MOLSHEIM / LOS ANGELES, 23-11-2020
Just in time for the holidays, the limited-series Bugatti Baby II has arrived in Southern California. This marks the vehicle’s first appearance in North America since Bugatti announced plans to reimagine the original 1926 Baby at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. Since its launch, the car has gathered international attention due to its exquisite modern-day engineering coupled with authentic nods to the original Type 35 on which it is based.

As part of the tour, the Bugatti Baby II took to the historic race track at the renowned Willow Springs International Raceway, providing a lucky few the opportunity to drive a ‘Blanc’ Vitesse specification vehicle in its delimited ‘speed key’ mode. The Bugatti Baby II will also be on display in Bugatti Newport Beach and Bugatti Beverly Hills showrooms until December.

In partnership with The Little Car Company, Bugatti will produce just 500 of these 75% scale Type 35 vehicles. While a majority of the units have been accounted for, a small amount of the build slots have been reserved for Bugatti customers and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Bugatti Baby II can be enjoyed by multiple generations of collectors and enthusiasts. Each model, built on an electric, rear-wheel drive platform, offers short and long range battery options with a range of up to approximately 31 miles, depending on driving style. Owners will enjoy the combination of authentic Type 35 handling and modern technological elements, including regenerative braking, adjustable dampers and the famed Bugatti Speed Key, giving drivers the ability to reach the top speed of 42 mph.

The three versions of the Bugatti Baby II include the Base starting at $36,600, the Vitesse at $53,000 and the Pur Sang at $71,400, the latter offering handmade aluminium bodywork.

The Base model is available in French Racing Blue with black leather interior, while the Vitesse and Pur Sang offer a line of vintage colors that pay homage to Bugatti’s memorable racing liveries and drivers in history. Also available for these two models is a contemporary palette that features colors offered for the Chiron, allowing existing customers to match their new Bugatti Baby II to their current vehicle.

Once purchased, Bugatti Baby II owners receive automatic membership to the prestigious Bugatti Owner’s Club and The Little Car Club, both offering the chance to drive their Bugatti Baby II on some of the world’s most celebrated racing circuits.

Take a look at the photo on the right: A grown man does look rather ridiculous in the Baby II....

We are reaching the end of 2020, and without having the final figures yet I can already say that we are on our way to exceeding all expectations. We have kept our promise of delivering the first Divo to our customers, and also the Chiron stays hot, fueled by the great feedback we get for the Pur Sport.

Despite challenging months, we will outperform 2019 and, thus, register the best financial result in modern Bugatti history.

This third record year in a row makes me very proud of the Bugatti team – and of the entire Bugatti family.

BUGATTI BOLIDE – WHAT IF …

… Bugatti developed an extreme, track-focused hyper sports car with an unprecedented weight-to-power ratio of only 0.67 kg per PS.

Reduced, raw, authentic. With the technological concept of the Bugatti Bolide, the French luxury car manufacturer is now providing the answer to the question what if Bugatti built a radically light vehicle around its iconic 8.0-litre W16 engine? The experimental study of the Bugatti Bolide is a track-oriented hyper sports car featuring a W16 engine derived from series production as powertrain combined with a minimal body for maximum downforce. It therefore promises to offer the ultimate Bugatti performance kick.

At the same time, the Bugatti Bolide is the most extreme, uncompromising, fastest and lightest vehicle concept in the company’s recent history – with an incredible weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kg per PS. This is made possible by the combination of the W16 engine with 1,850 PS and a vehicle weight of just 1,240 kilograms 1,850 PS Using 110 octane racing fuel; Engine output with 98 octane fuel at 1,600 PS. The weight specification is based on the theoretically possible dry weight). The Bugatti Bolide achieves figures that are almost on par with Formula 1 while its top speed is well above 500 km/h – without compromising maximum handling and maximum agility. The Bolide takes 3:07.1 minutes to complete a lap of Le Mans and 5:23.1 minutes to get around the Nordschleife.

