Bugatti recently unveiled their one-off La Voiture Noire at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. In a sea of cars who boast of regal designs and engineering perfection, the Voiture Noire was still the highlight of the motor show. It was built to celebrate Bugatti’s 110th anniversary and the company announced that they would be making only one of these which has already been sold. They did not reveal the name of the buyer, but did reveal the amount at which it was bought. The Voiture Noire was sold for more than $18 Million (including tax), making it “the most expensive new car of all time”. But what makes it so valuable?
The most expensive car in the world aka La Voiture Noire – French for “the black car” – is a unique supercar made from carbon fibre. The design of the Noire is a modern take on the Type 57 SC Atlantic from the 1930s. This vehicle was created specifically for a Bugatti enthusiast who was “fascinated by the Atlantic,” Top Gear reported. The car was designed to look like a modern-day marvel, but with the DNA of the original still visibly ingrained in it. The car also takes its design cues from the Bugatti Chiron.
Apart from the basic design elements, the Noire is also similar to the Chiron when it comes to what lies under the hood. The 16-cylinder engine churns almost 1500 hp, similar to that of the Chiron.
Coming back to the exterior, every single part of this car is integrated with other parts to make it look like one seamless surface. As if there are no separate parts and as if the car was created as one single piece by just a snap of a finger. The bumpers smoothly blend into the body and the windscreen seems to flow seamlessly into the windows at the sides in the manner of a visor on a helmet.
“Every single component has been handcrafted and the carbon fibre body has a deep black gloss only interrupted by the ultra-fine fibre structure. This is a material that has been handled perfectly,” designer Etienne Salomé said, according to a report by Dezeen.
Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann describes the supercar as a “coupé with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sports car”, and compares it to “the haute couture of exclusive Paris fashion designers.
La Voiture Noire’s design elements are examples of the peak automotive design. But all of that got lost when the price of the car was announced. The price of the Voiture Noire superseded the uniqueness of it. And of course, when a car comes with a tag of $18 Million attached to it, you can’t ignore that, but let’s not forget the timeless design and uniqueness of the Voiture Noire that makes it this valuable.
