10 Of The Most Expensive Bugattis Ever Built, Ranked By Price
Bugatti Automobiles is a French sports car manufacturer well-known for its luxurious and high-performance supercars. The company, founded in the early 1900s by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian-French automobile designer, is renowned for its state-of-the-art engineering, exceptional performance, and elegant designs. Bugatti automobiles rank among the most expensive and desired hypercars in the world, with ownership limited to the most selective and wealthy collectors and high-performance car enthusiasts.
The brand's early designs were significantly influenced by Ettore Bugatti's experience on the racetrack.However, these cars were built not only for performance but also for daily driving, albeit by those who could afford them. In the modern era, the company has produced some of the most innovative and iconic hypercars in the automotive industry, including the Veyron and the Chiron. Several models have won awards and broken speed records. The 2005 Veyron held the title of the world's fastest production car for many years, and the Chiron Super Sport 300 broke the record for the world's fastest production car in 2019.
New Bugatti models are extremely expensive, with the cheapest being the base model Chiron at $2,990,000. Prices for limited editions and some vintage models are much higher. Here are 10 of the most expensive Bugatti vehicles ever built, ranked by price.
10. Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+: $3.9 million
Bugatti built the Chiron Super Sport 300 for speed. Powered by a massive quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine generating 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque, power is sent to all four wheels via a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission, accelerating the supercar to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds. More significantly, in August 2019, the Super Sport 300 became the world's fastest production car after setting a speed record of 304.8 mph.
After breaking the speed record, Bugatti announced that an augmented version called the 300+ would begin a production run of only 30 vehicles. The 300+ would offer the same acceleration performance but with a top speed limited to 273.4 mph. However, this version of the car would feature luxuries such as Alcantara leather, an infotainment system, configurable TFT screens, and an excellent sound system with diamond-tipped tweeters.
The sculpted exterior of the mid-engine two-seater 300+ features a longtail body design with several aerodynamic modifications including negative lift rear diffusers and front air curtains. The features strike a balance between low drag and maximum downforce for exceptional handling. Weight reduction is achieved with exposed black carbon fiber bodywork, ultra-lightweight magnesium wheels, and even a carbon fiber windshield wiper.
9. Bugatti Mistral Roadster: $5.4 million
Unveiled at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week in 2022, the Bugatti Mistral Roadster represents a long lineage of beautiful performance and luxury Bugatti roadsters. Bugatti will produce only 99 examples of the W16 Mistral with delivery in early 2024. All have been sold at a price of over $5 million.
The exclusive hypercar will be the last Bugatti powered by the quad-turbo W16 engine. The powerplant, connected to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, generates a monstrous 1,578 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. The all-wheel drive hypercar accelerates to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 261 mph. With Croatian EV maker Rimac joining forces with the high-performance automaker, all future Bugatti supercars will most likely be fully electric.
Although the Mistral Roadster is based on the Chiron, it is much more than a roofless version with a design inspired by elements of the Bugatti Divo and the La Voiture Noire. It features unique bodywork, a radical new front end, and an elongated hood that extends from the trademark horseshoe grille to a cut-down windshield that curves like a visor matching up to shallow side panels. The interior design also matches the Chiron, with identical dashboards, instrument clusters, steering wheels, and center consoles.
8. Bugatti Divo: $5.8 million
While the Bugatti Chiron focused on maximum speed in a straight line, the Divo excels at cornering. The supercar's carbon-fiber body mounted to a Chiron chassis boasts stiffer springs and increased camber. The absence of active aero in the front bumper and lightweight wheels make the Divo a bit lighter than the Chiron while producing increased downforce at its 236 mph top speed. Although Bugatti claims the Divo is a dynamically enhanced road car not designed specifically for conquering racetracks, the Divo did complete the Nardo handling circuit in southern Italy in a full eight seconds faster than the Chiron.
The Divo's appearance features a sharp-edged front splitter, various vents slashes and winglets, the characteristic horseshoe grille, and a gigantic hydraulically actuated double-decker rear wing. The simple and exquisitely built interior mimics that of the Chiron with just a few minor exceptions. The Divo has an asymmetrical two-tone leather color scheme, slightly more sculpted seats, and fixed instead of pop-out door pockets.
