Bugatti's one-off La Voiture Noire is the world's most expensive new car

Bugatti has unveiled a stunning, one-off, Chiron-based tribute to the famous Type 57 SC Atlantic at the Geneva Motor Show. La Voiture Noire, meaning "The Black Car," had already sold for a hefty US$12.3 million before the covers were ripped off, making it the most expensive new car of all time.

"La Voiture Noire is a far more than a modern interpretation of Jean Bugatti's Type 57 SC Atlantic. It is a feast of aesthetics," said Stephan Winkelmann, Bugatti President. "The true form of luxury is individuality. 'La Voiture Noire' is now at the cutting edge of automobile production."

La Voiture Noire has an 8-liter engine that produces 1,479 horsepower (1,103 kW) and 1,180 pound-feet (1,600 Nm) of torque from its 16 cylinders. This is the iconic W16 that has been at the heart of Bugatti in recent years, retuned for this special car.

In addition to its unique bodywork and elegant black finish, the one-off La Voiture Noire has a slightly longer wheelbase than the Chiron. Suspension and other changes were also likely made, though not specified, with the focus on comfortable cruising rather than foot-down power delivery.

With its sale price of €11 million (€16.7 million when you include luxury taxes), La Voiture Noire is billed as the most expensive new car ever sold – though you'll need to scrape together a lot more pennies to get your hands on a Type 57 SC Atlantic. The cost of La Voiture Noire translates to around US$12.5 million for the car, plus another $6.4 million in taxes and fees.

While the Bugatti is grabbing plenty of attention in Geneva this year, it's still a bit shy of the priciest vehicle ever. That record was set by a Ferrari 250 GTO, which is believed to have been sold for somewhere in the order of $70-$80 million in May, 2018.

Previously, the most expensive new car ever sold was a $13 million Rolls Royce Sweptail. It was also a one-off coupe.

The car which La Voiture Noire pays homage to – the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic – is one of the most valuable and sought after cars in the world (full story here). There were only four made, three of which still exist in collections, with only two of those are totally original.

Bugatti did not release any other specifications for La Voirture Noire, which is on display at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Source: Bugatti