2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Bugatti reveals the final version of the one-off La Voiture Noire

Bugatti is ready to deliver the La Voiture Noire, a one-of-a-kind model introduced at the 2019 edition of the Geneva auto show. Based on the Chiron, the coachbuilt coupe meets the same quality standards as a series-produced car. Making the La Voiture Noire a reality took two years because it underwent a long list of tests before Bugatti signed it off. As we've previously reported, it was blasted with thousands of gallons of water to ensure it's watertight and was driven flat-out on a track, among other evaluations. Over 65,000 engineering hours were invested into the project, a number that underlines the significant differences between the La Voiture Noire and the Chiron it's related to. And yet, Bugatti managed to keep the show car's lines and finer design details intact during development. While the quad-turbocharged, 1,479-horsepower 8.0-liter W16 engine comes from the Chiron, all of the carbon fiber exterior panels are new and the wheelbase is slightly longer. Bugatti also notes each headlight features 25 individually-milled elements, and that the grille was 3D-printed. Overall, the La Voiture Noire wears a purer, more touring-oriented design than the aforementioned Chiron and the Divo. It's not fitted with a rear wing, for example. Interior photos haven't been released, but we're told the seats are upholstered in Havana Brown leather. It creates a classic ambience that matches the turned aluminum inlays scattered across the cabin, like on the center console. There is but a single example of the La Voiture Noire, and Bugatti's not taking bids. The coupe is already sold to an anonymous collector, who paid 11 million euros (about $13.4 million at the current conversion rate) for it before taxes enter the equation. Time will tell if the new owner reveals his or her identity, drives the car, or keeps it tucked away in a private collection. In the meantime, the French firm will work on bringing the Centodieci to production. Perhaps inspired by Bugatti's success, some of the other luxury carmakers have started breathing new life into the long-lost tradition of coachbuilding during the past few years. Rolls-Royce notably created a yacht-inspired, one-of-a-kind convertible called Boat Tail for an anonymous couple that reportedly paid approximately $28 million for it. What's in a name? La Voiture Noire literally translates to "The Black Car" in French. It's entirely black, but there's more to it than paint and trim.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 57 One of One unveiled as a tribute to the past

Bugatti is building the final examples of the Chiron, which has been sold-out since 2021, and it just completed a one-of-a-kind Super Sport model inspired by one of its rarest cars. The 57 One of One stands out with heritage-laced styling cues like a grille with vertical slats. The project started as a birthday gift: a Bugatti owner surprised his wife with a Chiron build slot for her 70th birthday. She's a car enthusiast as well, and she worked with the brand to configure her Chiron as a modern interpretation of the Type 57 SC Atlantic she saw in a museum two decades ago. "I remember that day like it was yesterday. I visited the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard and there it was, one of only three cars that still remain, on a pedestal by itself. I fell in love with it from the very second I saw it," the anonymous client told Bugatti. Working directly with Bugatti's designers, the customer created a look that honors the Type 57 SC Atlantic without veering too far into retro territory. The coupe is finished in the same shade of silver-tinted blue as the original car, but recreating it nearly 90 years later was easier said than done. Jascha Straub, the lead designer for Bugatti's Sur Mesure division, traveled to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, to see the car in person and examine the color in different lights. The five-spoke wheels are finished in this distinctive shade of blue as well. Bugatti's designers and engineers came together to create a one-of-a-kind grille. On one hand, it needed to echo the one fitted to the Type 57 SC Atlantic. On the other hand, it needed to provide the airflow required to keep the 16-cylinder engine cool. The end result features 16 polished vertical slats, including a thicker one in the middle, and the Bugatti logo. It's a part that hasn't appeared on another Chiron variant. Inside, the customer chose Gaucho leather with Lightning Blue stitching. There's a "57 One of One" plaque in the center console, the Type 57 SC's silhouette stitched into the door panels, and Rembrandt Bugatti's Dancing Elephant sculpture embroidered into the headrests. Bugatti didn't make any mechanical changes to the car, meaning power comes from an 8.0-liter W16 engine that's quad-turbocharged to develop 1,577 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

What do you do with a fake Bugatti Veyron for $60k?

Replica cars are a challenging labor of love because builders spend countless hours recreating a vehicle that people immediately compare to the real thing. Perhaps, the person behind this Mercury Cougar-based Bugatti Veyron should look for another way to pass that time. The coupe is currently for sale on eBay Motors for $59,900. The builder deserves some credit because the fiberglass body looks acceptable in the photos from farther away. The car might even fool a few people from a distance. However, the devil is in the details, and the closer you look, the worse this gets. The side intakes are especially rough. The red interior is atrocious. It's essentially the Cougar's cabin but in an eye-searing shade accented with lots of fake carbon fiber. The seller's eBay Motors ad really tries to market the look, though. "You slide in to [sic] this extremely comfortable leather interior and you feel like your bank account just quadrupled in size," the listing says. Don't expect to win any top speed titles in this Veyron replica, either. Rather than a mid-mounted quad-turbo W16, a 3.0-liter V6 from a Mercury Sable sits at the front. Thanks to an upgraded intake and exhaust, the seller claims, "It doesn't sound like your grandmas [sic] Sable." We wish the seller the best of luck, but the asking price of nearly $60,000 is probably too optimistic. We would still think twice about buying it even after taking a zero off that figure, but at least this thing is fun to look at. Related Video: