If you’ve been waiting to get a gander at the new Bugatti, your wait is over. The French supercar manufacturer has released details—and a full suite of photos—of its new vision of ultimate automotive flash, the Divo, ahead of the model’s premier at Monterey Car Week.
A quick look at the pictures reveals a tighter overall design philosophy than the expressive Chiron; the Divo looks less flamboyantly evocative of Bugatti history, and quite a bit more contemporary, but the signatures remain.
The graceful eddy that circled back around the doors on the Chiron is still in evidence, but it’s less extravagant. The arched shield grille is still there, too, but the flanking diffusers are now much larger. The hood, side vents, and rear of the car are more abrupt. Has Bugatti traded the unique visionary quality of the Chiron for familiarity by injecting contemporary hypercar phrases into the design language of this new model? The move could be considered a somewhat puzzling one, after the company went to such lengths to carve out its own very individual form with the Chiron.
But the formal consolations of the Divo are perhaps subtler. Aero evolution is essential for the brand’s progress as a manufacturer of ultimate performance cars. And the step-down design of the roof vent and active rear wing in profile is sneakily singular in appearance, while being absolutely functional.
The engine carries over from the Chiron, and the Veyron, too; that’s not surprising, because the 1,500 W16 has become a legend. The Divo a bit lighter, though. It’s clear that Bugatti wanted more performance and acute responsiveness than simple speed; the new model is wider, and limited to a 236 mph ceiling. One would expect that the Divo, when placed on the kind of winding mountain road that is its natural habitat, might be noticeably more exciting than the Chiron. It apparently clocked 8 seconds faster around the Nardo than its progenitor.
Changes notwithstanding, the desirability of the brand’s offerings is certainly sealed with the Divo, if it wasn’t before. All 40 examples of the model have been presold, at nearly six million dollars a pop.
