Bugatti Chiron Profilée - May the best potential owner win

Bugatti just announced a new addition to the Chiron family; the Chiron Profilée. A one-off, the car is slated to be the French company’s last ever gas-only vehicle, inching closer to sending the much-loved W16 engine into a well-deserved retirement.

Largely based on the “wild” Pur Sport, the Chiron Profilée seeks to strike a balance between the former’s flat-out performance and the elegance of the more “ordinary” Chirons, providing an experience that should still be exhilarating but a speck more luxurious.

Set to go on auction in February 2023, the Chiron Profilée will not only be the most exclusive Chiron along with the La Voiture Noire, but also the last entrant in the Chiron lineup. So what makes it special?

Engine

Under the hood, the Chiron Profilée is still powered by the same 8.0-liter W16 engine. A mainstay at this point, the engine produces a whooping 1500 PS allowing the Profilée to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds and to 200 km/h in 5.5 seconds. The top speed has been bumped up though, with the new boy maxing out to 380km/hr which is around 30km/hr more than the Pur Sport.

Bugatti’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission makes an appearance too. However, in this case, it comes with 15 percent shorter transmission ratios than the Chiron Sport. From the look of things, not much else changes from the Pur Sport, so again, expect this to be just as exciting.

Exterior Design

The Chiron Profilée features a sleek and aerodynamic exterior design that by all intents and purposes, cements its place as a true Chiron. In comparison to the Pur Sport however, the Profilée ditches the humongous six-foot-wide fixed rear wing replacing it with a more toned-down integrated spoiler or what Bugatti prefers to call a “sweeping fixed tail”. Away from the fancy name, the wing performs two functions; increasing stability and downforce at outrageous speeds and sucking hot air out of the engine compartment.

The story is quite similar at the front where wider air inlets, an enlarged grille, and a revised front splitter are some of the subtle newer implementations. The Profilée’s body is finished in a striking blue hue code-named “Argent Atlantique” while the lower parts of the car are finished in exposed carbon fiber.

Interior Design

Crafted by hand at Bugatti’s Atelier in Molsheim, the interior of the Chiron Profilée is just as luxurious as the exterior as it sports that familiar Chiron cabin feel. This time though, there’s a greater emphasis on minimalism and what Bugatti terms as “reducing each component to its simplest and most beautiful form”. While it is largely a blue leather affair, the car’s cabin integrates a wide range of materials including carbon and aluminum.

The Profilée is the first Chiron to be fitted with a woven leather finish that is hand applied to the dashboard, door panels, and center console. The car’s “comfort seats” are finished in Deep blue leather and feature a quilting pattern. Lastly, a Profilée signature on the center console is on hand to remind the Profilée’s prospective owner how costly and exclusive their car is.

With only one unit on offer, the Bugatti Chiron Profilée is scheduled to go on auction in Paris on 1 February 2023. A percentage of the anticipated multi-million dollar price it’ll sell for is to benefit charitable causes; a nice touch for a befitting send-off of arguably the world’s fastest car series. So best of luck to all the potential owners, and may the best one win.