Two tailor-made Bugattis as a declaration of love to creativity and passion

For the brand’s customers, the name Bugatti evokes unlimited possibilities, including the opportunity to realize their creative vision at any point in the customer journey, and even after delivery of their vehicle. This is why a Bugatti customer who fell in love with the configuration chosen by his wife – a pattern specially designed by the brand’s designers – wanted a similar creation for his Chiron Super Sport¹ which had just been delivered to him. An exciting project for the Customer Service team.

Every Bugatti and every Bugatti owner is unique. But the configuration chosen by a customer for their vehicle is never set in stone: tastes can evolve and new ideas can arise. Whether the vehicle left the Workshop only a day ago or ten years ago, it is possible, at any time, to give it a new personality. And that’s what happened for this latest Custom project.

The story begins with two Bugatti enthusiasts, husband and wife, already owners of numerous hyper sports cars of the brand, acquired second hand. By treating themselves to their first Bugatti from the Molsheim Workshop and opting for the best of Grand Touring, the Chiron Super Sport, they decided to celebrate their passion for the brand. But while the gentleman was already enjoying his vehicle on American roads, he continued to carefully observe his wife’s Chiron Super Sport come to life in Alsace.

For this configuration, the client worked hand in hand with Jascha Straub, designer responsible for Customized projects, to make her audacious project possible: revisiting the design of the timeless Veyron L’Or Blanc, revealed to the public now 12 years. For her Chiron Super Sport, she was seduced by a combination of a bright red, “Rosso Efesto”, with an intense orange, “Arancia Mira”, thus creating her own masterpiece in the style of “Waves of Light” from Bugatti. A name in reference to the way the pattern imitates the reflections of light on the body of the vehicle. This motif – just like that worn by the Veyron L’Or Blanc – has already awakened the creativity of a few owners, each having reinterpreted this design in a very personal way.

The complex process behind creating this extraordinary pattern takes weeks and begins with the creation in 2D of the lines that will adorn the vehicle. Once drawn and produced, these shapes must then be perfectly applied with tape to all surfaces of the car. Each millimeter thus marked is then meticulously painted by hand, layer after layer, with the color chosen to contrast with the color of the bodywork – orange in this case. If the line does not completely match what the designer intended to create, then correction tape is placed above the original line until the resulting shape is absolutely perfect. This process is repeated for each line in order to obtain an impeccable result. Once this step is completed, the paint is then fixed to the bodywork with several coats of varnish. For the client, the combination of deep brilliant red and bright orange was to symbolize a luminous and radiant energy also embodied by the name of the vehicle: “The Aura”.

“The “Waves of Light” effect is known at Bugatti, but each customer has their own aspirations regarding the final result, and each vehicle requires the creation of a new, unique pattern,” explains Jascha Straub. “A Chiron Pur Sport², for example, will have different reflections than a Chiron Super Sport. Each time, we therefore completely rework the pattern to guarantee absolute perfection. The beauty of these hyper sports cars also lies in their unique character: each painter has a different style, each gesture is different and therefore, at Bugatti, each vehicle is resolutely unique. I saw this car for the first time recently in sunny California and people were speechless at its splendor. What we created together is an inspiring work of art. »

So inspiring that it prompted the creation of a second Custom project. Watching his wife’s Chiron Super Sport come to life and its design evolve, the husband had such a “love at first sight” that he chose to have his own vehicle transformed to match his – an exciting new project was about to take place. see the light of day for the Bugatti After-Sales team.

From individualization to delivery to vehicle maintenance, Bugatti aspires to offer the incomparable at every stage of a customer’s journey with the brand. Thus, the Customer Service in charge of After-Sales shows the same attention and the same attention to detail as the Workshop in charge of vehicle production.

With decades of experience in vehicle maintenance and repair, the After-Sales team also offers customers the opportunity to further personalize their hyper sports cars or even give them a new lease of life, with new customization options. For example, the interiors are redesigned in completely new colors and materials, new accessories are added or new finishes and colors applied to the bodywork. Traditionally, this process is offered for older models of Veyron or Chiron³, but the service can also be extended to hyper sports cars with very few kilometers on the odometer like this one.

This is how the Chiron Super Sport was shipped from the customer’s home in Tennessee to the Bugatti After-Sales Workshop in Molsheim, to begin a meticulous seven-month transformation and adorn itself with the new design desired by the customer.

For the After Sales team, the first step of changing the finish to visible carbon fiber with a subtle 10% black tint wrapped in elegant lines in “French Racing Blue” has already taken months of work. . Although almost new, the carbon fiber hood, roof, engine cover and rear wing all had to be replaced, and the originally painted blue lines had to be completely removed from the bodywork. Before the original roof panel was removed from the monocoque in order to install the new Sky View roof, the team had to completely disassemble the interior cabin in order to protect the vehicle from potential damage caused by the fine dust created during the process. To obtain the expected final result, it was not simply a question of transforming the initial Chiron Super Sport, it was important for the teams and for Bugatti, that the customer was delivered a brand new hyper sports car, having undergone the same level of attention and the same quality requirements as every vehicle that leaves Molsheim for the first time.

Once the carbon fiber was applied, each panel had to be reassembled onto the monocoque with exacting precision to ensure the fibers aligned perfectly across the entire bodywork. Assembling the new roof was also a key step in meeting exact tolerances and allowing the adhesive to fully cure.

Once the bodywork was perfectly prepared, the After-Sales team was able to tackle the application of the blue lines in the “French Racing Blue” color using 2D shapes created for this project. Cutouts so intricate that one person worked on this task alone for four entire weeks, adjusting the pattern by hand to ensure it fit the vehicle perfectly. The color was then applied by hand in several layers to create flowing lines and give the illusion of shiny highlights on the black bodywork. The finish is then applied to the entire vehicle with great precision so that the lines appear to float on the bodywork like waves with light reflections.

Although inspired by his wife’s vehicle, his hyper sports car is above all the fruit of the artisanal work of Bugatti experts imbued with the personality and style of the designer who created the pattern and the craftsman who brought it to life. In this sense, although very similar, the two vehicles will never be completely identical.

As on his wife’s vehicle, the name “Coup de Foudre” – in reference to the blue lines painted on the black carbon imitating lightning in a dark sky – is affixed under the spoiler of his Chiron Super Sport, as well as on the door sills and at the level of the central console. Custom door panels – with a unique design inspired by the “Waves of Light” motif – were also manufactured and installed by hand. The final step was to change the wheels, initially sporting a black finish, to a two-tone design incorporating hand-painted “French Racing Blue”.

“Never before have we been asked to completely transform the character of a vehicle so early in its life cycle,” said Frédéric Stocks, head of the After-Sales Workshop. “This is one of the most technically demanding projects we have ever undertaken, but the experience and knowledge of the Bugatti Aftersales team is incredible. From individualization to delivery, Customer Service ensures that each stage of the customer journey is as unique and incomparable as our hyper sports cars themselves. »

The resulting Chiron Super Sport is an ode to passion and creativity, bringing together the very personal vision of the customer with the creativity of the Bugatti team.

Hendrik Malinowski, Managing Director of Bugatti Automobiles, said: “There is no other car manufacturer like Bugatti. Every customer experience is a testament to the unparalleled level of personalization that only Bugatti can offer. Each expert, each craftsman, each collaborator has a different approach and as a result, all our vehicles are unique, reflecting not only the artistic style of each person who worked on them but also the personal vision of the customer. For these two clients, two different paths and yet, each project − inspired by one of our most innovative and beautiful creations: the timeless Veyron L’Or Blanc” − perfectly highlights the know-how that characterizes our brand. »