The idea – what if? An experiment.
“Bugatti stands for the continuous quest for technological innovations – in alignment with the company’s brand values of excellence, courage, dedication. And Bugatti never stands still. We are perpetually aiming for new and exciting goals, and the question that we always keep in mind is: what if?” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “We asked ourselves how we could realise the mighty W16 engine as a technical symbol of the brand in its purest form – with solely four wheels, engine, gearbox, steering wheel and, as the only luxury, two seats. Important aspects of our considerations were fine-tuning our iconic powertrain without any limitations as regards the weight-to-power ratio. These considerations resulted in the Bugatti Bolide. An uncompromising experiment, a thoroughbred, a Pur Sang that, in its brute exclusivity, impresses above all with high performance, low weight, and a driving experience in a whole new dimension. Driving the Bolide is like riding on a cannonball.”

The technology – powertrain designed specifically for the racetrack
“The Bolide is the ultimate answer to the question of what if Bugatti built a track-focused hyper sports car that met the FIA’s safety requirements. Designed around the W16 powertrain with the minimum body structure and unbelievable performance data. The result: the smallest possible shell for a breathtaking performance vehicle that allows the W16 to truly come into its own,” explains Stefan Ellrott, member of the Board of Management of Bugatti and Head of Technical Development. “All of Bugatti’s expertise has been condensed into the Bugatti Bolide. It is therefore an innovative information source for future technologies. The Bolide is thus more than just an intellectual exercise.

“In terms of technology and organisation, the Bolide was one of the most ambitious projects of my career,” says Frank Götzke. After playing a crucial role in the development of the Veyron 16.4 and the Chiron2, the engineer was also responsible for the technical concept of the Bolide. In only eight months, he created a completely new vehicle around the well-known Bugatti W16 all-wheel powertrain, which was highly modified for the project.

The 8.0-litre W16-cylinder engine with 1,850 PS and 1,850 newton-metres of torque is at its heart. Bugatti has designed the drive specifically for use on the racetrack and has optimised the engine and gearbox in particular for higher engine speeds. Among other things, this includes dethrottling the intake and exhaust system to achieve an even faster, more spontaneous, and extreme response characteristic. The four newly developed turbochargers are fitted with optimised blades in order to build up more boost pressure and power at higher engine speeds. In order to achieve optimum lubrication even under extremely high centrifugal forces, the oil circuit, oil pressure, check valves, baffles, oil tanks, oil reservoirs, and pump design of the dry sump lubrication have been optimised. The weight of the drive system is also significantly reduced at the same time.

Instead of water-to-air intercooling, the Bugatti Bolide has air-to-air intercooling with water pre-cooling for optimal performance on the racetrack. The inflow takes place from the front via one internal and one external air duct on each side of the vehicle. The two water coolers, which are arranged in front of the front axle, provide a more effective radiator system in terms of flow than is customary even in Formula 1. Three air-cooled oil coolers for engine, transmission, and differential with water pre-cooling reduce the temperature even on dynamically demanding race laps. Newly developed and hybrid carbon titanium turbofan radial compressors ventilate and cool the high-performance racing brake system.

1,850 PS and 1,240 kilograms – weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kg/PS
In order to achieve a dry weight of 1,240 kilograms, all the stops have been pulled out with regard to the materials and production processes used, both in terms of what is currently feasible and what will be possible in the future.

All the screw and fastening elements of the Bolide are made completely out of titanium. In addition, hollow, thin-walled functional components made of an aerospace titanium alloy are used in many places. These originate from a 3D printer and are extremely thin with wall thicknesses of up to 0.5 millimetres. However, they are still very stable with a tensile strength of 1,250 newtons per square millimetre. Hybrid components, such as the 0.5- metre-long auxiliary drive shaft, combine wound high-strength and ultra-stiff carbon fibres with 3D-printed titanium end fittings and can withstand a continuous operating temperature of up to 260 degrees Celsius. In this example, this reduces the weight by around half to 1.5 kilograms and, due to the reduction of the rotating masses, increases the revving ability of the engine at the same time. The forces acting on the front and rear wings are transferred by ultralight but very solid titanium elements. They weigh a mere 600 grams at the front and an astounding 325 grams at the rear.

