Geneva show: Bugatti raises bar with La Voiture Noire
BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 8th Mar 2019
BUGATTI Automobiles claims it has set the world record for the most expensive new vehicle sold yet, with one well-heeled buyer purchasing the bespoke La Voiture Noire hypercar for €16.7 million ($A26.65 million).
Revealed at the Geneva motor show, the La Voiture Noire pays homage to the 1936 Type 57 SC Atlantic owned by Jean Bugatti, the son of Bugatti Automobiles found Ettore Bugatti.
La Voiture Noire translates to ‘the black car’ – the term used to reference Mr Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic that was eventually lost in February 1941 after changing hands several times.
Described by the French brand as “a coupe with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sportscar”, the new La Voiture Noire shares its underpinnings with the Chiron but features a different exterior design, while its interior is yet to be detailed.
Notably, the suitably black La Voiture Noire features a windshield, A-pillars and side windows that neatly integrate into one seamless panel, and a ‘dorsal seam’ that bisects the bonnet, roof and engine cover.
The body – including the massive rear diffuser – is completely made out of lightweight carbon-fibre with a gloss-black finish, while the wheels’ five-spoke design extends onto the tyres’ sidewall with silver paint.
Enthusiasts are more likely to notice, though, the La Voiture Noire’s six exhaust tailpipes that are connected to its mighty 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 that again produces 1103kW of power at 6700rpm and 1600Nm of torque from 2000 to 6000rpm.
While performance figures have not been confirmed, the marque claims the La Voiture Noire’s fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions on the combined cycle test are a whopping 22.5 litres per 100 kilometres and 516 grams per kilometre respectively.
“Bugatti has again proved that it makes the world’s most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive hyper sports cars,” Bugatti Automobiles president Stephan Winkelmann said.
“The true form of luxury is individuality. La Voiture Noire is now at the cutting edge of automobile production. It is a sculptural beauty with unique technology, the ideal gran tourismo.”
“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.”
