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2023 Porsche Macan: Crossover LuxeLast Gas-Powered Bugatti Sets $10.7 Mil Auction Record
The record-setting auction of the one-of-a-kind Bugatti Chiron Profilée marks the end of an era as the supercar maker transitions to electrification.
Final Factory Chiron Sells Eight Figures
The last gas-powered Bugatti, the Chiron Profilée, just set the record for the highest auction price ever for a new car. The final bid at the RM Paris auction was $9.7 million, with additional fees accounted for, the final price topped out at $10.7 million dollars, which, according to Rimac-Bugatti CEO Mate Rimac, is the most ever paid for a new production car. The price exceeded expectations as RM Sotheby’s had estimated the auction would hit between $4.5 and $6 million.
What’s So Special About This Chiron?
The Bugatti Chiron Profilée is a pre-series, one-off version of the Chiron. Bugatti capped production on the Chiron at 500 cars in total, including variants like the Chiron Pur Sport, the top-speed-record-holding Chiron Super Sport, and the Profilée. The Profilée was the final car of the Chiron’s 500 unit run to be sold, which helps explain its record-setting price.
Bugatti says the Profilée sits between the elegantly designed Chiron and the more radically styled Chiron Pur Sport. The Profilée is distinguished from other Chirons, mechanically and aesthetically. The Profilée features shorter gearing for the transmission, more negative camber for the front and rear axles (up to 50 percent more in the rear), and stiffer springs. There are several visual cues to its uniqueness too. These include a larger version of Bugatti’s signature horseshoe grille, a new front splitter for additional front end downforce, and bigger air intakes up front.
The awe-inspiring Profilée is finished in Bleu Royal Carbon and the interior uses 8,200 feet worth of leather strips used for trim and upholstery, in addition to loads of carbon fiber and chrome. Like all Chiron, the Profilée lacks a common feature of many new cars, super and otherwise, and that is an infotainment screen. This is due to Bugatti’s emphasis on elegant, timeless design precluding such a rapidly dated feature. Indeed, every detail of the car has been thought through, and that includes the name Profilée which is a nod to an early Bugatti, the Type 46, that shares a similar sweeping tail design to that of the Profilée.
Under the Hood of the Bugatti Chiron Profilée
Rimac-Bugatti has made clear their plans to electrify their supercars going forward, including all future Bugatti cars. As the final gas-powered Bugatti, the beating heart of the Profilée is the Chiron’s signature W16 engine. The W16 produces figures that sound more like Renaissance-era historical dates than horsepower numbers. Official output for the Profilée crests at 1,476 horsepower.
All that grunt makes the Profilée the quickest Chiron ever built, according to Bugatti. The Profilée can rip from zero to sixty in just 2.3 seconds, hit 200 kph or 124 mph is just 5.5 seconds, and attain a top speed of 236 mph. That last figure is faster than the Chiron Pur Sport but slower than the world-record-holding, 300-mph Chiron Super Sport.
The Last Call, But Not Last Built
Because of Bugatti’s hand-built approach, the French carmaker only has time to complete around 80 vehicles a year. So, while the record-setting Chiron Profilée is the final internal combustion Bugatti spoken for, the company will still be completing existing orders for gas-powered Chirons through 2025. If you feel you have missed the boat on your chance at a Bugatti Chiron of your own, there are currently two examples available on Carsforsale.com, starting at just $3.7 million.
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