The Divo selling price of $5.8 million was sufficient to eliminate most exotic sports car buyers but Bugatti further restricted sales to the exclusive group of buyers who already owned a Chiron. Bugatti produced only 40 Divo cars, all of which were sold prior to production. The automaker also produced several other limited-edition Chiron-based specials, including the Voiture Noire and EB110-inspired Centodieci.
7. Bugatti Chiron Hermès Edition: $6 Million
Bugatti worked with California real estate mogul Manny Khoshbin and French luxury goods manufacturer Hermès to create a one-off Chiron with an exquisite finish, custom upholstery, a $65,000 sky view glass roof, and much more. Three years in the making, the Chiron Hermès Edition car is painted in a shade of white, hosts a custom black horseshoe grille made up of H's, and features orange brake calipers partially hidden with an orange EB logo and script-adorned wheels. The rear bumper is painted to match the body color and highlighted by brushed aluminum exhaust tips.
Manny Khoshbin's Hermes Edition Chiron is equipped with the Bugatti 8.0-liter W16 that produces 1,600 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque up to 7,000 rpm mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The hypercar accelerates from 0 to 124 mph in 5.8 seconds. The interior of the Chiron Super Sport Hermès Edition has a less subtle appearance than the exterior featuring a brilliant orange seat upholstery and an orange and white dual stone steering wheel. The door inserts are fitted with a specially designed cashmere fabric highlighted by the Hermès horse pattern.
The Hermès Edition was designed in 2016, but Khoshbin did not take delivery until 2019. The owner's requests for special features, several attempts to find the perfect combination of colors, and attention to detail resulted in the three-year production process. The current estimated value of the car is $6 million.
6. Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster: $7.1 million
Designed by Jean Bugatti — the son of company founder Ettore — the Type 55 Super Sport Roadster is one of the most conventionally beautiful vehicles on this list. From its horseshoe radiator and flowing fender lines all the way back to its truncated rear deck, this automobile is a masterpiece in industrial design. The Type 55 is a road-going car developed with racecar technology and experience.
A 2.3-liter eight-cylinder in-line engine came from the Bugatti Type 51 race car, featuring twin overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder, and a Roots-type supercharger, producing 135 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. Bugatti installed the Type 54 race car suspension in the Type 55, resulting in a lightweight road car with a low center of gravity, sporty handling, and exceptional road holding. The Type 55 Super Sport Roadster achieved a top speed of 112 mph.
Only 38 of the Type 55 cars were built, of which 15 were made by well-known coachbuilders such as Vanvooren, Gangloff, and Figoni as unique customized creations. The remaining 23 units were fabricated in the Bugatti factory. Preserved in the world's best car museums and the garages of the most exclusive collectors, the Type 55 Roadster rarely appears for sale at the most exclusive auto auctions. The most recent sale occurred at a Bonhams collector car auction in 2020. A 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport, one of just 11 surviving Jean Bugatti-designed and factory-bodied roadsters, sold for $7.1 million.
5. Bugatti Centodieci: $8.8 million
Bugatti built only 10 Centodieci hand-built cars to celebrate 110 years of the Bugatti brand and honor the iconic 1992 Bugatti EB110. The extremely rare model represents a long history of Bugatti technology and performance achievements.
The Centodieci gets some unique bodywork, including some design themes taken from the EB110 as well as luxury features making it even more exclusive than other Bugatti supercars. The aerodynamic properties are influenced by a substantial rear wing. Extensive use of carbon fiber and a lightweight windshield make the Centodieci lighter than a Chiron. While a similar chassis and suspension give the Centodieci and the Chiron similar handling capabilities, the Centodieci's lateral acceleration is more like the dynamically focused Divo.
Bugatti equipped the Centodieci with the iconic Bugatti 8.0-liter W16 engine, retuned with an improved engine oil cooling system to deliver 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed DCT automatic transmission sends the supercar from 0 to 62 mph in 2.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 236 mph. Despite the significantly higher price than the Chiron, all 10 Bugatti Centodieci cars were sold for about $8.9 million even before the company's formal announcement.
4. 1937 Bugatti Type 57S: $9.5 million
The Type 57 was introduced in 1934 under the direction of Ettore Bugatti's son Jean, who incorporated several innovative features including an aerodynamic chassis and the use of lightweight metals such as magnesium and aluminum.
