On the second day of the 10th Dubai International Auto Show, December 17, 2009, the conceptual Bugatti Galibier 16C sedan was unveiled at the indoor show at the prestigious Park Hyatt Hotel in Dubai. A delightful car made of polished aluminum and a mass of dark blue colored carbon fiber is the lightest in the class of executive super sedans. Alasdir Stewart, Director of Sales, Marketing and Customer Relations at Bugatti, spoke to the assembled press representatives, who noted that "the new Galibier is one of the concepts being developed at the company today and which is considered the future symbol of the Bugatti brand."
Art. The form. Technology. These are the three core values that Ettore Bugatti and his son Jean focused on, creating more and more powerful engines and an increasingly noble design for each new model, leaving only quality, elegance, speed and driving comfort in common. During the creation process, they experimented with new materials all the time, avoiding any compromises, which allowed Bugatti to become the first manufacturer to propose the use of aluminum parts in their car bodies, engine blocks and wheels.
Art. The form. Technology. The Bugatti Automobiles SAS engineering team followed these same company values, creating the new Bugatti Galibier 16C. This concept four-door sedan has become the new leader in the use of original material combinations in the automotive industry. The Bugatti Galibier 16C style is inspired by the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantique, as evidenced by the ridge that runs through the center of the car and bisects the rear window. The spacious and elegant interior is trimmed with genuine calfskin in light brown.
According to company representatives, under the hood of this car, which opens like butterfly wings in different directions, a deformed 16-cylinder, 8-liter W16 engine from the Veyron model is installed. Instead of four turbochargers, it has drive superchargers, and its power is 800 horsepower instead of 1001. The gearbox of the new sedan is an eight-speed automatic, and not a two-clutch robotic transmission mounted on a Bugatti Veyron. All this unbridled power is distributed between the wheels of the front and rear axles through the all-wheel drive system. The standard fuel for the new item is gasoline. Ethanol is used as an alternative. The maximum speed will be limited at around 350 kilometers per hour.
Bugatti intend to make a decision on the serial production of the super sedan in early 2010 - during this time the car will be shown to potential buyers and their reaction will be appreciated. If the car goes into production, it should go on sale in 2012-2013. The developers warn that it will not be easy to deal with this car. Confirmation of this can be found in its name. Galibier is one of the most difficult to overcome mountain alpine stages in the Tour de France cycling race.
The volume of new items will not exceed 150 copies. As expected, the Bugatti Galibier 16C will be the most expensive production sedan in the world, and its price will be more than 1.5 million euros. This is 600 thousand euros more than the cost of the previous record holder - Maybach 62S Landaulet.
Add to this the Parmigiani Swiss watchmaker, specially called the Pamigaiani Bugatti Tourbillon, specially designed for the Galibier model. This unique mechanical watch is mounted in a special slot on the dashboard of a car, but with the same success can be installed on the desktop of its owner (there is also a special stand for this), or mounted in a special case on a leather strap (the same color as and Bugatti Galibier trim) so that they can be worn on the wrist. Another option is to wear the watch as a pocket watch, placing it in a special case made of 18 carat gold with a chain. And this is just one of the many innovations that owners of Bugatti Galibier will discover.
Needless to say, the Bugatti 16 C Galibier Concept is the most exclusive, most elegant and most powerful sedan in the world. Like this: no more and no less!
