How about naming a bespoke hypercar after the founder’s favorite horse? Sounds wild, eh? And how about making it one of one? Not many carmakers can pull off stunts like these … but Bugatti can.
Meet Bugatti Brouillard (pronounced brew-yar), a coupé-styled hypercar with similar performance numbers to the Chiron. It comes as the first offering from the brand's new ultra-exclusive Programme Solitaire branch, commissioned by a client who also owns prominent art and furnishings from the Bugatti family.
Bugatti already has a bespoke program called Sur Mesure that focuses on customizing existing models. Solitaire takes it a step further to provide consumers with the ability to construct a one-of-a-kind car. And to ensure this, the carmaker will build no more than two "masterpieces" per year.
Powering the Brouillard is the most advanced version of Bugatti's 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine, which produces 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft (1,600 Nm) of torque. It's linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that gives power to all four wheels.
No performance figures have been released yet, but considering the open-top Mistral (which features the same output) accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 2.4 seconds with a top speed of 261 mph (420 km/h), there’s no reason to believe the Brouillard will offer lower numbers.
It comes with a carbon-fiber and aluminum chassis, adjustable suspension, and wide tires. But forget all that – it’s Bugatti after all. All of this is to be expected of a bespoke hypercar. Look at how gorgeous it is!
It sports a unique two-tone finish – a satin green paint on the top body and green-tinted exposed carbon fiber in the lower portions … kinda reminds me of the Green Goblin. The entire bodywork puts a focus on dynamic, reflection-based surfaces that, according to Bugatti's design director Frank Heyl, resemble "a kind of athletic muscle, like a trained horse."
The flanks have the side blades behind the front wing – eerily similar to the Divo. There’s a fixed ducktail rear wing that does more than just make it look track-ready; it helps provide aero balance. I like the old-school roof scoops too!
You'll also spot a specifically designed rear diffuser that "maximizes the functional surface area through innovative exhaust packaging, representing the culmination of W16 platform development," according to Bugatti.
Inside, the horse theme almost comes across as a fetish, at least for me. Starting with bespoke embroidered horse-motifed tartan fabrics from Paris, on the seats and door. Even the gear shifter, made of a single block of metal, features a hand-sculpted miniature of Ettore's horse inside a glass inset.
All of that is visible through the glass canopy, which is finished in green and green-tinted carbon-fiber trim. There’s a good visual appeal to the dark-toned lower body with the lighter upper surfaces, all of which dramatically make the silhouette smaller.
Solitare's future commissions will have a largely unique exterior and heavily customized interior, but will use an off-the-shelf drivetrain, all like the Brouillard. Bugatti hasn't said how much the Brouillard will cost, but it’s surely expected to be north of the Mistral's US$5 million starting price.
The one-off hypercar will be on show at Monterey Car Week, which ends on August 17. Better run along if you want to catch it in the flesh.
Source: Bugatti
