiber options that could be added to a non-Collector Edition Grand Sport, as well as a special carbon fiber flash badge and carbon-fiber instrument panel. As standard, the Z07 performance package was included, with carbon fiber ground effects and aerodynamic parts added. It could be ordered as either a coupe or convertible and the 3LT package was also a standard feature.
What also made the 2017 Grand Sport Collector Edition special is that it was in 2017 that Chevrolet revealed that the next Corvette, the C8, would be mid-engined, not front-engined. This meant that many “purists” wanted to get in on the best version of the Grand Sport. It carried the same LT1 V8 engine as the base Grand Sport, producing a nominal 460 HP, but the special cosmetic and aerodynamic features made it worth pursuing in the view of many.
These days, if you look at auction listings, you will often find that if a 2017 Corvette C7 Grand Sport comes up, they usually sell between $40,000 and $65,000, depending on condition, miles, history, et al. If a Collector Edition comes up, however, you will often find that price exceeding $100,000, as year over year the waitlist for a Corvette C8 grows longer. This is driving collectors to desire one of the best versions of the C7 to both have a Corvette, as well as have a front-engine, rear-drive Corvette with a factory standard electronically controlled limited-slip differential and the Z07 performance package.
Unlike many classics, however, the Collector Edition is still a viable, driveable modern supercar, and can be insured as such. However, with those looking to have low mile versions, with few if any modifications, they are also able to be registered as classics, with collector plates and insurance premiums to match. Again asking our friends at American Collectors Insurance, you would be looking at a much more reasonable $7,000 to $10,000 per year if registered as a classic collector car.
The Future Of Classic Supercars
While we have two prime examples of a truly awesome collector’s prize in the 250 GTO, and an attainable, if a bit pricey, auction superstar in the Corvette C7 Grand Sport Collector Edition, the future of collectible, classic supercars is looking a bit strange. As the push for electric vehicles surges, many manufacturers have looked at how to best harness the newest technology to keep the supercar alive, and have also created a new type of vehicle entirely with their development.
While limited series, extremely rare, and expensive cars like the Bugatti Chiron 300 or the Ferrari SF90 will certainly be considered classics, it is the hypercar that seems destined to become the new auction superstar.
Take, for example, the 2022 Lotus Evija. Limited to 130 total units, the electric hypercar is made out of the latest space-age materials including carbon-titanium weave, carbon composite, and a variety of resin-impregnated organic fibers. It carries a massive 70 kWh lithium-ion battery stack where a traditional mid-mount engine would sit, and that battery powers four independent electric motors, one at each wheel, that is capable of 500 HP each. The Evija, therefore, is the first production car to come from the factory with 2,000 HP.
At over $2 million USD, each Evija is already a classic hypercar, and desirable to those that missed out on getting onto the purchase list for one. As the first real, roadgoing electric hypercar, it will certainly be gracing auction blocks in a few year’s time, after it has appreciated beyond its original cost.
Yet, there is still hope for those that prefer the internal combustion engine, with rare supercars and hypercars coming from companies such as Koenigsegg, Ferrari, McLaren, Rimac, and the American company SSC, whose Tuatara hypercar can reach the ungodly number of 1,750 HP when fueled with E85.
All of those companies specialize in limited series, low production, high-cost special supercars and hypercars, and as the world pushes more and more towards electric vehicles, it may just free up enough gas that these rare beasts, in 20 years time, will be on the auction block for tens of millions, just like the 250 GTO.
August 2, 2021 / Comments Off on Collecting Classics: How Supercars Are The New Auction Superstars
A Bugatti customer just doesn’t walk onto a dealer lot and gets one of the cars from the showroom floor, or from the stock hiding away in some dark warehouse, each Bugatti is a unique car, bespoke-built for that client with the exact options he or she selected from a vast list of possibilities, someone in the market for a new million-dollar hypercar built in Molsheim, France wants to taste a special experience, usually taking days, weeks, or usually even longer to configure the car just the way the future owners wants it.
So a Bugatti dealer isn’t a massive showroom filled with demo cars and tens if not hundreds of salespeople running around trying to make that sale so they get their commission, each of the 34 officially approved Bugatti dealerships around the world have their specific brand manager, a full-time job whose sole purpose is to bring the unique Molsheim Experience into the world and deliver the ultimate in luxury, design, and technology to both existing and potential customers.
Back when the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 was unveiled in 2005 as the revival of the famous French make, it wasn’t easy to bring this new super sports car to the public, Bugatti didn’t have any dealers yet, buying a 1,000 PS car with 16 cylinders that could do over 400 km/h from a make that was dormant for decades after the EB110 production was halted might not have been too enticing for those that could actually afford this amazing car, it took them six years to put together some kind of network.
If you were in the market for a new Bugatti Veyron in 2011, you could turn to official dealers in North America, the Middle East, and Asia, but neither of them actually had a demo car for you to experience, in those days Bugatti would fly out a driver with a Veyron to your location to test drive, a very costly situation, each Bugatti was sold straight from the factory. The same would happen if you already owned a Bugatti Veyron and something went wrong, you would get a “Flying Doctor” to come to you to resolve the issue, after which they would take the airplane and fly to the next customer … this way of working could no longer be sustained.
Markus Vögele Head of Dealer Network and Business Development for Bugatti
In 2012 Bugatti attracted Markus Vögele, having a decade of experience at the Porsche Group, working in CRM, dealership/product marketing, and consulting, he became Head of Dealer Network and Business Development, developing a unique dealer network strategy for Bugatti over the next years that would include a global Salesforce CRM cloud solution that would emerge any potential client in the Molsheim Experience, no matter in what part of the world they walk into the Bugatti showroom.
The new Bugatti showroom would become an emotive concept, reflecting the core values and century-old history of this French make, each showroom will have a similar feeling for the customer as they would walk into the lounge at the Molsheim headquarters, with samples of paintwork/carbon and leather patterns, as well as decorative elements to be found inside a new Bugatti Chiron, the lounge will allow clients to contemplate over their options for their future hypercar in all serenity.
There is even a massive display screen in the showroom that will show a 3D render of the Bugatti Chiron you are configuring in real-time, the display is so large it can show the actual car in full size for that complete experience, the customer is virtually immersed into their new car. “The showroom is our flagship to the outside world, customers and fans alike. It is the place where they can meet with Bugatti ‘family members,’” says Vögele.
August 2, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti’s global dealer network
Shortly after Stephan Winkelmann became President of Bugatti, he had the idea of reviving a successful Bugatti tradition. “I read a lot about it, took a look at the iconic bodyworks produced in the 1920s and 1930s, and began to wonder whether we could transpose this excellent asset to the company’s modern era,” Winkelmann recalls. After some interesting conversations with both existing customers and some of the official dealerships, going this route of an even more bespoke car would be a perfect concept.