A worldwide innovation is the morphable outer skin of the intake scoop on the roof, which provides active airflow optimisation. If the vehicle is driven at a slow speed, the surface of the scoop remains smooth. In contrast, a field of bubbles bulges out when driven at fast speeds. This reduces the aerodynamic drag of the scoop by 10 percent and ensures a 17 percent reduction in lift forces. In addition, the flow onto the rear wing is optimised. At 320 km/h, the downforce is at 1,800 kilograms at the rear wing and 800 kilograms at the front wing.

As in Formula 1, the Bolide decelerates with racing brakes with ceramic discs and coatings. The brake callipers weigh only 2.4 kilograms each. The front forged magnesium rims with central lock weigh 7.4 kilograms, while the ones at the rear weigh 8.4 kilograms – with a very wide tyre size of 340 millimetres on the front axle and 400 millimetres on the rear axle (Chiron: 285 mm at the front and 355 mm at the rear). A compressed-air-driven jack system with four rams makes tyre changing easier, a quick refuelling system allows pressure refuelling.

Among other things, a push rod kinematics system with horizontal dampers ensures precise handling. The oil reservoirs are arranged inside the dampers, which improves aerodynamics. Weighing only 100 grams, the push-rods are designed as a thin-walled and flow-optimised titanium lightweight construction with a buckling load of 3.5 tonnes, which corresponds to a dry weight of nearly two Chirons. The welded control arms made of aerospace-grade stainless steel have a tensile strength of 1,200 newtons per square millimetre and are also designed as wing profiles.

Light monocoque made of carbon
The Bugatti team developed a light monocoque made of carbon around the drive. The integral front end flanged to it is also made of high-strength carbon fibres, as are the fully aerodynamically effective underbody and the monocoque itself. The single-fibre tensile strength of the fibres used is 6,750 newtons per square millimetre, the single-fibre stiffness is 350,000 newtons per square millimetre. These represent figures that are only reached in the aerospace industry. The rear frame, designed as a welded steel assembly, offers a maximum tensile strength of 1,200 newtons per square millimetre, despite a wall thickness of only 1 millimetre – this is made possible by the use of high-strength stainless steel, which is otherwise only used in aviation.

With an overall height of only 995 millimetres, the Bugatti Bolide is exactly the same height as the historic Bugatti Type 35, depending on the steering wheel and truncated windscreen, and about 300 millimetres flatter than the Chiron. The wheelbase is 2.75 metres and the width 1.99 metres. Like in an LMP1 racing car, the occupants fold up the doors that are hinged at the front at an angle, sit on a sill that is only 70 millimetres wide, as in a Type 35, and then position their feet in the interior. Thanks to a side wall that is about 150 millimetres lower than that of the Type 35, the procedure is quick and easy – for drivers up to a body height of 2 metres.

Safety is ensured with safety equipment designed in accordance with FIA regulations. These include HANS device compatibility, an automatic fire extinguishing system, a towing device, pressure refuelling with fuel bladder, central locks for the wheels, lightweight polycarbonate windows, and a six-point harness system. The monocoque side floors with integrated carbon coolant pipes are simultaneously designed as side impact structures and structural reinforcement of the monocoque. The driver can see all the relevant data on a motorsport display. For an optimum sitting position, both the pedals and the passenger footrest can be moved by 150 millimetres.

The design – the quintessence of form follows performance
The experimental study of the Bugatti Bolide is also a very special project for Achim Anscheidt, Director of Design at Bugatti. “In my 16 years at Bugatti, I have never worked on a more extreme concept.” The design of the Bolide is radically tailored to the idea of lightweight construction, and the design principle therefore follows on from the overriding goal of achieving a fascinating weight-to-power ratio of 0.67 kilograms per PS.

“It is the very first time that my team had the freedom of creating an absolutely minimalistic design around the W16 engine. The result is the most provocative proportion of a modern Bugatti ever and the distilled quintessence of our Bugatti design ethos that form follows performance,” says Anscheidt. “The Bugatti Bolide, however, is a project more technically driven than shaped by style.”

The stylistic challenge was to transform the unyielding demands of aerodynamics and lightweight construction into an aesthetic that reflects the unique Bugatti DNA, but at the same time illustrates the ambition of an impressive weight-to-power ratio. The overall appearance is dominated by air ducts that are more reminiscent of aerodynamically sophisticated Formula 1 racing cars than classic sports cars. The seemingly filigree and half-open front end is a striking example of the combination of air duct expertise, lightweight construction requirements, and aesthetic dynamics.

The dramatic effect of the overall proportions is made clear by the aerodynamically favourable overall height of only 995 millimetres. The driver’s ultra-sporty seating permits the low-slung shape of an automotive low-flying aircraft. It is therefore not surprising that the appearance of the Bugatti Bolide invokes the so-called X-planes of aviation history and shows a clear X signature from every perspective. It is indirectly reminiscent of the Bell X-1 jet aircraft which was flown by Captain Charles “Chuck” Yeager 1947, the first person to break the sound barrier at Mach 1.06. The Bugatti Bolide “X-periment” has the shape of an aerodynamically optimised, uncompromising racing car and offers ultra-sporty, superlative performance – with no hint of luxury.

As with other Bugatti vehicles, the Bugatti design team also makes use of a colour split in the Bolide. Compared with other models, the share of visible carbon parts is increased by up to 60 percent. Only around 40 percent of the surfaces are painted – in a re-interpretation of the historic French Racing Blue.

“Fifteen years ago, Bugatti succeeded in creating a new segment with the Veyron 16.4: that of the superior hyper sports car. With the Chiron launched in 2016, we systematically developed this segment further. The models bear witness to power and elegance, uniquely combining technology, design, luxury, and quality in a hitherto unknown combination,” explains Anscheidt. “In contrast, the Bugatti Bolide is an absolute rebel. It is clear to see that its only aim is to convey the pure power of the W16 engine in a visually and technically unadulterated form. Reduced, raw, and authentic – like freshly-caught sashimi”.

The DNA – Bugatti Type 35
With the Type 35, Bugatti produced one of the most successful racing cars of all time. The open-top sports car achieved over 2,000 victories between 1924 and 1930. Today, the Type 35 is a legend in racing history. It was inimitable in terms of technology, design, and performance in its time – and still is today. Ettore Bugatti used a double roller bearing and triple ball bearing crank mechanism for the first time. This allowed the engine to rotate at up to 6,000 rpm to move the eight pistons. Two carburettors increased the power to an initial 95 PS. With this engine, the first Type 35 cars were able to reach speeds of over 190 km/h. In the later Type 35 B evolutionary models with a 2.3-litre eight-cylinder engine and compressor, the power output increased to 140 PS, and the Bugatti achieved a top speed of more than 215 km/h.

As well as their incredible power, the engines were primarily renowned for their reliability and endurance. And their lightness. Ettore Bugatti did not compromise when it came to lightweight construction and best possible driveability. He developed special smooth-running wheels to reduce the unsprung masses and, as a result, improve the response of the suspension. The new hollow-bored and forged front axle weighed only 10 kilograms and was nevertheless still stable. A race-ready Bugatti Type 35 weighed only around 750 kilograms. A masterpiece in terms of the weight-to-power ratio.

The Bugatti Bolide is the unrivalled technological concept of a track-focused Bugatti hyper sports car. The combination of 1,850 PS and 1,240 kilograms dry weight ensures an unbelievable weight-to-power ratio. This puts the Bolide with its W16 engine at the absolute pinnacle in terms of combustion engines used in automotive engineering. “For the first time, we are showing what the W16 engine is really capable of. We have freed the vehicle of all baggage and have illustrated and combined the engine with the lightest possible chassis to create the ultimate Bugatti and to ensure the ultimate driving experience. With the Bolide, we are presenting our interpretation of a Bugatti track car of modern times to Bugatti enthusiasts all over the world and finally make their most fervent wishes come true,” explains Stephan Winkelmann.

