Thursday, August 4, 2011

Auto Eroticism: Bugatti 16 C Galibier


I don't know how I feel about this.

From Yahoo! Autos:
Given the superlative nature and awesome speed of Bugatti’s already legendary, 250-plus mph Veyron supercar, interest in the manufacturer’s follow-up is intense. The company had previously gone on record as saying that its next model wouldn’t be a supercar, but details were scant — until now. In a recent article from the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer confirms that the new car will be in the vein of the controversial 16 C Galibier concept, which debuted in 2009. It will seat four and have a generous trunk, Dürheimer says; you can bet that a set of fitted luggage will be one of the pricey options.

More important is what’s fitted up front, of course, which the article claims will be a 16-cylinder engine, although power output wasn’t mentioned. (The W-16 under the Galibier’s butterfly bonnet delivers a mere 800 hp, somewhat less than the 1,001 churned up by the 8-liter W-16 in the mid-engine Veyron.) The Galibier concept is big, though, so don’t expect Veyron-esque, sub-three-second zero-to-60-mph sprints no matter how much carbon fiber and aluminum the new car contains. Interestingly, a hybrid model (presumably a plug-in hybrid) is on the docket as well, with an electric-only driving range of about 25 miles, according to Dürheimer.

On the one hand, I would love to take a long road trip in a car like this. I just drove to Chattanooga and back within the past week; as unpleasant as a trip of that length can be, doing so in this car would have to make it just that much better.

On the other hand, the words "Bugatti" and "family" just don't seem to belong in the same sentence. I mean, if your kids are 17 or older, then maybe it's not so bad. But can you imagine having two small children in an interior of extravagant leathers and woodgrain? How many scratches, rips, and stains would you have to get fixed after the first week?

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