sandrafish9: Bugatti 16C Galibier

Monday, 20 August 2012

Bugatti 16C Galibier

All we’ve heard about the Bugatti Galibier so far has been concept details and speculation, but things are about to turn around for all the fans wishing the company would take the next big step. Volkswagen has offered Bugatti the backing they need for a 16C Galibier sedan.

Apparently, Wolfgang Duerheimer, the man who recently took over as head of Bugatti and Bentley, was the main proponent behind pushing Volkswagen to give them a break. The Galibier, a 1000 HP sedan, was first shown as a concept in 2010 and when put into production, will cost about $1.4 million. It will use a 16-cylinder engine that can run on both biofuel and gasoline, and will bring back the dual-clutch gearbox. Production will require facilities in Molsheim, France, to be refitted, which may push back deliveries until 2013 or 2014.

The official name for the production model hasn’t been provided yet, but Bugatti’s decision to offer a production version sedan should come as no surprise considering Lamborghini has already confirmed the production version of the Estoque and Ferrari has brought out the FF. These competitors by no means come close to the power behind the Bugatti, but they do illustrate the luxury automakers that are taking advantage of the upswing the economy is making by expanding their lineups.

UPDATE 08/20/2012: According to AutoBlog.it, the Bugatti is scheduled to hit the market sometime in late 2014, early 2015, and will be dishing out over 1,000 HP. According to the site, Wolfgang Dürheimer, CEO of Bugatti, has said that the Galibier will also have a top speed over 378 km/h (235 mph) and will be "faster than anything currently on the market." This power will come from a 8.0-W 16-liter Flex Fuel engine with an eight ducts titanium exhaust system, but Dürheimer stated that the company’s focus is on power more-so than the car’s hybrid capabilities. All that means is that we are still not 100% sure that this thing will be a hybrid.

Hit the jump for a full list of rumors regarding the Bugatti 16C Galibier.