Bugatti 16C Galibier Concept

[NarutoRamen]

Here is the Article from Autoblog.

First Look: Bugatti 16C Galibier Concept

Bugatti invited us to the first unveiling of its new 16C Galibier Concept on U.S. soil at a special event in Southern California last week. While we have all seen the press images from its debut in Molsheim last month, the select in-person preview gave us an excellent opportunity to talk with Bugatti about the concept, scrutinize the vehicle up close, and to actually spend some time sitting inside the passenger cabin.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Hmm..I need to find a way to make sure my money is right by the time this car reaches production. Absolute Power!

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Bugatti Files Patent Drawings For 16C Galibier Sedan

There are super sedans and then there are super sedans. Bugatti's Galibier 16C Concept is definitely one of the latter, with its 8.0-liter W-16 engine and incredibly opulent interior.

Whether or not the Galibier actually makes it to production, however, is still very much a case of the unknown. New patent filings submitted by Bugatti to the World Intellectual Property Organization offer some positives although they appear to be of the actual concept rather than a future production version, possibly an act of Bugatti covering its bases for the future.

No confirmation of production has come directly from Bugatti yet, but the Galibier 16C was being shopped as a potential production car, depending on the reaction it got from the potential client base. After just a few public showings, the car's unique feature set appears to have done the job.

Featuring four seats inside its leather and wood cocoon, the Galibier 16C isn't the thoroughbred speed demon the Veyron is. Instead of a twin-clutch gearbox, the Galibier gets a refined eight-speed automatic. Instead of 1,001 horsepower from a quad-turbocharged W-16 engine, it gets a "mere" 800 horsepower from a two-stage supercharging system.

But there's also a high-tech element at work, with polished aluminum and carbon-fiber bodywork, all the top electronic driving aids and an advanced active suspension system.

The Galibier 16C is expected to cost about $1.45 million if it does go to production, and cars could start rolling out of the factory--at a relaxed, highly individualized pace, of course--by late 2010.

- Bugatti Files Patent Drawings For 16C Galibier Sedan - MotorAuthority

 

[Bartek S.]

 

[Human]

What dreams are made of...

 

[Kowalski]

Is that the production car?

 

[Beemer B773ER]

The car actually reminds me of the 5er GT. The whole 4-door 'coupe'/fastback concept tailored to be a luxury vehicle rather than being sporty. Of course the vehicles are worlds apart in terms of the level of luxury, but the Galibier has a very similar profile, with the only difference being it having a much more rounded rear compared to the 5er GT's beefy buttocks.

I guess Brabus now has a challenger for the world's fastest 4-door.

 

[NarutoRamen]

The car actually reminds me of the 5er GT.

I know it's your opinion, but DAMN you're off. This thing is NOTHING like the 5erGT. Hell, just to mention this beauty with that thing in the same sentence is heresy! LOL

This is more like a more elegant and beautiful panamera.

 

[Osnabrueck]

I know it's your opinion, but DAMN you're off. This thing is NOTHING like the 5erGT. Hell, just to mention this beauty with that thing in the same sentence is heresy! LOL

This is more like a more elegant and beautiful panamera.

Bullhonkey. 5er GT looks stunning.

 

[Gene]

Explain to me, if you're rich enough to afford a multimillion dollar car, why the hell do you want to share your watch with the car. I can imagine some multibillionare showing off his Bugatti watch to his friends, only to expose a wrist band with an empty capsule, because he forgot to remove the actual watch bit from his car.

It's got lights on its wheels?! Why?!

Just another source to drain the battery of your car. Don't worry. When the battery is drained you can open the hood to get a jumpstart:

Oh shit. The hood is electronic.

 

[Osnabrueck]

I really want to rag on the wristwatch idea but - in typical VAG fashion - they're doing it so well, and with such respect to the 'soul' of the idea, that I kinda like it.

The way I see it - it's the ultimate dash clock... A mechanical tourbillon is already a ludicrous piece of work, but to have it as your car's dash clock... That is certifiably balling out of control.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Bullhonkey. 5er GT looks stunning.

