New Bugatti Profilee
The world was a very different place when the Chiron succeeded the Veyron in reborn, VW-era Bugatti’s one-car model range. That was back in 2015, pre-virus, pre-Trump, and certainly pre any real sense that to launch a supercar with a quad-turbocharged, 8.0-litre W16 is to risk being seen as in any way out of touch with reality.
Back at launch, Bugatti pledged to build 500 Chirons. Now, in the last days of 2022, all are spoken for. Molsheim will spend 2023 building the remainder of those cars. After that we’re into a brave new world, one currently taking shape in the incredibly fertile/febrile mind of Bugatti Rimac CEO Mate Rimac.
So, this is a run-out special?
Of sorts, though the Profilée is a cut or two above the customary bang-some-stickers-on-it special edition, not least because there’ll be only one.
What’s more, because all the Chirons, Mistrals (drop-top Chirons) and Bolides (track-special Chirons) are spoken for, the Profilée represents something of a W16-engine last chance. It’ll be one of the last cars of its ilk to come off Bugatti’s ‘production line’ (it’s more artisan assembly space – think SpaceX meets haute couture). The one and only Profilée will be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s on February 1 in Paris, and heaven only knows where the bidding will end up.
What exactly is it?
The Profilée owes both its existence and its rarity to the Pur Sport, the sportiest Chiron that’s not a Bolide (keep up – what do you mean you get your ultra-niche Franco-German hypercars mixed up?).
Bugatti was apparently inundated (so, maybe a dozen emails?) with requests that it kindly explore the idea of a slightly less hardcore Pur Sport. So still dynamic, and with that car’s short-ratio gearbox, but with a vibe more Louvre than Le Mans.
Thus, the Profilée was born, complete with full homologation… only for Pur Sport orders to exceed expectation, hoover up a tonne of Chiron units and leave Bugatti with an expensive development cul-de-sac on its books. Hence the lateral thinking, the car’s one-off status (the original plan was to build 30) and the sale at auction. Because what could be fairer than a bidding war?
For their money (a chunk of which will go to charitable causes), the owner will get a piece of history in a rather fetching shade of blue (Argent Atlantique if you’re in Halfords looking at the spray paints) and exposed carbonfibre, its weave tinted in royal blue. Inside, another unique finish – woven leather, put together from 2500 metres of leather strips – will elevate this Bugatti above the standard Chiron riff-raff.
Mechanically, the Profilée sits between Pur Sport and Chiron Sport, with semi-fruity camber angles and spring rates, but melds that sporting intent with a more modest wing and comfort-spec seats. Straight-line speed is predictably mighty – 2.3sec 0-62mph and 5.5sec 0-124mph acceleration and a 236mph top speed (the Pur Sport, with its greater downforce, tops out at 217mph).
See you in Paris on February 1.