The last Bugatti to be auctioned in Paris by RM Sotheby’s on February 1st with the iconic W-16 quad-turbo engine by Bugatti..
The Bugatti Chiron was shown to the world for the first time in March 2016 as a worthy successor to the ground-breaking Veyron, setting new standards for performance and usability, once again establishing a new hyper sports car benchmark. Both the Veyron and Chiron share the phenomenal 8.0-litre W-16 engine—albeit almost entirely reengineered for the newer car—which in Chiron application features four larger two-stage turbochargers to boost power up to 1,600 PS.
A limited production run of 500 Chiron units was pledged by Bugatti and, remarkably, the first 200 of those were sold before the first Chiron had left the Molsheim atelier. Bugatti engineers would not rest on their laurels, though, and efforts were made to expand the Chiron’s spectrum of performance to include models that would be even faster and more powerful, or even more agile.
A select number of derivatives were unveiled, each finding unique ways to utilise the incomparable power of the Chiron’s W-16 beating heart. One of them is the highly agile Chiron Pur Sport, featuring a 1.9-metre-wide wing, shorter gear ratios, immensely fast acceleration and a boost of a lateral acceleration by 10 per cent leading to a top speed of 350 km/h. Its counterpart is the Chiron Super Sport, a gran turismo with 1600 PS and a limited top speed of 440 km/h. While driving a near-production Chiron Super Sport 300+ prototype, Bugatti driver Andy Wallace achieved a phenomenal speed of 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h) in 2019—to this day, a world record.
During Chiron production, customers expressed an interest in a car that was slightly “less radical” than the Chiron Pur Sport, utilising its extraordinary acceleration and handling while injecting more of a touring personality. Listening to customer feedback, Bugatti started to develop a version of the Chiron to fill this gap in its product portfolio. Engineers began work on a silhouette closer to the elegant optic of the original Chiron, yet with the driving properties of a Chiron Pur Sport.
The solution was a bespoke shape with a sweeping tail that leads to highly advanced thermodynamic air flow management and increased downforce over the rear axle. The Bugatti Chiron Profilée was born. With the Chiron in high demand, the limited allocation of 500 units had been reached while the Profilée was still in development. In an unusual move for any manufacturer, the Molsheim marque completed the pre-series car—despite being aware that the rest of the intended units would never be built. The sole outcome is this one Chiron Profilée, with single-type approval for Europe, offered for sale here. It not only features standalone technology and all parts originally intended to be included to this model series but will also be the very last brand-new Bugatti with a W-16 engine for sale by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Unique in its design, in its performance and in its special touches, the Chiron Profilée is finished in a distinctive horizontal split, that optically divides the body in two parts, making the car appear even lower than it already is. The exterior color, called “Argent Atlantique”, was exclusively developed for the Profilée. The lower part of the Profilée’s body is tinted in Bleu Royal Carbon, elegantly exposing the carbon fiber structure. The prominent horseshoe form of the alloy wheels has been especially designed, manufactured and tested for the Profilée. To match the carbon tint of the car’s lower body they are painted in “Le Patron” with polished aluminum accents.
The form of the tail, moulded into the outline of the hyper sports car and featuring a millimetre-perfect hollow section to allow for the easy escape of hot air, was engineered to add stability when driven at full tilt. The effect of these rather minor optical modifications is huge, allowing the Profilée to deliver a unique combination of acceleration, agility and accuracy while maximising the performance of the earth-shattering W-16 engine.
Around the front of the hyper car, the Profilée was given wider air inlets and an enlarged Bugatti “horseshoe” grille to aid warm air egress from the radiators. A revised front splitter worked in tandem with a sculpted underbody to further increase downforce and maximise airflow.
For the first time in any Chiron model, a woven leather finish is achieved across the center console, around the dashboard, the door panels, and rear wall inlay. This process uses exactly 2,665 metres of leather strips, each applied meticulously by hand. The Profilée is equipped with Comfort seats finished in Gris Rafale and Deep Blue leather, featuring the quilting pattern named by Bugatti as “air parade”. The cockpit features the typical Chiron instrument cluster of three compact displays with the analogue speedometer in the middle. It is installed in a black anodised aluminium housing. The steering wheel, wrapped in deep blue leather, features the same longer gear shift paddles from the Chiron Pur Sport plus the two red buttons in the middle—the right for the engine, the left for drive modes “EB”, “Autobahn”, “Handling”, and “Lift”.
Aside from its exterior shape, the Chiron Profilée was given all-new steering and suspension settings for more responsive handling. The transmission was revised, with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox given shorter ratios. The rev limit of the W-16 engine was increased by 200 rpm to a 6,900 rpm redline, contributing to a top speed electronically limited to 380 km/h. The special edition is the fastest accelerating of all Chiron models—capable of reaching 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds; 200 km/h in 5.5 seconds; and 300 km/h in a near-incomprehensible 12.4 seconds.
The stunning hyper car has covered only 396 kilometres of test mileage at the time of cataloguing, undergoing the final quality inspection checks that all new Bugatti hyper sports cars receive before leaving the factory. The Chiron Profilée is an automotive solitaire, never to be repeated, and unlike any other. This opportunity to own part of Bugatti history simply cannot be missed.
The car recently arrived at Paris’s Carrousel du Louvre, where it will be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s – Lot 177/200 (bidding begins at 16:00 CET on 1 February) with an estimate of €4.2 - $5.5 million expected
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