2008 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Bugatti Galibier to be "faster than anything on the market"

Before Wolfgang Dürheimer moves to Audi, he's still got a few jobs to finish as head of Bentley and Bugatti, one of them being to oversee the development of the 16C Galibier. It was back in 2009 that the two-tone concept had audiences agog, and rumors and leaks since then have had everyone wondering if the four-seat fastback will ever become reality. To hit 'rewind' on the rumormill, the Galibier was initially greenlit in early 2011 and tipped to go into production this year, a timeframe that was later revised to next year. The model was earmarked to have less than 1,000 horsepower and optional hybrid power, and at the same time, the design was meant to be finalized, but it was instead reportedly scrapped for not being outrageous enough. The Galibier then went back to the design bureau and the horsepower was subsequently announced as surpassing the four-digit mark.
Production is now planned for somewhere around 2015, and according to Dürheimer's chat with Car and Driver, the Galibier on the way will be original and blindingly fast. The executive would only commit to the "over 1,000 hp" line, but C/D believes the ouput will be around 1,400 non-hybridized ponies. Whatever the final number is, it is said to get the Galibier beyond 235 mph and, Durheimer said, be "faster than anything on the market" - and that includes wares from the aftermarket sector. Dürheimer also says the Galibier will have technologies that are automotive firsts.
What remains to be decided is the candy coating that will envelop all that sweetness, since "the final design still is in flux." We'd heard before that the hatchback's entire rear end is being redesigned, but it appears that if nothing else, the eight tailpipes will remain.

Bugatti teases something new on the horizon

Bugatti isn't keeping a secret that development on a follow-up to the Veyron is advancing, but the brand continues to be very cagey about what is coming. In a new teaser video, the company is at least giving us something to think about with a narrator asking viewers to "imagine the impossible." Sadly, the clip never shows an actual vehicle, but you can hear a growling engine at the end. While Bugatti isn't talking officially, rumors are heaping up about the future vehicle, reportedly called the Chiron. Spy shots show a design that so far is largely similar to the Veyron, but the 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 reportedly is pushed to 1,500 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet. The extra oomph comes thanks to the fitment of electric turbochargers to compliment the standard ones, and some reports even suggest a hybrid setup. During the unveiling of the final Veyron, company president Wolfgang Durheimer admitted, "Our challenge is to make the best even better." It's interesting to see Bugatti teasing something now because a previous report suggests a launch in 2016. Here's hoping, we get a glimpse sooner than that.

Bugatti Divo teased again ahead of Monterey reveal

There are four days to go until Bugatti unveils the track-focused Divo this Friday at The Quail - A Motorsports Gathering during Monterey Car Week. Until then, we have this last teaser of the complete vehicle under a blue veil to try and draw out details. Bugatti once used the Vision Gran Turismo to tease aspects of the Chiron, and here it appears as though the French carmaker has returned to some elements of that concept while, at the same time, clearly evolving Chiron design language. The rear wing is clearly toned down from the Vision GT concept, but a fin runs from the back of the greenhouse to the wing. The wheel arches stand out under the sheet, much punchier than the arches on the Chiron, and the rear fender contains a sharp edge. A clear departure from both the Vision GT and the Chiron, though, is the side line. The relaxed arc around the roof to the back of the cabin and down to the sills, a feature we've known since the Veyron, has been redone. On the Divo it looks like the roof line takes a shallow dip to a point, then makes a hard reverse to form a shoulder line that intersects the front wheel arch. Above that, a milder shoulder line descends from the cowl to underline the greenhouse. "We've kept and further developed our Bugatti design DNA features, but on top of that have also taken the opportunity to exercise our freedom and create a completely new form language," said Frank Heyl, the exterior design chief. Bugatti obviously wanted us to notice all of this, because the Divo example under the silk doesn't have a side mirror. Built by the company's just-revived coachbuilding department and advancing the capabilities of the Chiron Sport, the Divo will bring "enormous downforce and G-forces." Other than the top stabilizer fin and large rear wing, the additional feature we've seen to support its track mission is a vertical fin ahead of the front wheels. Cosmetically, it looks like the taillights will be LED or OLED with highly contoured shapes. We'll have to wait until Friday for word on whether the 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 has undergone any changes. Bugatti will make just 40 Divos, each with a price starting at 5 million euros, about $5.8 million in U.S. dollars, and nearly double the price of the Chiron Sport. Those numbers might be moot if every Divo is already spoken for.