Bugatti has taken the bones of its wildest track car and built something truly stunning.
Called the Destrier, the one-off is the latest creation from Bugatti’s Programme Solitaire, following Brouillard and F.K.P. Hommage. It uses the carbon-fibre monocoque and complete 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged W16 powertrain from the Bolide, producing 1,600 PS, or roughly 1,578 horsepower.
But where the Bolide was shaped around the demands of the racetrack, the Destrier was designed with fewer aerodynamic constraints. The result is a cleaner body with an unusually low stance. At just one metre tall, Bugatti says it has the lowest silhouette of any car the company has ever produced.
The proportions are helped by larger wheels than the Bolide, measuring 20 inches at the front and 21 at the rear. The familiar Bugatti horseshoe grille has also been widened, while the brand’s C-line has been reworked around the front wheel opening. A narrow waist behind the doors leads into broad rear haunches and a subtle integrated rear wing inspired by the Chiron Profilée.
Exposed carbon fibre is limited largely to the front splitter and rear diffuser. The rest of the body is finished in Sapphire Celeste, a bespoke multilayer blue created for the car and its owner. Bugatti says the colour also nods to the Type 57SC Atlantic chassis 57591, better known as the “Pope” Atlantic, which was originally painted blue.
Inside, the Bolide’s track focus is replaced by leather, nubuck and a custom 3D-knitted textile woven with fine copper yarn. Hammer-finished metal details reference the armour worn by medieval knights, another connection to the Destrier name, which refers to the war horses ridden into battle in the Middle Ages.
Bugatti has not announced the Destrier’s weight, price or performance figures, and that seems intentional. Despite having nearly 1,600 horsepower behind the seats, the company is presenting this one more as an exercise in proportion and craftsmanship than outright speed.
The Bugatti Destrier will make its public debut during Monterey Car Week, culminating at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 16.
