2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Bugatti does up a special Vitesse for Lang Lang

It may be a bit of a stretch to find similarities between pianos and sportscars, but bear with us. Both are made to perform, both have pedals and wheels (albeit of radically different size), and both tend to cost around the same. Unless you're talking about a Bugatti, which would set you back more than any piano this side of a Bösendorfer with serious pedigree.
Well, Bugatti has just drawn an even closer parallel with this latest edition of the Veyron Vitesse roadster. And not by applying some black lacquered trim pieces, either. When celebrated concert pianist Lang Lang visited the factory at Château St. Jean in Molsheim, Bugatti took the wraps off this unique Vitesse with a high-contrast black and white finish inspired by a piano keyboard.
The treatment, which also echoes a specific Type 57 Atalante, continues inside with white leather embroidered with black stitching to mimic sheet music, with gold plating on the steering wheel, wheel hubs and fuel cap. Lang Lang even signed the center console with a gold marker. Best of all, spool up that sixteen-cylinder engine and it'll make sweeter music to our ears than any piano ever could.

Bugatti Bolide gets a 40-unit production run

At some point in the past couple of years, Bugatti asked itself, "What if we built a radically light vehicle around the legendary 8.0-liter W16 engine?" Keep in mind that "radically light" is in comparison to the Chiron, which weighs about 4,500 pounds. The luxury firm from Molsheim, France, answered its question with a concept it called the Bolide, a track-only two-seater with an appetite for aero and downforce. Scooped-out bodywork, intense massaging, and throwing luxuries out the wraparound canopy dropped its weight to 2,737 pounds. That's less than a Subaru BRZ for a car producing 1,824 horsepower on 110-octane race fuel. Bugatti called the Bolide a one-off, but guess what happens in a car market where someone throws $140,000 at a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser? Potential buyers made Zoom calls to Molsheim from their bank vaults while sitting on pyramids of money like the Joker in "The Dark Knight." So now Bugatti is making 40 Bolides, the same number it made of its last track superstar, the Divo. CEO Stephan Winkelmann was at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering to announce the production version. Bugatti said it is honing the Bolide's aerodynamics and handling, and adding FIA-standard safety systems. The center-lock wheels will see production, as will a fuel bladder and pressurized refueling, a six-point safety harness with HANS compatibility, and an automatic fire extinguishing system. There are prices to pay beyond MSRP for making dreams come true, though. The production vehicle gains some weight, coming in 460 pounds over the concept at 3,197 pounds. Changes to the engine tune mean horsepower takes a hit, too. The concept got its 1,824-hp puissance from 110 octane. The production W16 will drink far more accessible 98 RON gas, which is about 94 octane in the U.S., topping out at 1,577 hp and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. That drops the power-to-weight ratio from 0.67 to 0.49 — just behind the track-focused Koenigsegg Jesko at 0.51. Oh, the humanity. The company says Bolide development and production will take place over the next three years, the first example scheduled for delivery in 2024. The price: 4 million euros, or roughly $4.7 million U.S. at the moment, and a million euros less than the street-legal Divo. What's the French word for "bargain?"

The Bugatti of belt buckles costs $84,000

For automotive enthusiasts, the name Bugatti is synonymous with high speeds. For racing fans, the name still reflects dominance in the pre-war era of grand prix racing. But in other circles, the Bugatti name is a status symbol, one that stands for the exclusivity that comes with such a high price tag.
It's no doubt to the latter category that Swedish pipemaker Desvall is marketing its Bugatti-branded hookah, and it's undoubtedly the same market to which Roland Iten is pitching this high-priced belt buckle.
Yes, a belt buckle. Not one designed to fasten the safety belt in an actual Veyron, mind you, but the high-priced clasp for a strap of leather to hold up your pants. The mechanical buckle is crafted in Switzerland using watchmaking techniques. The intricate mechanism uses 100 components to ratchet the belt tighter rather than relying on pre-cut holes in the leather.