The Bugatti Divo was ready to be shown in the spring of 2018, but not to the public yet, instead, they contacted existing Bugatti Chiron owners and showed a production prototype of the Divo, to be limited to only 40 units, so a lot more exclusive than a normal Chiron, and with a price tag of €5,000,000 (about US $5,400,000 at that time) you might think they would have a hard sale to find customers … think again.
Bugatti states that all 40 units of their Divo were sold out in a matter of weeks since the first customer appointment, people loved both the design and the coachbuilding tradition this car stood for, a 110-year old legacy created by Ettore Bugatti when he started building these excentric automobiles back in the early 1920s, with the Type 57 in various coachbuilding versions like the Galibier, the Atalante, and the SC Atlantic, Bugatti created iconic designs that would become automotive works of art ever since.
Today the last of the 40 Bugatti Divo was finished in Molsheim, a car that was ordered by a client in Europe, and one with impeccable taste, not only in cars but also in the history of these masterpieces, the main shade of Bugatti EB 110 LM Blue is a reminder of Bugatti’s last official Le Mans factory race car, while the contrast is made in Blue Carbon to bring the exclusivity and modern age to this future classic. For the inside, this customer opted for French Racing Blue with Deep Blue touches, combined with matte gray carbon elements, again a bridge between the past, the legacy, and the future.
The ‘Divo’ name is inspired by the French race car driver Albert Divo, who during his 20-year racing career obtained multiple victories for Bugatti, including six Grand Prix races and two wins in the famous Targa Florio. To honor both this legendary race driver and the fact the Bugatti headquarters is located in Molsheim, a French flag is integrated into both left and right front fenders on the Divo.
Even with 40 units, none of these Bugatti Divo are the same, customers went out of their way to select very specific shades to be used just on their Divo, even going as far as asking for different materials or extreme paint schemes like the famous red ‘Lady Bug‘ in the United States, some clients even came up with their own design ideas … every single one of these 40 Bugatti Divo is a bespoke vehicle … upholding the coachbuilding tradition for Bugatti.
July 22, 2021 / Comments Off on The last of only 40 Divo left the Atelier in Molsheim
Bugatti’s last official Le Mans entry served as a source of inspiration for its final Divo. The last unit in a sold-out 40-car run left the French firm’s headquarters wearing a blue livery that echoes the track-bound variant of the EB110.
Unveiled at the 2018 edition of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and priced at around €5 million (nearly $6 million) before customization options, the Divo stands proud as the first coachbuilt Bugatti released during the 21st century. It’s much more than merely a rebodied Chiron; it’s its own thing, and the two cars are technically different.
“As well as unique design, customers who buy a coachbuilt model enjoy a new, individual driving experience. Each small series undergoes the same degree of development as would a larger production run,” explained Pierre Rommelanger, the head of overall vehicle development at Bugatti, in a statement.
The final Divo’s anonymous owner wanted to channel the spirit of the EB110 that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994. Most of the exterior is painted in light blue, just like the race car, and the wheels are finished in gold. Parts of the lower body wear a darker shade of blue chosen to forge a link to the modern era, according to Bugatti.
Blue also dominates the interior. French Racing Blue and Deep Blue were used to wrap parts like the seats and the dashboard, though it’s interesting to note that the design isn’t symmetrical. The driver’s seat is lighter than the passenger’s seat. Elsewhere in the cabin, matte gray carbon-colored trim pieces provide a touch of contrast.
Spotting the final Divo won’t require a well-trained eye. Bugatti notes none of the 40 examples built were identical. Customers worked directly with the brand to customize the paint, the leather upholstery, the stitching, and the trim. What doesn’t vary from car to car is the engine: it’s an 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbocharged to 1,500 horsepower.
Selling cars is relatively easy; building them and delivering them on-time is harder. Bugatti ticked all three boxes, and the Divo project is finished. The one-of-a-kind La Voiture Noire (which reportedly cost $13 million) has been completed as well, so the French company is now working on bringing the EB110-inspired Centodieci to production.
Related video:
July 22, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti’s final Divo is a tribute to its last official Le Mans entry
Last year five classic Bugattis broke records at the auction houses Bonham’s and Gooding & Company. Never before have the five most expensive cars sold at auction been produced by one single manufacturer, but with cars in this price range, authenticity is extremely important for collectors that are willing to spend millions, and that’s why Bugatti launched their ‘La Maison Pur Sang’ program back in 2020 at Rétromobile in Paris, a car show that has become so much more than just a display of classic cars.
Photo credit Alex Howe for CAR magazine
When you have a Bugatti that passed the rigorous process in Molsheim, as La Maison Pur Sang will only go through cars at the company headquarters, you will get a certificate of authenticity from the company that actually built that car, not some expert somewhere in the world, no matter how knowledgable … La Maison Pur Sang will certify that your Bugatti is a ‘pure blood’ one, a Pur Sang.
Photo credit Alex Howe for CAR magazine
La Maison Pur Sang will be able to verify of your historic Bugatti is still correct to its origins, keeping in mind the 110-year history of Bugatti, that might not always be as easy as it sounds, but with the very limited production of classic Bugatti models, chances are there is still some kind of documentation or history of that specific car to be found, but La Maison Pur Sang will also certify the more contemporary models, and the very first Bugatti to complete this official factory certification is a 2008 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.
Photo credit Alex Howe for CAR magazine
But the La Maison Pur Sang program hasn’t been started just to deliver certification to Bugatti’s models of all ages, they also offer clients and collectors the option of having their car restored to Ettore Bugatti’s original standards, to the highest possible technical, performance, and aesthetic level, to reach a harmony of speed, elegance, safety, and comfort that we’ve come to expect from a Bugatti throughout the decades, there is even the option to have your Bugatti ‘reconfigured’ on the factory ground.
“Due to our extensive research, archive material and the close contacts we enjoy with Bugatti clubs, historians and collectors all around the world, we can trace the history and determine the authenticity of any Bugatti model, regardless of age,” explains Luigi Galli, who heads the ‘La Maison Pur Sang’ program at Molsheim.
The first car to receive a certificate of authenticity isn’t just any Bugatti, it’s a 2008 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, and while convertible quad-turbo are a rare sight already, this one is even more special, it is the actual Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport prototype that was used for the unveiling of the Grand Sport version at the 2008 Pebble Beach event, this silver metallic over Cognac interior was called the Grand Sport 2.1 and was used to showcase the open-top Veyron in North America, Europe, and the Middle East … this car was never even registered during that time.
When this unique Bugatti came back to Molsheim in 2020, it would become the first car to get the ‘La Maison Pur Sang’ treatment, which in this case involved a complete strip-down so they could verify not only the chassis plate, which could easily be copied I guess, but they also check several identification numbers that were stamped on multiple components that are usually hidden from sight, and ofter overlooked in case of someone trying to pass a car as another one.
