Bugatti has showcased a one-off car “La Voiture Noire at the Geneva Motor Show 2019. For €11 million (before tax) this unique car has already been sold to a Bugatti enthusiast. It is the most expensive new car of all time. However, Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann has said at the Geneva show that the car was sold for €16.5 million (after tax) which is equivalent to Rs 132 Crore. It is a sculptural beauty with unique technology, the ideal Grand Tourisme,” says Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann. This is a coupé with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sports car.
“Our history is both a privilege and a responsibility – the responsibility for continuing the Bugatti heritage into the future. With “La Voiture Noire”, we are paying homage to our heritage and bringing speed, technology, luxury and aesthetics forward to a new era,” says Stephan. “La Voiture Noire is a far more than a modern interpretation of Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic. It is a feast of aesthetics,” he adds.
“Every single component has been handcrafted and the carbon fibre body has a deep black gloss only interrupted by the ultrafine fibre structure. This is a material that has been handled perfectly,” says Bugatti designer Etienne Salomé. “We worked long and hard on this design until was nothing that we could improve. For us, the coupé represents the perfect form with a perfect finish.
The heart of the new creation is the iconic 16-cylinder engine. The 16-cylinder engine with a displacement of 8 litres develops 1,103 kW/1,500 PS and 1,600 Newton-metres of torque. Six tailpipes at the rear bear witness to its incredible power and are also a tribute to the 16 cylinders.
The exclusive new “Voiture Noire“, the black car, is a reminiscence of “la Voiture Noire“ a Type 57 SC Atlantic that was Jean Bugatti’s most famous creation. The outstanding design feature was a dorsal seam running from the hinge in the split bonnet through to the rear end. Nowadays, it is one of the most valuable classic cars in the world.
Only four Atlantics were made between 1936 and 1938, each of them with detailed differences created individually for a customer. Three of these extraordinary coupés are still in existence. The second car built was used by Jean Bugatti himself as well as some of the Bugatti grand prix drivers among his friends. The world has been searching for this Atlantic for more than 80 years – it is one of the great mysteries in the history of the automobile. The car probably disappeared before the German invasion of Alsace, when it was to be dispatched to a safe region.