New Bugatti Destrier is a one-off Bollide with an even more radical design
Say hello to one of the world’s most expensive new cars – and there’ll only ever be one
The latest one-of-one commission from Bugatti’s exclusive Solitaire Program has been revealed, and it might just be the most outrageous model yet. Not only does the new Bugatti Destrier get a W16 engine, sprouting wings and stunning paintwork, but it’s also based on the track-only Bolide rather than the Chiron.
The key difference between this model and lesser Bugattis, if you could call any Bugatti ‘lesser’, is the fundamental structure, which is both much lower and much wider than the Chiron’s. In fact, despite the coupe body and its roof-mounted intake, the Destrier is less than one metre tall, and thanks to having no large high-mounted or active aero, it retains this sleek silhouette at all speeds.
However, while the overall proportions are dictated by the Bolide supercar, the new model’s design and details are not, and it features all the elegance and extravagance you’d expect from Bugatti. This begins with a new interpretation of the horseshoe grille, which is wider and tipped with a section of milled aluminium. Inside, this is intersected by a piece of carbon fibre, which holds up the enamel Bugatti badge.
Either side of this internal carbon bar are two brushed aluminium accent lines that then wrap around the side of the car’s wings and create the iconic ‘C’ shape motif famous on almost all modern Bugattis. On the car's front wing sit new oval-shaped lighting units, between which sits a wraparound-style windscreen with the same extreme curvature you’ll find on the Bolide.
Behind the curved rear haunches sits a static ducktail-like wing, and below that are an extreme rear diffuser and four-element rear lights and exhaust outlets.
While all of these design elements reflect a more elegant style than the target-focused Bolide, that car’s technical aero management and cooling are retained, with lots of subtle intakes and vents that will help keep the car stuck to the road, while also providing enough cooling for the engine.
That engine is Bugatti’s iconic quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine, which is now out of production aside from its application in special projects like this. Peak power is rated at the same 1,577bhp as in the Bolide, and while the new creation is likely to weigh a little more than the Bolide, it won’t stray far from its 1,450kg dry weight.
This is all the more impressive when you see how much work has gone into the cabin, which takes the stripped-out track car as a base, but fills it with the sort of luxury materials you’d expect from Bugatti.
The entire cabin is finished in Ambre Voyageur, split between leather and a cleverly knitted textile that lines part of the seats and dashboard. Many of the Bolide’s rudimentary controls have been either redesigned or removed, while the small yoke-style steering wheel is brand new, and sits beneath a small, but info-packed driver’s display.
The cost of this project is unknown, and likely to remain so for ever, but we suspect that it would cost its lucky owner something in the tens of millions. So while it’s unlikely you’ll see the car driving down your local high street, the glamorous folks at Pebble Beach will have a sure star of the show when it’s revealed there in a week’s time.
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