Bugatti La Voiture Noire Wins Critics Over, Nabs Major Award
At $19 million, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire is the most expensive new car ever sold.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire hypercar has won the Design Award for Concept & Prototypes at the 2019 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Previous winners include the Bentley EXP 10 Speed Six (2016) and the Maserati Alfieri Concept (2014). The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is an automotive lifestyle show popular amongst car collectors and held on the shores of Lake Como, Italy, every year. BMW Group is one of the primary sponsors of the show.
“The models that can be seen here every year are iconic and the setting in which they are displayed could not be better,” says Stephan Winkelmann, CEO of Bugatti. “Bugatti’s unique model, the La Voiture Noire, with its exceptional lines and special character, has its place in the competition.”
The majestic palaces of Este and Erbe, the Italian Renaissance gardens and the calm waters of the lake guarantee an exceptional experience while providing the perfect backdrop for these beautiful vehicles. The competition focuses on the aesthetics of cars and recognises those that demonstrate a unique beauty and passion. Various prizes are awarded by the jury and the public depending on the categories. The Bugatti participated in the category “Concept Cars and Prototypes.”
La Voiture Noire–which at $19 million is reportedly the most expensive supercar ever made–was unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show this year and commenced the anniversary of Bugatti’s 110th anniversary. This unique model that has already been sold, pays homage to the legendary Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic in black which mysteriously disappeared from the workshops in Molsheim during the Second World War. La Voiture Noireariler takes the key elements of this historic Gran Turismo and keeps all the elements that make Bugatti hyper sports cars exceptional.
By public vote, La Voiture Noire won the Design Award of the Concorso. Winkelmann received the trophy under thunderous applause.
The La Voiture Noire is mechanically based on the $3 million Bugatti Chiron, of which Bugatti will make 500 units only. This means under the hood of the $19 million hypercar is an 8.0-liter W16 quad-turbocharged engine that produces 1,479 horsepower and 1,180 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and like the Chiron, the La Voiture Noire has an all-wheel drive configuration. Bugatti has not revealed the performance specifications of the La Voiture Noire. However, we do know that the Chiron can sprint from 0-60 miles per hour in less than 2.5 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of over 260 mph. We can then safely assume that the La Voiture Noire would have similar performance levels.
The ownership details of the La Voiture Noire have not been disclosed either, albeit some automotive publications have claimed the vehicle belongs to Ferdinand Piech, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and former chief executive of Volkswagen Group (Bugatti’s parent company). Note, VW Group revived the Bugatti brand under Piech’s leadership in the late 1990s and naturally, the 82-year-old is extremely passionate about the French ultra-luxury marque, which competes with Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Pagani and McLaren.
Photos: Bugatti