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One-of-a-kind Bugatti Chiron Profilee sells for over $10 million at auction

The one and only Bugatti Chiron Profilee has become the most expensive new car ever sold at an auction. RM Sotheby's sold it in Paris for precisely ˆ9,792,500 including the buyer's premium, a sum that represents approximately $10.8 million at the current conversion rate. For context, the Profilee makes the standard Chiron (which is sold-out) look like a bargain. Bugatti charged about $3 million for it, meaning the anonymous collector who took home the one-off car could have bought three regular Chiron models instead. With that said, we're not 100% surprised by the result: in addition to being a unique car, the Profilee stands out as the last W16-powered car available from Bugatti. Bugatti didn't envision the Profilee as a one-off; far from it. The model was developed with limited production in mind as a toned-down version of the Pur Sport that puts a bigger focus on touring than on handling. Changes such as wider front air dams, a bigger grille, and a small rear wing with a hollow middle section change the coupe's aerodynamic profile, and Bugatti also tweaked the steering and suspension systems. Shorter ratios in the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission make the Profilee the quickest evolution of the Chiron. Production should have been capped at 30 units globally, but Bugatti canned the project after it filled all of the available Chiron build slots. There's no word on who bought the Chiron Profilee or where it's off to, so keep your eyes peeled at the next cars and coffee gathering. Related video:

Coronavirus prompts VW to stop production throughout Europe

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group, the world's biggest carmaker, is suspending production at factories across Europe as the coronavirus pandemic hits sales and disrupts supply chains, the company said on Tuesday. The German carmaker, which owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands, also said that uncertainty about the fallout from coronavirus meant it was impossible to give forecasts for its performance this year. "Given the present significant deterioration in the sales situation and the heightened uncertainty regarding parts supplies to our plants, production is to be suspended in the near future at factories operated by group brands," Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Tuesday. Volkswagen's powerful works council concluded it was not possible for workers to maintain a safe distance from each other to prevent contagion and recommended a suspension of production at its factories from Friday. Production will be halted at VW's Spanish plants, in Setubal in Portugal, Bratislava in Slovakia and at the Lamborghini and Ducati plants in Italy before the end of this week, Diess said. Most of its other German and European factories will prepare to suspend production, probably for two to three weeks, while Audi said separately it would halt output at its plants in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Mexico. Volkswagen's vast factories in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Puebla, Mexico, and plants in Brazil were not affected, but that would depend on how the coronavirus spreads, VW said. Volkswagen has 124 production sites worldwide of which 72 are in Europe, with 28 in Germany alone. "2020 will be a very difficult year. The coronavirus pandemic presents us with unknown operational and financial challenges. At the same time, there are concerns about sustained economic impacts," Diess said.   Production in China resumes Volkswagen Group sold 10.96 million vehicles last year, putting it ahead of Toyota based on the latest figures from the Japanese carmaker. Globally, VW employs 671,000 people and it delivered 4.86 million vehicles to European customers in 2019. Only last month the car and truck maker based in Wolfsburg, Germany, predicted that vehicle deliveries this year would match 2019 sales and forecast an operating return on sales in the range of 6.5% to 7.5%. "The spread of coronavirus is currently impacting the global economy. It is uncertain how severely or for how long this will also affect the Volkswagen Group.

110 ans Bugatti Chiron is a red, white and blue anniversary special

Few cars on the planet are as exclusive at the Bugatti Chiron. The multi-million-dollar price tag is part of it, but there's also the simple fact that so few are made. The French automaker, currently owned by Volkswagen, was founded 110 years ago by Ettore Bugatti. To celebrate both the company's anniversary and its French heritage, Bugatti revealed a limited-edition version of last year's Chiron Sport, a more capable version of the Veyron's successor. The Chiron Sport simply refined an already bonkers model, cutting weight thanks to lightweight wheels, thinner glass and even more carbon fiber. The suspension and steering were re-tuned, too, though the 1,479-horsepower quad-turbocharged W16 engine was left untouched. The 110 ans Bugatti doesn't add any more performance, though it doesn't really need it anyway. For those discerning customers that want a Bugatti that corners, look no further than the Divo. The 110 ans Bugatti will be limited to just 20 examples. Though Bugatti doesn't mention it, all are likely spoken for. The car looks so French it's liable to play "La Marseillaise" every single time you open the door. The entire exterior has been painted a deep matte blue. The brake calipers are a brighter shade, reminiscent of French racing blue. The brightest and arguably best exterior touches are the French flag's red, white and blue tricolor bars on the mirrors, fuel door and rear wing. The latter is only visible when the movable wing is in it's up position. The leather interior is done up in the same shade as the exterior. Deep blue leather covers nearly every surface, though the seats and seatbelts are done in the same blue as the brake calipers. The seats themselves feature a tricolor stripe along the center, split in the headrest by a "110 ans Bugatti" logo. The steering wheel, too, gets a French flag in the top center of the rim. Related Video: