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One and only Bugatti Chiron Profilee is headed to auction

Bugatti has shed light on a never-before-seen variant of the Chiron named Profilee. Designed with production in mind but ultimately canned, the coupe was envisioned as "a less radical interpretation" of the Pur Sport, and the only existing example is headed to auction in 2023. Customer requests shaped this otherwise fruitless evolution of the Chiron: Bugatti explains its clients asked for a toned-down version of the Pur Sport that focuses more on touring than on handling. Designers gave the coupe a new aerodynamic profile that's characterized by wider air dams and a bigger grille up front, a redesigned front splitter, and a relatively small rear wing with a hollow middle section. The wing's distinctive shape was chosen because it adds stability by providing the rear end with downforce while giving hot air a path out of the engine bay. Bugatti also made changes to the steering and suspension systems, and it gave the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission 15% shorter gear ratios. In turn, the Profilee stands proud as the fastest-accelerating member of the Chiron range: it takes 2.3 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop. Keep your foot down and the speedometer will indicate 124 mph in 5.5 seconds, 186 mph in 12.4 seconds, and it will keep going until 236 mph. These numbers are provided by a mid-mounted 8.0-liter W16 engine quad-turbocharged to 1,500 horsepower. Bugatti Chiron Profil?e View 16 Photos Executives planned to cap Profilee production at 30 units but ended up canceling the project. "We started with the design and development of the Chiron Profilee in autumn 2020. By the time we saw the pre-series vehicle coming out of production, all Chiron slots limited to just 500 were assigned," explains Bugatti president Christophe Piochon.  Profilee production was never launched, but the only example built is fully street-legal in European markets. It's finished in a shade of silver called Argent Atlantique that was created specifically for it, and the bottom part of the car features bare carbon fiber that's tinted in Bleu Royal Carbon. Inside, the Profilee is the first Chiron fitted with woven leather on the dashboard, the center console and the door panels. Bugatti notes that completing the interior required using over 2,600 meters of leather strips. The cabin is fitted with a pair of comfort seats. RM Sotheby's will auction off the Chiron Profilee in Paris, France, on February 1, 2023.

Bugatti reveal for Monterey rumored to be inspired by EB 110 SS

In June, The Supercar Blog heard that Bugatti had a special edition planned for reveal during Monterey Car Week. At the time there were zero details on what we might be in for; the only iota of news was that part of the production run had already been sold. TSB just picked up on this Instagram post from June 4 by Girardo & Co, a classic-car sales company, that could point to the answer:           View this post on Instagram                   It is rumoured that Bugatti will be presenting a new car at Pebble Beach this year that is inspired from the original EB110SS, 10 cars to be built, with a price tag of Euro 8 million. No matter how fast the latest and greatest is, we still love the the spec of Artioli’s Bugatti EB110SS - 3.5 litre V12 complete with four turboÂ’s. The car we have for sale is the very last one built and has less than 6,000kms from new. Question is, which would you have? . . . #bugatti #bugattieb110 #bugattieb110ss #available #girardoandco A post shared by Girardo & Co. Ltd (@girardoandco) on Jun 4, 2019 at 12:16am PDT This is a touch self-serving on Girardo's part, seeing that the company is selling a Bugatti EB 110 SS — and has been since at least March of this year, when we wrote about it. However, that doesn't mean the suggestion isn't true. For those who don't know, Italian businessman Roman Artioli bought the Bugatti brand in 1987. The only product to leave the company's Campogalliano factory was the EB 110 in the early 1990s, an alien-looking coupe powered by a quad-turbocharged, 3.5-liter V12 putting out 553 horsepower and 456 pound-feet of torque. The even rarer EB 110 SS juiced proceedings up to 603 hp and 479 lb-ft. On a side note, if Girardo & Co really does have the last one built, it would be an improved version engineered by German firm Dauer, one of only five made. Circumstantial evidence lends credence to Bugatti interest in the EB 110. Road & Track writes that Artioli visited the carmaker's Molsheim headquarters this year, marking the first visit by the Italian to his former charge. Then, last week, Bugatti released a paean to the EB 110 and Artioli, applauding the coupe as "The first modern super sports car," and praising the man with, "Because of his initiative and thanks to his efforts, Bugatti has been revived in the modern age." Bugatti has verified something new for Monterey.

Rimac is reportedly close to buying Bugatti from the Volkswagen Group

Croatia-based Rimac is finalizing a deal to purchase Bugatti from the Volkswagen Group, according to an unverified report. If the rumor is accurate, the sale would propel Rimac to the top of the automotive industry, guarantee that Bugatti's future is electric, and mark the beginning of Volkswagen's efforts to divest its empire. Executives in Wolfsburg gave the deal the green light in September 2020, according to anonymous sources who spoke to British magazine Car, but the company's supervisory board hasn't approved it yet. Selling the French company isn't as simple as sending company founder Mate Rimac an email with an account number. Insiders explained Volkswagen would likely trade Bugatti and all of its assets for a significant stake in Rimac that would be transferred directly to Porsche, which already owns 15.5% of the brand. Officials hope to increase that figure to about 49%, meaning Bugatti is theoretically worth about 33.5% of Rimac, which was founded in 2009. Bugatti told Autoblog it can't comment on speculation. Mate Rimac gave us a similar answer. Rumors of a Bugatti sale have hovered around the automotive industry for several years, and they've never materialized. In theory, spinning off the brand would be relatively easy because it's not as deeply integrated into the Volkswagen Group as its sister companies. It doesn't share its W16 engine with another carmaker, for example. And yet, Car speculates Lamborghini, SEAT, ItalDesign, Bentley, and Ducati will also be sold in the coming years, leaving Volkswagen with its namesake division, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Scania, and MAN. Volkswagen is having an estate sale to fund the development of electric, autonomous, and digital technologies. Its downsizing will send ripples through the auto industry. Porsche could move upmarket if it doesn't have to worry about stepping on Lamborghini's toes, for example. Spinoffs are always risky, so some companies may not survive if they're not bolstered by economies of scale. As of writing, there's no word on who will pick up the brands being divested under this scenario. And, keep in mind none of this is official. Volkswagen hasn't commented on the report. We'll update this developing story as more information becomes available.