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Volkner Performance S is an RV with a Bugatti in its belly

Going on a long road trip in a Bugatti Chiron is easier said than done: There are a lot of things to love about the hypercar, but cargo space isn't one of them. German recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturer Volkner has a solution in the form of a big, bus-like motorhome with enough space between its front and rear wheels to house a Chiron. Volkner's Performance S looks just like a regular motorhome when you're stuck behind it in traffic. It's as big and as boxy as a tour bus, and its front end features antenna-like mirrors. It's what's inside the box that's impressive. The panel between the front and rear passenger-side wheels flips up to reveal a car-sized metal tray that slides out from the underbody. Controlled by a wired remote, it's big enough to hold a 178.9-inch long and 80.2-inch wide Chiron. Volkner Performance S View 3 Photos It's unclear whether Volkner made structural reinforcements to its motorhome in order to accommodate; the space the Chiron sleeps in is normally reserved for lighter items such as luggage. And, while most promotional material shows a Bugatti emerging from the RV's belly, anything that's smaller than a Chiron fits; one of the firm's images depicts a Porsche 911 parked in the storage space. Don't try to park a Toyota 4Runner under there, however. Inside, the Performance S looks like a five-star hotel, and it's bigger than many college dorm rooms. It boasts leather-upholstered seats, cabinets made with real wood, and LED lighting, among other features. Posh vacationers can work directly with the brand to configure an interior that suits their needs. If you splurged on a Chiron, you may as well order your RV with a Burmester surround-sound system that costs nearly ˆ300,000 (about $355,000). Volkner charges around ˆ2 for the Performance S, which represents approximately $2.3 million at the current conversion rate. Bugatti priced the Chiron at around $2.9 million, so the full package is worth over $5 million. Related video:

Check out the classic cars that the Bugatti Tourbillon traces its roots to

MOLSHEIM, France — Bugatti unveiled the new, 1,800-horsepower Tourbillon at its historic headquarters in Molsheim, France. While the Chiron's successor was the uncontested star of the show, the brand displayed an impressive selection of classics to give attendees a glimpse into every facet of its past. The roster included grand prix-winning race cars, ultra-luxurious sedans, elegant coupes, and even a small, city-friendly electric car. Enthusiasts tend to associate the Bugatti name with hypercars, but there's more to the brand than four-digit horsepower figures and speed records. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the company made one of the most luxurious cars in the world: the Type 41, which is also known as the Royale. It stretched 252 inches from bumper to bumper in its longest configuration (several body styles were available) and its wheelbase measured nearly 170 inches; I've owned cars that were shorter than that. Power came from a 12.8-liter straight-eight engine. Pictured in our gallery above, the example Bugatti displayed at the Tourbillon unveiling features 24-inch wheels, the famous "Dancing Elephant" hood ornament, and a closed rear cabin with windows made of reinforced glass. The front compartment is always open, and the rear passengers could talk to the driver using an intercom system called a Motor Dictograph. The behemoth of an engine made about 300 horsepower at 1,800 rpm, which was enough to unlock a top speed of about 124 mph — that was a supercar-worthy figure a century ago. Bugatti has explored the more family-friendly side of its heritage on several occasions over the past few decades, though none of its projects have reached production. In the 1990s, when the brand was owned by Romano Artioli and based in Italy, it experimented with a Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed super-sedan called EB112 and powered by a 6.0-liter V12. In 1999, after joining the Volkswagen Group, Bugatti showed a four-door, W18-powered concept called EB218. Ten years later, the 16C Galibier made its debut as a potential follow-up to the Veyron. Racing has been part of Bugatti's DNA for over 100 years; it has won major events like the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Four vintage race cars illustrated this part of its heritage at the unveiling, including a surprisingly futuristic model from 1923 called Type 23 and nicknamed Tank. Take a look at its bodywork and you'll immediately understand why.

Bugatti and Rolls-Royce set annual sales records in 2022

Most of the carmakers positioned on the industry's upper echelons ended 2021 on a high note, and many posted even better sales figures in 2022. Bugatti and Rolls-Royce independently announced that they set new sales records in 2022 and noted that the future looks bright. Bugatti is one of the smallest car companies so its record might not initially sound impressive: it delivered 80 cars in 2022, which is exactly the number it predicted at the beginning of that year. If that seems like a rounding error, keep in mind that every car it offers is a hand-built, limited-edition model with a price tag pegged well into the six digits. Viewed in that light, making and delivering 80 cars is an impressive feat. That number includes the 400th example of the sold-out Chiron, the last nine units of the Chiron Super Sport 300+, and the 10 planned examples of the Centodieci. Bugatti points out that 80 cars is a record for the Molsheim factory, which was inaugurated in France in 2005. Bugatti has its work cut out for the coming years. It needs to build the final units of the Chiron, the 99 examples of the Mistral (pictured), and the 40 units of the track-only Bolide. All of these cars are sold-out so the firm currently doesn't have a car to sell but that's set to change soon: Bugatti-Rimac CEO Mate Rimac pledged to release more details about Bugatti's future in the second half of 2023, and he added that "Bugatti will honor its rich motorsport heritage and its connection with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which celebrates its centenary year." Across the English Channel, Rolls-Royce delivered 6,021 cars in 2022, an increase of 8% compared to 2021 and its first annual result above the 6,000-unit mark. The company notes that these cars went to customers in about 50 different countries. Demand for personalized cars was at an all-time high in 2022 and the average selling price of a Rolls-Royce now stands at approximately ˆ500,000 (around $536,000). Rolls-Royce's biggest market remains the United States, where sales increased in 2022, followed by China, where sales posted a single-digit drop due to COVID-related lockdowns and other headwinds blowing across the nation. Sales in Europe increased in 2022 as well in spite of the war in Ukraine; Germany and the United Kingdom are among the nations that posted record sales in 2022. Interestingly, one of Rolls-Royce's largest Asian markets is South Korea, and more Bespoke orders came from the Middle East than from any other region.