Over the next four months, this special Veyron Grand Sport was brought back to her 2008 launch specifications, a complete respray was executed while the interior received new Cognac hides and aluminum panels, they even had to fit a new central console to match the original 1.0 configuration … after the word got out La Maison Pur Sang confirmed the importance of this Grand Sport prototype it didn’t take long for an avid collector to add it to his, or her collection.
Owning a Bugatti is a goal on its own for many fortunate clients, but having an exclusive Bugatti with the official certification from La Maison Pur Sang will confirm its validity and offer reassurance for the owner or collector, and additionally, it will significantly enhance the value of the said automobile.
July 21, 2021 / Comments Off on La Maison Pur Sang certification by Bugatti
As far as internal combustion engines go, V12 engines are at the zenith. This is while still acknowledging the omnipotent W16 motors seen in today’s Bugatti hypercars, while not forgetting the likes of mainstream automakers – such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz – also having flirted with the idea of series-production V16 engines in the past. With the 16-cylinder power plants essentially synonymous with the French automaker, the V12 is the de facto ruler for the broader spectrum of ultra-high-performance automobiles.
The diversity of this list fully demonstrates the universal appeal that V12s have around the world, to both producers and consumers alike. This unanimous and long-spanning support for the technology has helped to spawn some of the most impressive engines ever produced. The usual suspects are at play here, with Ferrari and Lamborghini making their totally not unexpected appearances. The British – via Aston Martin, Jaguar, and GMA – have shared their own highly impressive interpretations as well, while more conventional brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and even Toyota have had their say.
For the most part, these engines are naturally aspirated and characteristically rev all the way to the moon. In totality, each and every one of them is nothing short of a legend.
Here’s the shortlist of 10 such engines, curated for your reading pleasure:
Ferrari Colombo V12
Originally designed by Gioacchino Colombo, this engine can trace its roots back to the very first Ferrari-branded model designed by Ferrari Enzo – the 1947 Ferrari 125 S – where it debuted as a 1.5L V12. The core design of the engine would persevere for more than 4 decades; along the way growing in size, having various levels of forced induction, and becoming a dual-overhead-cam configuration with EFI. Many credit the motor’s longevity to its reputation for being bulletproof.
Successful in both road-going and race track derivatives, the list of Ferrari cars this engine has graced has no shortage of automotive icons; the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, Ferrari 250 GTO, and Ferrari 365 GTB/4, just to name a few.
BMW S70/2
Despite being produced by BMW, the S70/2 didn’t feature in one of the Bavarian automaker’s own production cars. Nevertheless, it did end up powering none other than arguably the most iconic supercars ever made – the 1992-1998 McLaren F1. The 6.1L naturally-aspirated unit produced 627 hp and was capable of 0-60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, and had a top speed of 240 mph. It wouldn’t be until the next millennium before those figures could be surpassed.
Interestingly enough, BMW wasn’t Gordon Murray’s first choice to supply the engine for his groundbreaking supercar, with collaborations with the likes of Honda and Isuzu falling apart before they would opt for the Munich-built power plant. Whatever might’ve happened if things turned out differently, who’s to know? But what we do know is that BMW got things absolutely spot-on with the S70/2, which continues to be regarded as one of the true and timeless masterpieces in automotive history.
Jaguar V12
Jaguar’s first foray into the world of V12 engines began in motorsport as early as 1951, with its 1964 XJ13 Le Mans race car eventually serving as the trickle-down technology source for its production cars. For the latter, this would begin with a 5.3L naturally-aspirated unit in the 1971 Jaguar E-Type and would even go on to be used by other automakers such as Daimler and Panther. An HE (or “high-efficiency”) version of this engine would be released in 1981 – featuring on the XJ12, XJ-S, and Daimler Double-Six – which improved fuel economy by almost 50% compared to its predecessor, without affecting performance.
In its final iteration, the V12 would evolve into a 6.0L HE unit which produced as much as 333 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque. It was likely to be some variation of this engine which was initially being marketed for use on the Jaguar XJ220, before the British automaker controversially decided on a 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6 engine instead. The last Jaguar V12 engined was produced on April 17, 1997.
Lamborghini V12 L539
Like Ferrari, Lamborghini also has a long and storied history with V12 engines, having created its very own first version of this power plant for its mid-’60s era Lamborghini 350GT production car. Starting off as a considerably brawny 270 hp 3.5L naturally-aspirated unit, the “Bizzarrini” engine would evolve into a 661 hp 6.5L naturally-aspirated unit and be fashioned by models as recent as the 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP-670 SV.
As long as the Bizzarrini engine persisted, we feel that the most significant statement of Lamborghini’s V12 mastery comes in the form of its latest iteration of the engine, dubbed ‘L539’. This power plant would share its debut with the 2011 Lamborghini Aventador, of which it initially powered with 690 hp via a 6.5L naturally-aspirated configuration. With a fresh design, the new engine was over 18 kg lighter than its predecessor and was programmed with a new firing order. The all-wheel-drive supercar would see significant improvements during its lifecycle, with the latest iteration of the L539 car producing 770 hp in the limited-edition 2021 Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae.
Ferrari F140
If the F140 had only powered the (2002-2005) Ferrari Enzo – the first Prancing Horse model where it featured – it would have been no less significant or legendary than it is today. The 65-degree V12 engine debuted on the Enzo as a 6.0L naturally-aspirated V12 unit which produced a staggering 651 hp @ 7,800 rpm and 458 lb-ft of torque @ 5,500 rpm. Over the years, 6.3L versions of the F140 have powered the likes of the hybrid LaFerrari and the F12berlinetta.
It has since evolved to its current peak as a 6.5L power plant – dubbed the F140 GA – which produces 789 hp @ 8,500 rpm and 530 lb-ft of torque @ 7,000 rpm in the 812 Superfast; this makes it the most powerful naturally-aspirated production car engine ever produced to this day. It is likely that this could be one of the final generations of Ferrari V12 engines – whether it be naturally aspirated, turbocharged, or even hybridized – so appreciate it while it’s still around!
Mercedes-Benz M120 / M297
When Mercedes-Benz caught wind of archrival BMW’s side-hustle with Gordon Murray, let’s just say that there was no resting on any laurels going on at their Stuttgart headquarters. With a clever riposte, Mercedes would debut their first-ever V12 engine through the 1993 600 SEC (later to be renamed the S600 Coupé, and frequently referred to as the S-Class). The 6.0L naturally-aspirated power plant was good for 389 hp, 420 lb-ft of torque, and a top speed of 155 mph in its initial configuration.
Not only did Mercedes-Benz one-up BMW by using the engine for their own cars, but they also borrowed a page from their opponent’s playbook and had their M120 engine fashioned for use in the magnificent Pagani Zonda supercar as well. Hand-built and tuned by AMG, the M120 also featured on the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR race car and also saw its displacement increased to 7.3L for use on the SL73 AMG and CL73 AMG – and at which point it was commonly referred to as the M297. The most powerful iteration of the M120 features in the Pagani Zonda Revolución, with the non-street-legal car good for 789 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque.
