French luxury automaker Bugatti unveiled a stunning Chiron-based La Voiture Noire at the Geneva Motor Show that has become the most expensive new car of all time. La Voiture Noire, which means “The Black Car,” was sold right there at the launch to an unnamed buyer for around £9.5m (US$12 million) before tax, making it about £1.5m (US$1.65m) pricier than the record holder Rolls-Royce Sweptail.
La Voiture Noire produces 1,479 HP (1,103 kW) and 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm) of torque from an 8-liter W16 engine. It’s no surprise that Bugatti settled for the legendary quad-turbo engine that established a land-speed record of 267 mph in 2010 under Veyron’s carcass. With no performance information released, The Black Car is estimated to reach 62mph (100kmh) in 2.4 seconds and a top speed of 261mph (420kmh), making a reference from Chiron.
Now at the cutting edge of automobile production, La Voiture Noire is profoundly a modern version of Type 57SC Atlantic designed by Jean Bugatti. “It’s a feast of aesthetics,” said Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann who described The Black Car as a combination of “extraordinary technology and extreme luxury.”
Just as the name, the one-off La Voiture Noire has an elegant blank finish on its carbon fiber body and a longer wheelbase compared to Chiron. Though Bugatti didn’t reveal if there were changes in the suspension and other components, it’s very likely since the vehicle is not focused on foot-down power delivery but comfortable cruising.
La Voiture Noire is currently the most expensive new car ever sold, with its sale price of around €9.5 million (€14.5 million with luxury taxes included), though you still need over twice this amount to lay hands on a Type 57SC Atlantic. La Voiture Noire was sold for roughly US$19 million with taxes and fees included.
Bugatti may have garnered lots of attention at the Geneva Motor Show dominated by new electric cars, but the automaker would still bury its head facing the priciest vehicle ever. Ferrari 250 GTO established the record in August 2018 as the most expensive car, after been sold for around $48.2 million at the RM Sotheby’s auction.
However, Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, which La Voiture Noire pays tribute to, is inarguably one of the world’s most sought after and valuable cars. It was sold for over $40 million the last time it changed hands, roughly 9 years ago. Only four of them were produced between 1936 and 1938, with only two Atlantics still original and three still existing in collections.