Whether the Bugatti Bolide will go into series production, has not been decided yet.

Bugatti continues to publish teasers (apart from the photo's of a camouflaged prototype which appeared), apparently the last one today..

In this case it is a photo of the inside of the car, showing the huge engine (seems to be the same W16 with 4 turbochargers) and the extremely low seating position. Definitely not a variant of the Chiron.

On the Bugatti.com website the announcement is for tomorrow:

Something else what Bugatti has been publishing as part of the teaser is the number 0,67, as on the right. Without explanation, so this can be? Kg/HP? Fuel consumption in miles per gallon? Acceleration from 0-100?

I'm sure we will know more tomorrow!

Apparently, the car is intended for the circuit. The official presentation should have been already 2 months ago during the Monterey Week, which was of course cancelled due to the global pandemic.

The presentation will now be organised on-line, though the exact date has not been revealed, just the photograph above, revealing an X-signature of the rear lights.

However, even before the presentation, news has come out about this Bugatti track car. A more or less camouflaged car was photographed on the Circuit du Castellet (Paul Ricard) in France. Rumours are that the car will be a one-off (like the "La Voiture Noire") and until now we do not know neither it's name, nor the manner of propulsion, though there are some rumours that it will be 100% electric. However, if it is electric, it will be a new platform, and can not be a one-off based on the Chiron. And, comparing the silhoutte with that of the Chiron, it seems to be too different to be based on that car. Also the windshield is an entirely different shape. There is a large quantity of air-intakes in the body, too much for just the cooling of the brakes, which indicates a large number of radiators, so probably not electric...

Well, we will know more, probably within a few weeks.

Carlo BUGATTI ( 1856-1940), Two Frog-style horns

Art-Nouveau style horn, head and legs in nickel-plated bronze on a brass horn body. The exorbitant red tinted glass eyes accentuate the fantastic and caricatural aspect of the animal, which is characteristic of Carlo Bugatti's work influenced by nature, plants and insects, which he interprets to his own taste.

• Small model, L: 40 cm, Lot n° 5, Sold for 30 380 € (Including premium)
• Large model, L: 50 cm, Lot n° 10, Sold for 59 520 € (Including premium)

So, I hope we can see one of these (or both) on a Bugatti soon!

• 2007 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Coupé, Chassis no. VF9CA15B26M795037
  Estimate: £ 970,000 - 1,100,000: Not sold
• 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport Coupé, Chassis no. VF9SG25252M795032
  Sold for £ 1,559,253 inc. premium
• 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse Targa Coupé, Chassis no. VF9SV25233M795005
  Estimate £ 1,400,000 - 1,800,000: Not sold

The 2007 and 2013 Veyrons which were not sold, say "Amended" on the website, but I believe that is very much the same....

A report from the U.K.'s "Car" magazine says Volkswagen is in talks to sell Bugatti to Croatian EV startup Rimac.
Media have spoken with CEO Stephan Winkelmann, he commented that it would make sense if a Bugatti model to be developed in the future were all-electric.
Rimac has already built an electric hypercar, the C_Two, with nearly 2000 horsepower, so it's not out of the question that it would look toward Bugatti.

Bugatti is refusing to comment on a report in the U.K.'s Car magazine that the Volkswagen Group is planning to offload its grandest subsidiary to Croatian performance EV maker Rimac. Given that Bugatti's entire portfolio is currently powered by a quad-turbocharged W-16 engine, that doesn't seem like the most obvious fit—but Rimac is intent on producing an even more powerful all-electric hypercar, so there could actually be some synergies. However, the most synergy is for Volkswagen itself, who is very eager to expand it's knowledge on Electric Vehicles.
"This is a rumor, and we don't comment on rumors," a Bugatti spokesperson said. "I can say that we are profitable and have had very positive results over the last two years."

Magazine "Car and Driver" did get the chance to interview Bugatti boss Stephan Winkelmann at an event in Italy this weekend. That was before this sale story broke, but some of his answers are very interesting in light of this new development.
Winkelmann confirmed that development on what is meant to be Bugatti's second model line has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This might well be an EV—Volkswagen Group insiders have told that discussions have taken place between Bugatti and Rimac on sharing technology—and Winkelmann admits he sees a straight switch from gasoline to electric power as making more sense than hybridization.