Aston Martin NA V12
With one of the best sounding V12s (and automobile engines, period), the story of how the Aston Martin (naturally-aspirated) V12 came to be is rather more peculiar and convoluted. The project had less, should we say, glamorous beginnings, when things basically started off with the development of a 2.5L naturally-aspirated V6 engine. This particular unit was essentially the brainchild of Suzuki and Mazda, with the latter’s then-majority owner, Ford, then taking the blueprint to Cosworth, who would go on to build the Duratec V6.
Needless to say, the story didn’t end there, and Aston Martin would end up bolting two of those engines together to create the 5.9L naturally-aspirated V12 it would stamp its name on (and market as a 6.0L). Having more in common with a Ford Taurus than owners or enthusiasts would like to admit, the motor produced 414 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque in the 1999 DB7 V12 Vantage. Aston Martin continues to employ a V12 engine to this day, with the 2017 DB11 having fashioned a 5.2L twin-turbocharged version. More recently, the company has referred back to the naturally-aspirated configuration, with a 6.5L unit designed to power its Valkyrie hypercar with over 1,000 hp @ 10,500 rpm (plus an additional 160 hp with its hybrid-electric system).
Toyota 1GZ-FE
To call Toyota’s 1GZ-FE the “Godfather” of Japanese automobile engines would be neither an understatement nor unbefitting. After all, the venerable V12 from the land of the Rising Sun – which exclusively powers the Toyota Century luxury sedan – is both one-of-a-kind and has a penchant for attracting a particular type of “underworldly” owner in its homeland. It’s the only production V12 engine to come from Japan and still manages to invoke all of the essential philosophies of Japanese craftsmanship – such as reliability, build quality, and refinement.
That being said, it’s certainly not the most powerful engine on this list and remained at around the 300 hp mark during its lengthy production run from 1997-2016. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most unique engines on this list and is no less iconic than its near-1000 hp contemporaries. This engine is prime for swapping into other platforms, with automotive personality Smokey Nagata fitting a twin-turbocharged version to his ‘Top Secret’ Toyota Supra. Thanks in large part to its distinctive engine, the Century remains a status symbol in Japan; in the way a Rolls-Royce Phantom does the same just about everywhere else.
GMA Cosworth V12
It’s impossible to speak about the naturally-aspirated engine in the GMA T.50, without getting into how it’s involved in so much more than just spinning the new supercar’s rear wheels, or about how other design elements of the car are built around it. As impressive as a 12,100 rpm redline sounds, its 654 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque doesn’t sound extraordinary by today’s standards. But rest assured this engine, and this car, are on the cusp of a truly “redefining” moment in automotive history. Crucially weighing at just 178 kg, the engine plays a huge factor towards the T.50’s overall curb weight of just 980 kg – about one-third that of a contemporary supercar or hypercar.
The GMA T.50 is the culmination of decades of Gordon Murray’s aerodynamic and mechanical engineering experience. Part of what makes the T.50 so exciting, is that it incorporates the design and function of the infamous Brabham BT46 “Fan Car.” A gigantic fan – powered by the camshaft of the engine and coupled with the curved underbody of the BT46 – created an active venturi effect that quite literally vacuumed the car onto the road, and allowed it to corner at barely believable speeds and levels of grip. The T.50 will feature something similar, and likely more advanced. On a road car. We can’t wait to see this in the flesh.
Bugatti 3.5L Quad-Turbocharged V12
This Bugatti engine has had a very decorated career, albeit a short one, which makes it all the more impressive. Featured exclusively on the (1991-1995) Bugatti EB110, this 3.5L quad-turbocharged V12 is responsible for some very notable distinctions. First, it is widely regarded as being one of the catalysts in the revival of the French marque even though it failed to be directly responsible for this. It became the world’s fastest production car of its time, beating the Jaguar XJ220 in the process.
Suffice to say, it grabbed all the headlines, and really, that was the whole point. I mean, for what other purposes would the use of four turbochargers be given the green light for? Sure, it produced a whopping 553 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, but you would have to argue that this likely could’ve been achieved with a more conventional design. After all, quad-turbocharged engines never really proliferated, and there’s probably good science behind why that’s been the case. Nevertheless, there’s nothing un-iconic about a V12 engine with almost as many turbochargers as you can count on one hand; and we love it all the same.
July 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Best V12 Engines Ever Produced
Originally intended to commemorate the storming of the Bastille, July 14 is France’s most important national holiday, each year honoring the Grande Nation and its values. “As a French brand with a large proportion of French employees, we regard ourselves as part of the French identity,” says Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann. “Molsheim stands for technical perfection and an exceptional sense for quality but also for French savoir vivre – a lifestyle that attracted and shaped Ettore Bugatti and which is reflected in our vehicles up to this day. This is what our products stand for and this will remain in the future.”
In 1909, Ettore Bugatti deliberately chose Molsheim in Alsace as the home of his company. The first car to be produced in Molsheim was the Bugatti Type 13. The brand entered into the world of motorsport and launched further light sports cars, such as the legendary Type 35. Between 1920 and 1935, Bugatti celebrated countless victories at international races with both standard models and their variants. Simultaneously, Bugatti developed touring cars such as the Type 30, Type 38, Type 44, and Type 49 – exceptional due to their design as well as their eight-cylinder engines. In 1926, Bugatti created a truly regal limousine: with a wheelbase of 4.3 meters and a total length of 6.4 meters, the Type 41 Royale became the longest and most luxurious vehicle in the world. Their versatility, ease of handling, suitability for many different driving situations, and elegant, often customized bodywork turned the vehicles from Alsace into some of Europe’s trendiest models.
Throughout his whole life, Ettore was more than just a car manufacturer; he was a multi-talented developer and a Frenchman at heart. He learned French and travelled regularly to Paris in search for inspiration. He kept company with Émile-Maurice Hermès and René Lalique. His first showroom was in the then-already-famous Avenue Montaigne in the heart of Paris. He was fascinated by the elegance, eccentricity, and excess to be found throughout France’s capital at that time. And so, Bugatti also designed all kinds of engines, trains, boats, airplanes, and sterile surgical tools in addition to his vehicles. Ettore Bugatti died on August 21, 1947 in Paris – in the heart of France. The company’s operations came to a halt with the cessation of the business in the early 1960s.
The biggest automotive exhibition in the vicinity of Molsheim
In the 1960s, brothers Hans and Fritz Schlumpf seem to have already sensed what the Bugatti brand would one day come to signify for the Alsace region once again. With their collection in Mulhouse, they not only set up the world’s largest car collection – but also the biggest Bugatti collection, thereby preserving the models, the brand, and its legendary status. Following the brothers’ insolvency, the French state took over the collection and opened the Musée National de l’Automobile in 1982. Across 25,000 square meters, the “Cité de L’Automobile” – as it is officially called today – exhibits 400 of the world’s rarest and most valuable automobiles – including around 100 Bugatti models and two of the six Type 41 Royale ever to be built.
In the late 1980s, Romano Artioli brought the company back to life – albeit only until 1995 – with the development of the EB 110. A few years later, Bugatti settled once more in Molsheim, renovating the Château St. Jean, two remises and the Orangery, and builds an ultra-modern factory, known as the Atelier, in the oval shape of the famous Bugatti Macaron. This is where the Veyron 16.4, the first hyper sports car of the modern era, was produced in 2005. Since then, the precious legacy of Ettore Bugatti has continued here with highly motivated and qualified employees who are passionate about producing the world’s best hyper sports cars. 450 Veyrons were hand-manufactured here until 2015. And since 2016, the employees in the Atelier were assembling the Chiron and its highly sought-after derivatives, the Chiron Pur Sport and Chiron Super Sport, as well as the coach-built Divo, Centodieci, and La Voiture Noire models based on a tradition Bugatti successfully brought back to life in 2018.
“I quickly grew very fond of Bugatti. The history, the products, the team, the whole region,” says Winkelmann. “We are proud of being a French brand and can well understand why Ettore Bugatti was originally attracted to the Alsace region. The national day on July 14 is something truly special to our French employees and to me personally. This is why we want to commemorate it this year with an exceptional tricolore.”
Three Chiron Sport in blue, white, red, symbolizing the French origins and Bugatti’s haute couture of the automotive industry.
July 13, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti Celebrates France’s National Day
After being canceled in 2020, this year we have yet another Goodwood Festival of Speed, an amazing venue in the UK that brings together the best of the best when it comes to supercars and hypercars … both classic, new, and prototypes, open to the public from July 8 to July 11, Bugatti just couldn’t be absent from the world-renowned motorsport event, set to be the largest of its kind, Bugatti will entertain the many visitors with no less than three different cars, and one of them will be driven by Andy Wallace, Le Mans winner and an official driver for Bugatti.
Two of the Bugatti will be static showpieces, but the 1,500 hp Chiron Pur Sport will be taken onto the Michelin Supercar Paddock stage every single day, but Andy Wallace will also take this yellow beauty onto the famous hill climb circuit during the event, where this limited edition Bugatti, only 60 units will be made, should feel right at home as the Pur Sport was specifically designed as the ‘most agile’ version among the Chiron series, extreme power and torque (1,600 Nm) to be taken onto winding and challenging roads.
With an acceleration figure of only 2.3 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and a top speed of 350 km/h, the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport with her 1.9 meters wide rear wing will certainly bring joy to the public during these four days, this performance not only comes from the massive quad-turbo W16 engine but is also thanks to innovative, 3D printed titanium exhaust pipes with the addition of lightweight magnesium wheels that can be fitted with those famous ‘aeroblades’.
And let’s not forget the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport was named Robb Report’s Best Hypercar for 2021 only a few weeks ago … this is a true hypercar that will rarely be seen driven as hard as during the hill climb at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
As mentioned earlier, there are three cars from Bugatti at this year’s Goodwood FoS, and our review wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the amazing Bugatti Baby II, a 75 percent scale, all-electric Type 35 racer, highly limited to only 500 units as a celebration of their magnificent past, the original Type 35 was built almost 100 years ago, in 1926, and back then the car was created with state-of-the-art technology, just like the homage today.
To celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary, the Baby II is a tribute to Ettore Bugatti’s masterpiece, a car built together with Jean Bugatti for Ettore’s youngest son, Roland as a present for his fourth birthday, the new Bugatti Baby II is a rear-wheel drive, the all-electric model that can seat both adults and children … for additional safety the Baby II comes with a ‘Speed Key’ that will unleash up to 10kW of power and can push the Baby II to a top speed of 68 km/h.
But probably the ultimate evolution of the Bugatti Chiron is put on display behind glass, the stunning, white Chiron Super Sport that was created purely to reach the highest top speed possible as an ultimate grand touring car is present at Goodwood too, and the numbers are mindblowing, to say the least … an 8-Liter W16 engine, 1,600 PS, quad-turbocharged, 0 to 200 km/h in just 5.5 seconds, in a mere 12.1 seconds the driver can reach 300 km/h … and then we get to the top speed … 440 km/h!
Lengthened by 25 cm compared to the ‘normal’ Bugatti Chiron, the Super Sport brings the longtail design to Molsheim for improved stability at those impressive speeds, production of this ultra-fast hypercar will start soon with deliveries intended to happen by early 2022 … at €3,200,000 each … and that’s before VAT mind you.
July 9, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport takes on the illustrious hill climb at Goodwood
Remember our article on the two unique Bugatti EB110 cars we published a while ago? Where we talked about probably the two rarest EB110 models in modern automotive history, a blue EB110S LM and a silver EB110S SC GTS-1 … two bespoke race cars built by Bugatti and based on the EB110 SS, only one of each were ever made, making each one unique on her own because they were built with a different purpose in mind. The blue car was specifically built for Le Mans, hence the EB110 LM naming, and she did enter the 1994 edition of the 24h of Le Mans, with a rumored power output of more than 700 PS.
Earlier this year the silver EB110S SC GTS-1 returned to a race track in Dyon after being dormant for 25 years, but not to compete, but to be part of a photoshoot, after that the car would join its blue EB110S LM in the UK, to be taken care of by the specialists at H.R.Owen Bugatti for their annual maintenance, and it seems they haven’t been returned to their owner’s garage just yet … Bugatti Automobiles had the great idea to take their new limited edition model, the Centodiece, which is an homage to the EB110SS, to the Nardò track in Italy and come face to face with these two bespoke built race cars from the past … a meeting of two icons.
The Bugatti Centodiece will be entering production in 2022, but before that happens the prototypes will be taken for multiple test drives, both on the open road, and on the track, and that’s why Bugatti returned to the famous Nardò circuit in southern Italy, a proving ground often used by not only Bugatti but many renowned supercar and hypercar manufacturers, this test track in Apulia has seen many prototypes roar their engines for final dynamic checks before going into production.
The 6.2-kilometer track at Nardò combines several right-left-right corners to be taken at high speeds that allow a perfect refinement of the chassis, this track is very demanding on both driver and car, that’s why it’s a preferred venue, but Lars Fischer, Head of Chassis Testing and Application at Bugatti, takes the testing even further by not only keeping the new Centodiece on the track, but also taking it onto the rounds around Apulia, to get a better understanding of the chassis tuning in real-world traffic, and on roads that aren’t as smooth as a race track.
