Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse “Ettore Bugatti”
Bugatti continues to pay tribute to its heroes in its exclusive “Legend” edition. Between a prestigious past and unbridled modernity, elegant design and spearhead technology, the “Ettore Bugatti” model played on a score of sheer luxury at its European première at the Paris Motor Show.
“Ettore Bugatti always strived to create a total work of art. His ideas and vehicles set the foundation stones for an automobile brand which became one of the most renowned and most refined in the world (…). It was perfectly natural that we dedicate the last “Legend” model to him,” declared Wolfgang Dürheimer, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. The “Ettore Bugatti” model, the sixth and last opus in the “Legend” collection, is based, like all its predecessors, on the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. An 8-liter W16 engine roars beneath the hood, delivering 1200 hp. Just as surprising, the torque of 1,500 Nm at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm. The car leaps from 0 to 100 km/h in only 2.6 seconds and attains a top speed of around 408 km/h, despite weighing in at two tons. Figures propelling it to the rank of the fastest roadster in the world.
The body is made of midnight blue carbon and hand-polished aluminium. Used in a production model by this manufacturer alone, this material generously covers the front and side panels. The highly-polished wheel rims are in a very effective dark blue. Designed by Ettore Bugatti himself, the 8-spoke wheel recalls those of racing cars, such as the famous Type 35.
Inside the car, traditional calfskin in natural brown is accompanied by exclusive, natural Cordovan leather for the steering wheel, door handles and centre console armrest - a leather better-known in the very select world of luxury shoes. The blue carbon exterior is echoed in the car’s interior on the door trims, the stitching on the seats and the cover of the storage compartment in the rear panel. A “dancing elephant” in platinum recalls the radiator cap of the Type 41 Royale, designed by Ettore’s brother, Rembrandt Bugatti.
“When you’re in love, you don’t count the cost” says the old adage. “Not even if it’s 2.35 M € plus VAT,” add the 450 purchasers of the Veyron since it was launched. Like the other “Legends” in this series, only three “Ettore Bugattis” will be produced.
