A Solitary Automobile: The Bugatti Chiron Profilee

The Bugatti Chiron Profilée is an extraordinary singular & unique automobile.

A one-of-a-kind Chiron model conceived as a less extreme rendition of the Pur Sport, it is distinct in personality, design, and particulars. The auction of the Profilée in Paris on 1 February 2023 is the last chance to purchase one of the final W16-powered Bugatti masterpieces straight from the Molsheim Atelier, since all Chiron production slots have been filled.

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, said,

"Taking customer requests for a less extreme version of the Pur Sport very seriously, we began designing and developing the Chiron Profilée in the fall of 2020. By the time the pre-series car emerged from manufacturing, all 500 Chiron places had already been allocated. However, we understood that our work was too magnificent to be buried away. It is a one-of-a-kind piece of Bugatti history and a genuine collector's treasure. We partnered with RM Sotheby's to auction it in order to provide a fair opportunity for any Bugatti enthusiast to buy this one-of-a-kind automobile."

Rarely would a manufacturer devote the time and resources to get an automobile to full production specifications if just a single unit will ever be manufactured. However, the Profilée has been completely created, tested, and has met each of the stringent quality criteria that Bugatti applies to all of its automobiles, enabling it to get a single kind of European clearance.

The Profilée is a custom-made design with a fixed, sweeping tail that serves two essential roles. Firstly, the wing maintains stability and control up to the Profilée's peak speed of 380 km/h by boosting downforce over the rear axle. Secondly, it employs negative pressure to draw hot air out of the engine compartment via two inside tunnels in the high-temperature carbon wing. Air flows both over and under the wing to extract air from the engine compartment.

Frank Heyl, Deputy Design Director at Bugatti Automobiles, stated, "With the customer's desires in mind, we incorporated an elegant, fixed, sweeping tail that is both aerodynamically and thermodynamically optimised for the unrivalled performance available to the Chiron Profilée's owner, while maintaining the graceful and timeless form of the original Chiron. The name Profilée is derived from one of Jean Bugatti's first inventions, the Type 46, which had the same graceful tail fin.

At the front of this one-of-a-kind super sports vehicle, bigger air inlets and an expanded Bugatti horseshoe grille were installed to direct more cooling air to the radiators. A redesigned front splitter collaborates with a reshaped underbody to boost downforce and ventilation. As with every Bugatti, the mastery of airflow for cooling, drag reduction, and downforce is crucial to providing the remarkable performance that has become a defining characteristic of contemporary Bugatti automobiles.

The Profilée retains much of the purity of the Pur Sport; it is built for maximum lateral grip and acceleration. It is powered by the same Bugatti W16 engine with 1,500 horsepower and 15 percent shorter gearbox ratios than the Chiron Sport. In 2.3 seconds, the Profile accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h, and in 5.5 seconds, it reaches 200 km/h. It has a maximum speed of 380 km/h compared to 350 km/h for the Chiron Pur Sport.

Changes to the camber angles of the wheels on the front and rear axles, as well as stiffer springs with a front-heavy balance, constitute chassis tuning. The springs are 10% stiffer compared to the Chiron Sport, and the rear axle has 50% greater negative camber, resulting in increased cornering grip without sacrificing comfort. It combines the finest qualities of the Pur Sport with a stunning and elegant style.

This automobile's main colour, Argent Atlantique, was designed specifically for the Profilée. This hue has not been applied to any other Chiron model. The bottom portion of the vehicle is completed with exposed carbon fibre in the current Bugatti hue of Bleu Royal Carbon. Again, the wheels are one-of-a-kind, developed, built, and tested specifically for the Profilée, and finished in a shade of Le Patron intended to match the carbon hue of the bottom part of the body. Elements of polished metal mirror the iconic horseshoe shape of the Bugatti grille.

Chiron owners will recognise the inside of the Profilée, which was hand-finished at Bugatti's Atelier in Molsheim. Authentic and high-quality materials like as leather, carbon, and solid metal are used to craft each component, which is then honed by hand for hours. The design adheres to a specified minimalist concept, reducing each element to its simplest and most elegant form.

However, the Profilée is the first Chiron to include a woven leather inside finish on the dashboard, door panels, and centre console. More than 2,500 metres of leather strips are used to produce this intricate and exquisite finish. The Profilée has comfort seats upholstered in Gris Rafale and Deep Blue leather with the "air parade" quilting design. A black anodized frame inlay in the centre console has the Profilée logo as the last distinctive touch added to this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

On February 1, RM Sotheby's will auction off the Bugatti Chiron Profilée, with a portion of the earnings benefiting philanthropic organisations.