First seen at the 1935 London Motor Show, the original Bugatti Type 57S was displayed with the fastback Aerolithe coachwork. In the early years, Bugatti offered the Type 57S with three coachwork options — the roadster, Atlantic coupe, and the Atalante coupe. Approximately 20 factory chassis with the coupe-style coachworks were built through May 1938. Coachbuilders such as Gangloff, Vanvooren, and Corsica designed bodies for the Type 57S, although only 16 Type 57S chassis were built by non-factory coachworks.
The Type 57S produced 175 horsepower, up from the Type 57's 135 horsepower. The addition of the Roots-type supercharger on models — designated with a C — boosted the output to 200 horsepower. The type 57SC reached a top speed of 120 mph, making Bugatti one of the fastest production cars of the 1930s. In 2020, a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante sold for about $9.5 million.
3. Bugatti Chiron Profilee: $10.7 million
Inspired by Jean Bugatti's superprofilée shape as featured on the classic 1930 Bugatti Type 46 and the 1932 Coupé Semi-Profilée Type 50, the one-off Chiron Profilée offers a more subtle appearance than the road-focused Pur Sport but with the same advanced technical features.
Although aerodynamics is an essential element of all high-performance sports cars, it is perhaps a bit more so with the Profilée. Bugatti engineers incorporated several changes to the base-model Chiron to augment the car's performance. On the front end, the Profilée combines wider air inlets and a larger traditional horseshoe grille to funnel more cooling air into the radiators. The Bugatti engineers redesigned the front splitter to work with the sculpted underbody maximizing airflow, reducing drag, and increasing downforce for optimum performance.
The Bugatti Chiron Profilée is equipped with the well-known 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine generating 1,479 HP and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. It connects to a seven-speed DCT automatic transmission. The Profilée accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 2.3 seconds and achieves a top speed of 236 mph. The one-of-a-kind Chiron Profilée sold for $10.7 million at RM Sotheby's Paris auction in 2023.
[Featured image by Pelicanactor via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]
2. Bugatti La Voiture Noire: $$18.9 million
Bugatti launched La Voiture Noire at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019 to celebrate the automaker's 110th anniversary and pay homage to the original Type 57SC Atlantic coupe, often referred to by the same name. Motor Trend confirms the one-off creation was sold for a price of nearly $19 million after taxes, but not to football player Cristiano Ronaldo as rumored. The sale price placed the Bugatti La Voiture Noire among the most powerful, luxurious, and expensive hypercars in the world.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is equipped with an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine that generates 1,500 HP and 1,180 lb-ft of torque mated to a seven-speed DCT automatic transmission. The hypercar accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 2.4 seconds to a top speed of 260 mph.
The Bugatti La Voiture Noire is made with extensive use of carbon fiber with a minimalist design using clean and simple lines and finished in Black Carbon Glossy. However, one essential design element taken from the Type 57SC Atlantic is the dorsal seam down the centerline. The original La Voiture Noire featured seams along the roof and the fenders sealed together with rivets and the newer version pays homage to the design with a slightly raised chrome spine on the hood and the base of the engine cover at the car's tail.
1. Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic: $40 million
The 1939 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic combined a low stance and a lightweight teardrop body with a supercharged 3.2-liter inline eight-cylinder engine capable of 123 mph that some consider the first supercar. The Type 57SC Atlantic is not only the most expensive Bugatti Type ever built but it is also steeped in mystery. Only four models were made, with three accounted for, while the most valuable — La Voiture Noire — is missing.
At the beginning of World War II, Ettore Bugatti closed his factory in Molsheim and shipped all his factory equipment and projects to a plant near Bordeaux, along with the La Voiture Noire. Automobile historians believe La Voiture Noire never arrived, but the car may still be hidden somewhere. If found, the coupe could be the most valuable car in the world, worth at least $100 million.
The other three Type 57SC Atlantic cars are all accounted for. Chassis 57374 won the best in show at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours, was purchased for at least $30 million and currently resides in the Mullin Automotive Museum. The second coupe, Chassis 57473, suffered an accident with a train in 1955. It remained in a junkyard for years until it was discovered and restored to its original condition before being displayed at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. New York designer Ralph Lauren purchased the third coupe, Chassis 57591, for an unknown sum in 1988 and added it to his collection of exotic cars.