"You have to make the right step at the right time," he told us. "I think that a [straight switch] would be the better one, as hybrid brings additional weight and complexity."

What Do Bugatti Buyers Want?
But Winkelmann was also adamant that Bugatti's current buyers are entirely happy with their use of W-16 powerplants. “For the super sports cars for sure, they want internal-combustion engines, and this is also our feeling," he said. Rimac's expertise on performance EV powertrains is world-leading, but it is harder to see how the Croatian brand would cope with the engineering challenges around getting Bugatti's hugely complex gasoline engine through increasingly tough emissions standards.

Other issues with a potential acquisition include the fact that Rimac is working closely with other automakers, several of which already own a stake in it. Porsche has 15 percent of Rimac's stock, with Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, and Koenigsegg all holding smaller shares. Rimac is also working with clients including Pininfarina Automobili, which is planning to use the C_Two’s underpinnings as the basis for its forthcoming Battista megacar. Would it be possible to also use the same architecture for a Bugatti?

Volkswagen made a huge investment in Bugatti when it was controlled by Ferdinand Piëch. Consider that the Veyron project alone cost around $1.6 billion to make 450 cars. So it would seem strange for the larger company to get rid of its prestigious subsidiary just when it has become modestly profitable. Bugatti is still able to sell every car it can produce, and Winkelmann's strategy of creating more dynamically focused models seems to have resonated well with the company’s clientele. To surrender control of Bugatti could potentially bring leadership in the race to produce the high-performance EVs that will ultimately persuade supercar buyers to shun combustion. If so, Volkswagen Group’s leadership could well see it as a price worth paying.

• 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports "King Leopold", Chassis: 57248, Engine: 5.
  Estimate: In Excess of £10,000,000 : Sold for £9.535.000 (€ 10.695.721)
• 1928 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix, Chassis: 4871, Engine: 139.
  Estimate: In Excess of £3,000,000 : Sold for £3,935,000 (€ 4.414.018)
• 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante Earl Howe, Chassis: 57502, Engine: 26S.
  Estimate: In Excess of £7,000,000 : Sold for £7,855,000 (€ 8.811.210)

• 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Ventoux
  Chassis No. 57584, Engine No. 507 , Estimate $550.000 - 700.000: Not sold

A free virtual celebration day of vintage Bugattis hosted by The Bugatti Trust in its official Facebook group with contributions from international clubs, restorers, enthusiasts, historians, artists, and educational establishments. Full programme announced closer to the event and everyone is welcome!

The curator of The Bugatti Trust was inspired to organize the first ever Virtual Vintage Bugatti Day by the Trust’s contribution and involvement as a volunteer for Adam Gompertz’s three successful online REVS Limiter events (www.facebook.com/groups/revslimiter/) during the 2020 lockdown period in the UK.

For November 14th, the team is bringing together an engaging day of visual material by much valued contributors to celebrate virtually vintage Bugattis, their history, their beauty, their legacy, their active community and their educational power. Entirely done in the spirit of enthusiasm, the contributions will come in all shapes and sizes, some filmed by a professional some by a keen Bugattiste on his or her mobile and some in between.

Confirmed so far are contributions from the Bugatti Owners’ Club in the UK, a number of overseas Bugatti clubs including France, Italy, America and Australia, the Cité de l’Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France, artist Stefan Marjoram, the historic archives, interviews with authors, driving footage, workshop tours including a presentation by Tim Dutton and some lives. (NB: actual Prescott site will be closed on the day as this is an online event only.)

Everyone is invited to attend ‘virtually’ and to contribute with their own images, videos and memories if they wish. Simply join the Bugatti Trust’s Facebook group at any point between now and November 14th. The group can be found using the following link www.facebook.com/groups/889331591127366/ or using the Facebook link on the Trust’s main website www.bugatti-trust.co.uk/