A team of 20 engineers and drivers took the Bugatti Centodiece to Italy to finalize the new model, experts in chassis tuning and development together with engine, transmission, and bodywork specialists all work together during these grueling tests under the Italian sun, this allows them to verify the car’s performance under high outside temperature while taking her onto the high-speed course at Nardò.
The Bugatti Centodieci will be made by hand right at the atelier in Molsheim, this model is an homage to the legendary EB 110 and it’s also a symbol of Bugatti’s coachbuilding expertise, back in 1998, the EB 110 was a milestone on the road to reviving the Bugatti brand in Molsheim, and now they face each other on the Italian race track, but in nearly 30 years a lot has changed, the EB110 came with 610 PS while today the Centodiece will add almost 1,000 PS to that figure, while the EB110 didn’t have a lot of electronics fitted, the Centodiece has systems that alter the chassis dynamics in real-time.
But for Loris Bicocchi, who was already a test driver in the early 90s, and was effectively involved in the development of the EB 110 from scratch, the biggest difference isn’t the power output or the electronics … it’s the tires, the grip level of modern tires like those on the Centodieci is extremely high, he says, and this allows for high lateral acceleration, now Bicocchi is helping the Bugatti team to develop the Centodiece, especially the chassis setup … so he came full circle, working on the EB110 and now on that cars homage 30 years later.
But only a very select few will be able to enjoy all this hard work, Bugatti will only build 10 units of the Centodiece, deliveries will start in 2022, and they are all sold already … at €8,000,000 each, that’s about US$ 9,500,000 …
July 8, 2021 / Comments Off on The Bugatti Centodieci faces the Bugatti EB 110
ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatian electric supercar builder Rimac is taking over the iconic French manufacturer Bugatti in a deal that is reported to be worth millions of euros.
Rimac said Germany’s Volkswagen Group, including the Porsche division — which owns a majority stake in Bugatti — plans to create a new joint venture. The new company will be called Bugatti-Rimac.
Rimac Automobili announced Monday that it will be combining forces with Bugatti to “create a new automotive and technological powerhouse.”
Rimac has progressed in 10 years from a one-man garage startup to a successful company that produces electric supercars. Mate Rimac, who founded the company in 2009, says the venture is an “exciting moment” and calls the combination of the companies “a perfect match for each other.”
Porsche will own 45% of Bugatti-Rimac while Rimac Automobili will hold the remaining 55% stake, according to Croatian media reports. Financial details of the deal were not published.
Bugattis will continue to be assembled in eastern France, where the company was established in 1909. The vehicles will use engines developed and made in Croatia.
“In an industry evolving at ever-increasing speed, flexibility, innovation and sustainability remain at the very core of Rimac’s operations,” the company said. “Uniting Rimac’s technical expertise and lean operations with Bugatti’s 110-year heritage of design and engineering prowess represents a fusion of leading automotive minds.”
July 5, 2021 / Comments Off on Rimac inks deal to purchase 55% of Bugatti from VW Group
Volkswagen Group has agreed a deal which cedes control of Bugatti to a joint venture. It will be called Bugatti Rimac, led by Mate Rimac, with Porsche taking a 45 percent stake in the venture and Rimac, the other 55 percent.
Rimac itself is owned by Mate Rimac (39.2 percent) Porsche (24 percent) Camel Group (14 percent) and Hyundai Motor Group (14 percent), which means that Porsche will, in effect, control 58.2 percent of Bugatti Rimac. That said, Porsche does not expect to have a say in the running of the new company.
The joint venture will see Bugatti’s production remain in France, while all of its research will move into Rimac’s new headquarters in Croatia. Projects previously announced under the Rimac brand will now move to Bugatti Rimac, including the recently announced Rimac Nevera.
Rimac has forged a reputation as a pioneer of the blossoming electric car market. Although the company generally produces high end electric hypercars, it has worked with the likes of Jaguar, Aston Martin and Pininfarina.
Rimac has apparently confirmed his intention to produce a fully-electric Bugatti by the end of the decade, with hybrid models to accompany it. It remains to be seen whether this indicates that other parts of the Volkswagen Group are about to receive the same treatment.
July 5, 2021 / Comments Off on Porsche and Rimac Agree Deal to Take Control of Bugatti from Volkswagen
After a lot of rumors, it is finally official, Mate Rimac will become the CEO of a brand new company called Bugatti Rimac d.o.o. that will have its headquarter in Croatia and becomes a new entity by the final quarter of 2021, and to really put this amazing feat into perspective … it took Rimac only ten years to become a massive company, back in 2010 Rimac had 8 employees, and when they introduced the Concept 1 at the 2011 IAA in Frankfurt, they had no idea that by 2021 they would join forces with a hypercar brand like Bugatti and have over 1,000 employees.
In 2018 a big milestone was reached when Porsche invested in Rimac Automobili, only a year later, in 2019, both Hyundai and Kia became shareholders of the company, today Mate Rimac decided it was time to separate his company Rimac Automobili that was founded twelve years ago, the original company will be renamed into Rimac Group that will contain two separate companies, one being Bugatti Rimac that will continue to build Hypercar, the other called Rimac Technology that will focus on creating technology not only for the Rimac hypercars but also for other companies.
But Rimac Group will only own a controlling interest in Bugatti Rimac of 55%, while the shareholders of the Rimac Group are Porsche with 24%, Hyundai at 12%, other investors hold 27%, while Mate Rimac himself holds 37% of Rimac Group being the largest shareholder, and while there is a new company called Bugatti Rimac, both Bugatti Automobiles and Rimac Automobili will remain separate companies, but they will combine expertise to create the future models for both brands.
Fear not, the 110 years of Bugatti history will be kept alive, production of Bugatti cars will remain at Molsheim, even for future models, once finished, the massive Rimac Campus in Croatia will be building all Rimac cars, but will also be the home of R&D for both Bugatti and Rimac, remember this massive campus will hold 2,500 employees, and when completed in 2023 will also house the production for technology and components for both Bugatti and Rimac cars.
Putting together the right structure for Bugatti Rimac took 18 months of negotiations according to Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche AG, with this joint venture the future of Bugatti Automobiles has been secured by uniting two strong brands, one being 110 years old, the second being very young but boasting a rarely seen growth path.
Bugatti became part of the Volkswagen Group in 1998, since then the world’s most impressive hypercars have left the gates at Molsheim, like the Bugatti Veyron and today the Bugatti Chiron, and while Porsche now owns 45% of Bugatti Automobiles and the Rimac Group the other 55%, production of these amazing, luxurious and extremely fast W16 quad-turbo hypercars will remain in France, even for the next generation of Bugatti cars.
