Bugatti Chiron Sport Les Légendes du Ciel revealed – a tribute to French aviation history; from RM14 million

Bugatti Chiron Sport Les Légendes du Ciel revealed – a tribute to French aviation history; from RM14 million

Bugatti has long been associated with aviation ever since it was established over 110 years ago, as many of its successful racing drivers such as Albert Divo, Robert Benoist and Bartolomeo Costantini flew for the French Air Force. Outside of this circle, another notable name is legendary aviator Roland Garros, who is a close friend to company founder Ettore Bugatti and became the first owner of the Bugatti Type 18.

To celebrate these daredevils of the skies, the company has rolled out the Chiron Sport Les Légendes du Ciel, which is limited to just 20 units, each priced at 2.88 million euros (RM14 million). Based on the Chiron Sport, this special edition model receives a number of exquisite details that pay tribute to Bugatti’s history.

On the outside, the car is finished in a matte grey “Gris Serpent” finish, a modern interpretation of the colour used on aircrafts from the 1920s. For contrast, a white gloss centre stripe is applied from the front to the rear of the vehicle, ending on the active rear spoiler.

Meanwhile, the front fenders feature the Les Légendes du Ciel logo, while the front area of the side sills gets the French colours (Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge) on top of exposed black carbon-fibre. Bugatti also ensured the puddle lights project the edition logo, while the engine cover is made of the same material as the side sills, contrasted by white lettering.

Around back, more instances of exposed carbon-fibre can be seen, along with an exhaust trim cover made of 3D-printed, temperature-resistant Inconel – both parts are finished in black. For the front, the radiator grille also gets a revised design with slim uprights, made of laser-cut and deep-drawn aluminium.

This pattern is repeated on the seats inside the cabin, which are upholstered in fine “Gaucho” leather to recall the natural leather used in aircrafts of the past. The light brown leather also covers various parts of the interior, and is contrasted by aluminium components, including the door sills that have the edition logo on them.

You’ll also find the Les Légendes du Ciel on the headrests and the plaque on the centre console that is numbered “1 of 20”. More aviation cues can be seen on the door panels, as there is a hand-sketched racing scene featuring the Nieuport 17 aircraft and a Bugatti Type 13, significant icons according to the company.

The former is a French biplane built from 1916 and was very popular among pilots due to its reliability, speed and agility. Powered by a nine-cylinder engine, the aircraft packed 130 PS. As for the Type 13, it was the first model to bear the Bugatti name and managed to hit speeds of almost 100 km/h. This was achieved over 110 years ago in a car that had a pretty high output for its time at 15 PS.

Other touches hint at Bugatti’s racing cars of old, including the perlee-finish, polished aluminium of the armrest tray and the centre console inserts. As an option, customers can specify comfort seats and the “Sky View” glass roof, allowing occupants to “gaze into the sky like in open-top aircraft of the past century.”

Mechanically, the Les Légendes du Ciel edition remains unchanged from a regular Chiron Sport, as it still packs an 8.0 litre turbocharged W16 engine delivering 1,500 PS and 1,600 Nm of torque that is capable of 420 km/h. Production of the special car will start towards the end of 2020.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 

Comments

 

Add a comment

required

required