Limited edition Chiron Sport revealed, bridges gap between planes and cars

KUALA LUMPUR: Bugatti with its limited-edition variant of the Chiron Sport is highlighting the little known link between aviation and earliest race cars. Known as the Les Legendes du Ciel, the car features several design clues that will instantly catch the eye of both an aeroplane and vintage car enthusiasts.

Bugatti boss, Stephan Winkelmann in a statement explained, "Many successful Bugatti racing drivers, such as Albert Divo, Robert Benoist and Bartolomeo ‘Meo’ Costantini, flew for the French Air Force. It is therefore almost an obligation for us today to pay tribute to the legends of that time and dedicate a special edition to them."

The Chiron Sport Les Légendes du Ciel is a 20 unit limited mode that celebrates the company's success in the racing and aircraft industry. The car is covered in a specific hue which Buggati calls Gris Serpent, inspired by the colour tone some 1920s aircraft displayed. A white stripe is also added for contrast, stretching from the grille to the rear wing. The front part of each rocket is covered in red, white and blue tones. Lastly, adding a finishing touch to the overall design are the exposed carbon fibre accents.

Further, the grille doesn't get mesh inserts but instead features laser-cut aluminium strips arranged to look like a group of planes in flying formation.

On the inside, brown leather upholstery seems to dominate the cabin with the aluminium bits creating a visual link between the limited-edition Chiron Sport and plans manufactured centuries ago. Also, on each door panel is present a hand-sketched image of Bugatti Type 13 going up against Nieuport 17 biplane.

Under the hood, the Les Légendes du Ciel houses an 8.0-litre W16 quad-turbocharged engine making 1,500 hp of maximum power and a peak torque of 1600 Nm. The power is sent to all-four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox coupled to steering mounted shift paddles. The limited-edition Chiron's top speed is electronically limited to 420 kmph. In other words, the car is faster than some of the plans it pays tributes to.

The 20 unit limited Chiron Sport Les Legendes du Ciel price starts at 2.88 million euros (approx RM 14,011,608).

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