July 5, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti Rimac is a new company
Usually, Europe is the most important market for Bugatti, but for the first time in history, during the first six months of 2021, the leading region has been taken over by the United States of America, with an immense interest in the impressive Bugatti Chiron, and more specifically the very special Pur Sport, a model that focusses on agility and acceleration instead of all-out top speed, Cedric Davy, COO of Bugatti of the Americas confirms that 70% of order for the Pur Sport are first time Bugatti customers.
Bugatti is well on its way to a record-setting 2021, aside from the many orders for the Chiron Pur Sport, the newly introduced Chiron Super Sport has been generating a lot of interest from US buyers too, and it’s clear to see why the amazing Chiron Super Sport comes with a highly modified body, with a ‘longtail’ design to offer the best possible stability at speeds over 400 km/h, this fourth iteration of the Bugatti Super Sport moniker has been created specifically for top speed while still being luxurious and comfortable, the Pur Sport counterpart was created for cornering and lateral agility.
If you remember the Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, you might remember the round holes behind the side windows … as an homage to that design element, this new Chiron Super Sport comes with nine air vents on top of the front fenders to release air pressure from the front wheel wells, as this also increases downforce on the front axle, this styling detail is also functional, the new Chiron Super Sport is an uncompromising reincarnation of the Bugatti design mantra, ‘form follows performance’.
But back to the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, there will be only 60 units built for the entire world, the Chiron Pur Sport didn’t fail to impress some of the most important automotive publications in the United States during test drives, subsequently, sales have risen considerably, Bugatti mentions a 700% increase compared to the first six months of 2020, and with events starting to be held throughout the world, Bugatti intends to invite more clients to their VIP area to have them get a taste of what a Bugatti Chiron is all about.
Even 24 Hour of Le Mans class winner and longtime Bugatti test driver Butch Leitzinger was impressed with the Chiron Pur Sport during extended testing in Southern California, he stated: “The seamless marriage of agility and brute force give the Pur Sport abilities that are unmatched, not only by any other car, but also by any other Bugatti.”, so despite the pricetag in the $4,000,000 region, there are more customers than ever willing to park the Chiron in their garage.
July 4, 2021 / Comments Off on Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is a success in the US
The new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is limited to just 30 units. This is the fastest Bugatti car to date, and easily the fastest car in the world. It is after all built upon the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ which became the first car to cross the 300MPH barrier by achieving a top speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h) back in 2019. The Super Sport 300+ was a prototype, the road going versions will have a speed limiter just like the Veyron Super Sport. The new (limited) top speed will be 440km/h.
The price of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is €3.2 million euros or an equivalent of $3.9 million dollars.
Moving on to the car, the body of the new Chiron Super Sport generates immense downforce in order to counter the uplift forces exerted on the body when the vehicle is at speeds of over 440km/h as well as improve the balance.
The rear part of the vehicle has been increased by 25cm so as to hold the laminar flow for a long period of time, the diffuser cross-section has also been enlarged and as a result, the rear trailing surface is 44cm lower and the slipstream and wind resistance generated are reduced as well.
Bugatti shifted the exhaust system of the new Chiron from the central to the side with the pipes aligned vertically in order to enhance the performance of the diffuser and create more space. Additionally, the side air curtains and the air intakes at the front minimizes drag and improves the air flow from the front to the wheel arches and over the side radiators.
Each fender consists of nine exhaust air holes for releasing air pressure from the wells of the front wheels ergo streamlined downforce is generated at the front axle, the outlets at the back of the front wheel arches help balance out the aerodynamic loads.
The Chiron Super Sport is powered an improved 8.0 liter W16 quad turbo engine that generates a maximum power output of 1,176kW/ 1,600PS and 1,600Nm of torque accessible between 2000 rpm and 7000 rpm instead of up to 6000rpm. The rpm of the engine was increased from 6,800 rpm to 7,100 rpm in order to improve the agility and performance of the vehicle.
In addition, the Chiron is capable of accelerating from 0-200km/h in 5.8 seconds, 0-300km/h in 12.1 seconds and the acceleration from 0-400km/h is 7% faster compared to the standard Chiron. The performance improvement of the Chiron Super Sport was created by the larger turbochargers with efficient compressor wheels, therefore the seven-gear dual-clutch transmission is at full load and full speed transitions from 6th to 7th gear at 403 km/h. The 7th gear boasts a 3.6% longer transmission.
The new Chiron Super Sports features newly developed Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires which have been optimized for top speeds, offer greater rigidity and they are the only tires capable of up to 500km/h consistently. This is made possible due to the reinforced belts capable of coping with immense forces.
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport
June 23, 2021 / Comments Off on Photos: 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport in New Colors – Gold and Black
The engineers from Molsheim are hard at work to get the new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport ready for her first deliveries in a few months, the customers will be getting this amazing new hypercar from France from August 2021 onward, and with a top speed of 440 km/h this is the fastest production sports car in the world, so they better make sure it performs and is safe to drive at those impressive speeds.
The intention of the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is to combine several almost impossible-looking requirements together, be a luxury GT, achieve the highest top speed in the world, and do that with the driver being comfortable … that’s a very tall order, but Jachin Schwalbe, Head of Chassis Development at Bugatti explains why this new Super Sport edition will pull it off.
The development of this latest edition of the Bugatti Chiron has taken it to the open road already, where the test pilots were able to fine-tune most things on the pre-production prototype at speeds up to 380 km/h, but the Super Sport is capable to go beyond the 400 km/h mark with ease, and making sure the car stays stable at those speeds requires taken her onto a closed high-speed track … where they managed to thunder by at the 440 km/h Vmax speed.
To make sure all the necessary data is gathered during this multi-day testing session, the stunning gold and black finished Chiron Super Sport test mule was fitted with about 100 additional sensors … Bugatti heavily relies on the experience of their test drivers, but some things need a more technological approach … in come the sensors and computers to calculate the perfect balance between additional downforce from the rear wing, without compromising top speed with unnecessary drag … this includes the angle of the rear wing, the height of the suspension, the setting on the dampers, and even the electronic steering assist … in the end, it will be a very tight combination of both to ensure the client can use his, or her, new Bugatti Chiron Super Sport to the maximum.
The biggest difference between the Chiron, Chiron Pur Sport, and this new Chiron Super Sport is the extended bodywork, the so-called Longtail set up, but if you look really close you’ll notice just about the entire body on the Super Sport has been modified for optimal aerodynamics to keep the car stable at speeds over 420 km/h.
To achieve the performance and speed required for this new limited edition Bugatti also had to tune their famous engine differently, the 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbo engine now pumps out 1,600 PS (1,176 kW) which is 100 PS more than the regular Chiron, a feat accomplished by using larger turbochargers with highly efficient compressor wheels. And while the car comes with a 7-speed gearbox, she will only change up from 6th to 7th gear at 403 km/h with the engine at 7,100 rpm.
