A Second Car or Just New Paint?
Canadian Auto Press
If you’re a lover of sloped back four-doors, like Porsche’s new Panamera or Aston’s Rapide, you’re gonna like what Bugatti has in store with the 16C Galibier.
Bugatti 16c Galibier
In store may not be the right verbiage, being that no official announcement has been made with respect to production, but the concept that first appeared at the Frankfurt motor show in September last year, makes a lot of sense for the two-model ultra-premium marque.
After all, Bugatti not only made sports cars in its heyday, but large luxury models too, such as the Royale, and previous owner to Volkswagen, Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli and his Bugatti Automobili SpA company created a concept dubbed EB 112 that stylistically shares much with this one actually, at least from the rear where its fastback design and split rear window, divided by a centre spine, pays homage to Bugattis of the past.
The 16C Galibier is much stronger than the EB 112 in the front, however, where it’s classic Bugatti horseshoe grille is upright in grand fashion rather than canted back like a Morgan.
The car in these photos has either been repainted from the original concept’s two-tone blue and silver or is a second example, the latter prospect pointing to the French brand’s seriousness about this project.
Open either side of the 16C Galibier’s split hood and the same 8.0-litre W16 engine used by the Veyron will shock and awe, although instead of four turbochargers the four-door incorporates twin superchargers. The 16C Galibier loses the 7-speed sequential manual too, replacing it with an 8-speed automatic in similar fashion to how Maserati dropped its sequential gearbox for an automatic, allowing for smoother shifting.
It’s difficult to say whether or not Bugatti will build the 16C Galibier. They’re serious, which is the first step, but it will come down to signed orders with real deposits.