While I can't completely agree with you on that, I gotta give you karma based on your usage of "bullhonkey"....actually had me LOL.

While the details and engineering are exquisite, as one would expect in a car over a $1M, the overall shape does nothing for me. It's too ovoid and fastback. I'd rather get something that's more austere, like a Mulsanne.

 

[Gene]

I really want to rag on the wristwatch idea but - in typical VAG fashion - they're doing it so well, and with such respect to the 'soul' of the idea, that I kinda like it.

The way I see it - it's the ultimate dash clock... A mechanical tourbillon is already a ludicrous piece of work, but to have it as your car's dash clock... That is certifiably balling out of control.

It's ironic. In this mega-expensive sedan, it has THE most pointless features I have ever seen in a car, including lighting for the wheels and electic hood openers, of which all run on the main car battery. Yet, one the most useful device in a car, the clock, runs on its own independent battery. So at some point in the lifetime of the car, you're going to have a perfectly made, perfectly running sedan, with its minke-whale-foreskin leather and its 24-carat gold trim - and a clock that doesn't work.

If, on the other hand, that watch piece had some sort of docking interface into the car, and when docked (lets just call it docked, although I'm sure the marketers will come up with some other term, like "united", "engaged", "synchronized") that allows it to recharge, maybe correct its time based on the atomic clock the car constantly synchronizes with (if it has lights on it wheels, why can't it synchronize with the atomic clock?). Now, that would be attention to detail.

 

[bmer]

Every time I see this picture all I can think of is an owl :

 

[coolraoul]

Ugly $$mobile... Looks horrible despite all the chrome and bling-bling detailing. The interior however has some amazing attention to detail, and bar the poor integration of the screens, looks absolutely stunning.

As far as the watch is concerned... Gene you're being blasphemic!!!
Do not mention a tourbillon watch and the word battery in the same sentence ever again!!!

A tourbillon is the ultimate expression of the mechanical (eg. manual or automatic) movement of a watch, and does NOT rely on electricity to work like the common quartz watch. It needs either to be manually operated every day or couple of day, or does it automaticly using the movement of your hands.

Which is why this watch, being mechanical or automatic, needs to be worn not to stop. If you let it on the car, it will stop in week at most.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

I know it's your opinion, but DAMN you're off. This thing is NOTHING like the 5erGT.

You sure about that buddy.

I mostly meant in terms of proportions.. it looks very 5er GT-ish (minus the protruding rear-end of the 5GT).

Here's a quick hash-job I did in Paint (not at home, so can't use PS)..but you can see what I was getting at.

Of course, no comparison in terms of level of luxury, or the design philosophy utilized,..but IMO, it's proportions resemble more the 5GT than the Panamera. I think the best way to describe it is a 4-door Bentley Continental GT.

What platform will this car be built on? I'm sure it's size is deceiving in those photos, are we talking 5er/A6/E size, or 7er/A8/S size.. or even larger ?

 

[Padi]

I think the best way to describe it is a 4-door Bentley Continental GT.

You mean the Bentley (Continental) Flying Spur? It's not just the proportions that are similar, look at the rims Nearly identical.

 

[Centurion]

Just another source to drain the battery of your car. Don't worry. When the battery is drained you can open the hood to get a jumpstart


Oh shit. The hood is electronic.

No need to worry about batteries when the motorized hood is powered by the ego of the owner and the wheel caps by the jealousy of pedestrians.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

You mean the Bentley (Continental) Flying Spur? It's not just the proportions that are similar, look at the rims Nearly identical.

Well I was referring to the 2-door Continental GT, but I meant it in terms of 'imagine a 4-door version of the Conti GT and you have the 16C'. My apologies for not being clearer.

That shapes of these 2 cars are highly similar, though of course the 16C has a slightly extended greenhouse.

So we have the Porsche 918 showing hints of VW/R8 styling, and this new Bugatti also featuring some VW Group DNA. It may have astounding attention to detail, and massive road presence..but you can still see VW here and there. What will this car bring above and beyond the Veyron besides 2 extra seats ?

 

[SDNR]

I really want to love this car (I really do) -- It's like A Mulsanne has been crossed with a Panamera.