WHAT IF... What word resonates in you when you hear the name "Bugatti"? Power? Prestige? Exclusivity? Excess ? All these superlatives are the essence of the brand.

This car manufacturer based in Molsheim in Alsace has been building models that are each more incredible than the last for quite some time. Acquired in 1998 by the Volkswagen group thanks to Ferdinand Piëch, Bugatti has subsequently produced supercars well-known by all car enthusiasts:

-Bugatti VEYRON 16.4: equipped with a W16 / 4 turbos engine (born from the fusion of two V8) of 8L of displacement, developing the bagatelle of 1001cv and 1250Nm of torque, this model is the very first following the acquisition of the brand by the VAG group. Released in 2005, several variations were added to Bugatti's range for customers, including a SuperSport version which, in 2010, became the fastest series production vehicle in the world: 431.072km/h. A little anecdote: to reach the "Top Speed" mode and pass the 400km/h mark, the owner of a Bugatti Veyron must insert a special key placed behind the driver's seat.

-Bugatti CHIRON: presented in 2016, the engine follows the same philosophy as the Veyron, but this time it delivers 1500hp and 1600Nm of torque. This model is available in different versions ("110ans Bugatti", "les légendes du ciel", "Noire Élégance") but none of them were convertible. The most advanced model is the Super Sport 300+, whose engine had been boosted to 1600hp, allowing Bugatti to break the symbolic 300 mph barrier (490.484 km/h) in August 2019.

-Bugatti DIVO: a Shaker, a Bugatti CHIRON, an aggressive body, the know-how of the brand, and you get the Bugatti DIVO. Introduced in 2018, this model features a reworked chassis and improved aerodynamics. The engine base remains identical to the Bugatti Chiron. As for the performance, it is even more impressive.

Connoisseurs will notice that each model is named after an iconic Bugatti driver, such as Pierre VEYRON, Louis CHIRON or Albert DIVO. The company thus reinforced its link between series models and its racing heritage.

Bugatti also produces unique models, concept cars and track-oriented models. My heart races with every photo of the Bugatti LA VOITURE NOIRE, a tribute to the Bugatti Type 57 SC that disappeared in 1938 between Molsheim and Bordeaux. A few privileged people were able to experience this "jewel" during the Concours d'Elegance in Chantilly in 2019.

The Bugatti BOLIDE is another jewel of the Alsace-based company, an extreme expression of the 'pistard'. With the same powertrain and a few kilos lighter, this 1850hp hypercar (1600hp depending on the fuel used) has a weight/power ratio of less than 1. Not certified for the road, it is only produced in small series and will delight its happy owner. But don't get carried away, every one of the 40 units planned has (already) found a buyer.

Since its takeover by Volkswagen and then by Rimac Automobili in 2021, Bugatti is back on solid ground with models that are always more extreme than the previous ones. A fusion of technology and innovation, each vehicle is a feast for the eyes and ears. Some lucky individuals will get to drive them, others will sit in the passenger seat, and a few will get behind the wheel.

And if... What if the memory of its founder Ettore BUGATTI were floating in each model? What if his aura still inhabited this dream factory where young and old have stars in their eyes? What if this same energy inspires Bugatti engineers to innovate?

Whatever the case may be, Bugatti models will always make us dream, thus respecting the brand's slogan: "Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive".


Warren E.