Some more figures perhaps? The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport will reach 400 km/h from standing still in 28.6 seconds … in less than half a minute you’re doing about four times the legal speed limit in most countries, going from 0 to a pedestrian 100 km/h only takes 2.4 seconds … still Bugatti will only make 500 units of their Chiron, and this €3.2 million Super Sport version is part of those 500, after that it’s game over for the Chiron model.
June 22, 2021 / Comments Off on High speed testing for the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport
We first heard about a Bugatti takeover back in September 2020, the German Manager Magazin published an article about Rimac making an announcement within weeks of them taking over Bugatti … but that didn’t materialize apparently, neither did the bid of $11.5 billion on Automobili Lamborghini SpA a while ago by a Swiss investment group.
In March 2021 Mate Rimac, CEO of his own, Croatian carmaker, confirmed he was working closely together with Porsche to obtain a strategic investment from Porsche into Rimac, up to $181,000,000, which might mean Porsche obtains a large part of Rimac, but Mate Rimac emphasizes that his company will remain independent, and Porsche will never own 50% of the company … the rumor now is that Mate Rimac holds onto 55% of the shares, while Porsche might obtain the remaining 45%.
But today the same German Manager Magazin once again publishes a report that states Rimac is ready to take over Bugatti from the VW group, with the help of Porsche, and that’s not even the entire story this time … renowned Reuters actually cites Manager Magazin in saying Rimac has plans to go public next year, putting shares on the stock market in an attempt to reach a massive $6 billion valuation.
Now, once again it seems things are being stirred up in the hypercar market, not only does Mate Rimac have the ultimate all-electric hypercar in the new Nevera, but that car seems to be setting the benchmark for all the other hypercar builders out there …
FRANKFURT — Croatian electric hypercar maker Rimac is exploring several options for its future, a spokesperson for the group said in response to a report outlining plans for an initial public offering next year.
Germany’s Manager Magazin reported that Rimac, in which Volkswagen’s Porsche unit owns a 24% stake, was planning an IPO in 2022 at a valuation of 5 billion euros ($6.1 billion), without disclosing where it obtained the information.
“As for going public, we’re considering different options, but it hasn’t been decided which direction we’ll go in,” the Rimac spokesperson said.
Rimac has developed an electric supercar platform which it supplies to other carmakers, including Automobili Pininfarina.
It is currently working on a strategic partnership with Volkswagen unit Bugatti, which will likely result in a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, with Porsche as a minority partner, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said in March.
“The future of Bugatti is an issue that will be decided on a group level,” Porsche said in a statement, declining to comment further.
Porsche boss Oliver Blume earlier this year said intense discussions on Bugatti’s future were ongoing and that Rimac could play a role as the brands were a good technological fit, adding that a decision was expected in the first half of 2021.
Back in the early 90s, the Bugatti EB110 was the supercar to get, debuted specifically on September 15th, 1991 which happens to be company founder Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birthday, but it would take until the 1992 Geneva Motor Show to get the complete view of what this car was all about: a quad-turbocharged 3.5-liter V12 with 603 hp (449-kilowatt) called the EB110 Super Sport (or, SS) was unveiled.
Compared to the Bugatti EB110 GT the Super Sport evolution was 150 kg lighter and packed 60 more horsepower which resulted in a top speed of 216 mph in 1992, one of the most famous cars ever was a yellow Bugatti EB110 SS purchased by Formula One legend Michael Schumacher in 1992, and while only 39 EB110 SS were built (of a rumored 150 total EB110), it isn’t the rarest version in the world of this Nineties supercar.
That honor goes to a blue EB110S LM and a silver EB110S SC GTS-1 … two bespoke race cars built by Bugatti and based on the EB110 SS, only one of each was ever made, making each one unique on her own because they were built with a different purpose in mind. The blue car was specifically built for Le Mans, hence the EB110 LM naming, and she did enter the 1994 edition of the 24h of Le Mans, with a rumored power output of more than 700 Ps.
The EB110S LM was a strong competitor during the 1994 24h of Le Mans, which happened to mark the 55th anniversary of the last time Bugatti took the win at this famous endurance race, it wasn’t an effortless race, a total of five turbos had to be replaced, and they even had to cope with a fuel leak, but towards the end of the 24 hours it looked like this traditional Bugatti Blue race car would reach a top-five spot … until 4 minutes before the chequered flag a blown tire decided otherwise and the EB110S LM had to retire.
Still, the car drew the attention of Gildo Pallanca-Pastor who ordered three race cars from Bugatti for his Monaco Racing Team, this became the Bugatti EB110 Sport Competizione, or EB110S SC GTS-1 as it was officially called, the race car was built over a period of six months in 1995, initial plans were to build three units, but due to financial difficulties and supplier issues only one of these lightweight, reconceptualized, and stupendously fast EB110 race cars was built for entry into IMSA racing and the BPR Global GT Series on special order by Gildo Pallanca-Pastor.
From mid-1995 Gildo Pallanca-Pastor entered official races with his bespoke EB110 SC, and the car performed well, fifth-place at Watkins Glen and sixth-in-class at Sears Point before a promising Daytona 24 Hours race turned into a nightmare due to transmission issues, then an issue with spare parts started to creep up, the supercar market started falling apart in 1995, and demand for new Bugatti EB110 GT or SS swindled, eventually to such a degree, Artioli could no longer sustain the losses and Bugatti was declared bankrupt in September 1995, at that time this silver EB110 SC was located at the factory for service, and it got confiscated as an asset by the curators handling the bankruptcy.
Fortunately, Gildo Pallanca-Pastor managed to get his car back and took it to Daytona in January 1996, but his intention was Le Mans, so prepared by entering a race in Dijon, France, on June 8 and 9 where he managed an impressive fourth place during training while for his first race in the EB110 SC, Pallanca-Pastor reached third place overall. But his luck ran out in the second race, a crash meant the Bugatti EB110 SC had to retire the race, they didn’t have enough spare parts to repair the car, even to the point he couldn’t qualify for the 1995 24h of Le Mans a week later, supply of Bugatti parts simply dried up completely at that point.
The last official, factory-built EB110 race car wouldn’t compete again for the next 25 years, but the car was maintained all the time, and when Gildo Pallanca-Pastor sold her a few years after her retirement to a Bugatti enthusiast, the latter kept the car in good condition, but away from the race track … only to return to Dyon in 2021 for a photo shoot of this unique Sport Competizione version of the Bugatti EB110.
Recently these two legendary Bugatti race cars were side by side for the first time in many years, both were taken to H.R.Owen Bugatti for their annual maintenance, the EB110S LM still in her 1994 Le Mans 24 Hours livery sits alongside the silver EB110S SC GTS-1 that competed in the North American WSC GT races … these are the only factory official Bugatti EB110 race cars that competed in 1994, 1995 and 1996, truly a piece of automotive history, both of which are priceless collection items today.
June 15, 2021 / Comments Off on Two unique Bugatti EB110s
