Bugatti 16C Galibier: Sporty Sedan Concept with 16-Cylinder Engine Breaks Cover

Bugatti 16C Galibier: Sporty Sedan Concept with 16-Cylinder Engine Breaks Cover

Revealed at a private event to customers and what Bugatti refers to as "opinion-makers" this past weekend at the firm's home in Molsheim, the 16 C Galibier is a conceptual proposal for a four-door, four seat sedan that could very well go into production in the next couple of years. According to Bugatti's current president, Dr. Ing. Franz-Josef Paefgen, the Galibier is one of several concept studies with which the company is considering for the future of the marque.

For those wondering, "Galibier" was named after one of the most difficult alpine passes along the Tour de France. Bugatti also used the name in the past on a special version of the four door Type 57.

Surprisingly for a car of our age where automotive designers usually try their hardest to create products that stand out of the crowd with distinctively repulsive styling traits, the Galibier 16 C features an uncluttered and straightforward design without any unnecessary gimmicks - okay, sans the.... eight tail pipes at the rear.

Echoing the styling of the famous Type 57 Atlantique, the Galibier 16 C combines a liftback bodystyle with the typical Bugatti radiator grille, large round LED headlights and the distinctive clamshell running the length of the vehicle.

The body of the concept car is constructed of handmade carbon fibre parts colored dark blue while the wings and doors are made out of polished aluminum.

The same straightforward design is also found in the interior. The dash panel elements been reduced to the bare essentials with two centrally located main gauges, a small instrument panel in front of the driver and a large LCD screen on the lower center console.

Underneath the bonnet, which folds back from both sides, there's a 16-cylinder, 8-litre, flex-fuel engine with two stage supercharging that can run on ethanol. Like all high-end VW Group products, the Galibier 16 C comes equipped with a four-wheel drive system.

It remains to be seen if Bugatti will bring its sedan concept car at the Frankfurt gathering as the company's press release did not say whether or not it will introduce the car at the show.

Open-Top Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Enters Production - New Photo Gallery

Open-Top Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Enters Production - New Photo Gallery

The most outrageous convertible money can buy these days, the limited run 1,001HP Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Gran Sport has entered production at the company's headquarters in Molsheim, France. Overall, the firm plans to produce a total of 150 examples of the roofless Veyron, with the first 50 examples going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers. Up until now, 30 Grand Sports have been ordered each priced at €1.4 million (not including taxes and transportation) or the US equivalent of $1.96 million. Deliveries are expected to begin from July 2009 onwards.

The 'Number One' Gran Sport was pre-sold at last summer's Pebble Beach Auction for $3.19 million US, with part of the proceeds ($900,000 to be exact) being donated by Bugatti to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation Charity.

Billed as the fastest production convertible in the world, the Gran Sport retains the coupe's 1,001 HP quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine but comes with a removable lightweight transparent polycarbonate top as well as an emergency soft top that is stowed away in the trunk.

Other changes include the redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine that feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection in the event of a roll, reinforced monocoque structure around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel plus stiffened B-pillars.

Bugatti also updated the car's interior with moisture-resistant, backstitched leather and added a range of new equipment features including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor integrated in the rear-view-mirror, and the "Puccini" sound system with digital signal processor.

As for the Gran Sport's performance figures, with the roof closed it can reach a top speed of 253mph or 407 km/h. Open it up and you'll have to do with speeds of up to 224mph or 360 km/h (that's 11km/h or 7mph more than Bugatti initially projected). If you get caught up in a rain and are forced to use the emergency soft top, the supercar's top speed is restricted to 80mph or 130 km/h.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4: Four New 'Centenaire' Special Edition Models

Bugatti Veyron 16.4: Four New 'Centenaire' Special Edition Models

Continuing its centenary celebrations, Bugatti presented four special edition Veyrons at this weekend's Concorso d'Eleganza in Italy. These one off models pay homage to Bugatti's Type 35 Grand Prix racing car that won almost 2,000 races between 1924 and 1934. Each of the four Veyron Specials is named after a Bugatti race-car driver of the 1920s and 30s, and bears the racing colors of their respective country.

The blue Veyron is dedicated to Jean-Pierre Wimille (1908-1949)from France, the red model pays tribute to Achille Varzi (1904-1948) from Italy, the green to Malcolm Campbell (1885-1949) from England and the white Veyron to Hermann zu Leiningen (1901-1971) from Germany.

Colors scheme aside, all four special edition Veyrons come with polished aluminum doors, front fenders and exterior mirrors, plus unique eight-spoke alloy wheels and aluminum front grille and air vents. Inside the 'Centenaire' Veyrons feature special materials and colors along with a commemorative plate.

"We have put a lot of effort into translating colour and material, the defining characteristics of our historic role models, into the designs of the modern-day Veyrons," said Alasdair Stewart, Director Sales & Marketing at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. "We have taken extreme care to match the original colours of the original race cars, exterior and interior."

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Centenaire: First Photos of Special Edition Series

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Centenaire: First Photos of Special Edition Series

At last month's Geneva Auto Show, Bugatti revealed the Veyron 16.4 Bleu Centenaire, a one-off special edition model built to celebrate the firm's 100th anniversary. Bugatti boss Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen had announced then that the company would have a few more surprises in store for us at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este (April 24 - 26). Well, if we are to believe our fellow 'colegas' at Motorpassion, the 'surprises' come in the form of four special edition versions of the Veyron.

It is said that each of the four special edition Veyron 16.4 Centenaire pays homage to one of the company's pre-World War 2 Grand Prix drivers including Jean-Pierre Wimille (France, 1908-1949), Achille Varzi (Italy, 1904-1948), Malcolm Campbell (England, 1885-1949) and Hermann Zu Leiningen (Germany, 1901-1971).

While the special edition Veyron 16.4s remain mechanically intact, they do come with a special paint job that's combined with polished aluminum doors and front fenders as well as a other cosmetic upgrades. We'll have more on the Veyron Centenaire closer to the Villa d'Este festivities.

Via: Motorpasion