Revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show behind what seemed to be a rebarbative barrier and not a customary glass fence, the very black Bugatti La Voiture Noire become the most expensive car on earth. Its price is $18.9 million. The La Voiture Noire, a car that is a sort of a Buggati hommage to the stunning and super-rare Type 57 Atlantic, does look striking and almost otherworldly, but I am still pressed to justify its incredible value. In this article, I will explore how Bugatti can get off charging $18.9 million for the 2019 La Voiture Noire, an automobile more exclusive than the Bugatti Divo, and far more precious than the Bugatti Chiron. It is, still, directly linked to both of them.

The 2019 Bugatti La Voiture Noire's Design

Introduced in 2019 as a flagship of the Bugatti line, the one-off La Voiture Noire is easily the most sophisticated and advanced automobile ever deployed with the Bugatti nameplate. It represents the cutting-edge of Bugatti development and design in the new, transitioning age of the car industry evolution.

It blends an exterior form of all three of them that results in a wider but less aggressive stance that follows a clear Bugatti philosophy of the neverending quest for completion.

In keeping with the sumptuous leaning of its design, the La Voiture Noire manifests pure Bugatti design cues such as the horseshoe grille that is pressed up front in a similar demeanor to all Bugatti vehicles. Apparent design links with the rest of the Bugatti lineup include:

-* The unmistakable C-shaped signature line at the sides (not as pronounced as on the Chiron)

-* A heavily sloped roof that flows continuously and metamorphoses into the engine cover

-* A powerful dorsal fin that summons a clear bond with the Chiron, the Divo, and most importantly, the Type 57 SC Atlantic from 1936

Unlike the basic shape that shares a lot with the rest of the Bugatti lineup, the front LED-drizzled lights are based on the units from the Divo but offer a completely different texture on the La Voiture Noire.

The new iconic engine cover is unlike anything we have seen before from Bugatti or anyone else for that matter. The advanced, almost experimental design includes micro-perforated carbon sections on the engine cover. It is a necessity that dissipates the massive heat released by a well-known, quad turbo, W-16 engine. Along with six rear exhaust tips, newly designed LED lights, and a massive, self-contained honeycomb surface, the aft section of the La Voiture Noire is a completely different design exercise than on the Chiron or the Divo.

The 2019 La Voiture Noire is the Custodian of Bugatti Legacy

Owned by Jean Bugatti and occasionally driven by his like-minded friends like racing car driver Robert Benoist, the Type 57 Atlantic La Voiture Noire become the most historically significant Bugatti in the world. This very car played a crucial role in building the mystery and occultism surrounding the Bugatti brand as a whole. Most notably in an instance after Nazis loaded it on a train and sent it to Bordeaux in 1940, only to find out later that car disappeared from the coach when it arrived. No one has seen it since. It is estimated that if it ever surfaces, the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic La Voiture Noire would be valued at an incredible $100 million. After all, Ralph Lauren, allegedly, refused a $100 million offer for his Type 57 Atlantic already.

The Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic, in particular, stands far above all others. It is a car that burned its significance into a cultural memory of every car enthusiast, car designer, and car engineer. The Type 57 Atlantic is a permanent symbol of development and advancement against whom all Buggatis have been measured. And, the new La Voiture Noire is its contemporary interpretation.

The 2019 Bugatti La Voiture Noire is Actually a Grand Tourer, Not a Hypercar

Formally, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire is created to fill the role of a long-range grand tourer with luxurious cabin amenities, unique, outstanding design, and the most powerful internal combustion engine available. Commanding presence is only matched by the incredible performance provided by the quad-turbo engine under its rear cover. While its capabilities probably far outstrip what even the hypercars of today can do, the La Voiture Noire is also a glimpse of things to come from Bugatti. The next line of business will allegedly be the four-door Royale that will bond the dexterity of the Chiron and the Divo with the yet unseen opulence and technology.

How Can Bugatti Get Off Charging $18.9 Million for the 2019 La Voiture Noire?

Now, after you read my disposition about the La Voiture Noire, let me tell you all the reasons on how the Bugatti can sell a vehicle for $18.9 million:

-* The 2019 La Voiture Noire celebrates the 110th anniversary of the company that produces some of the most expensive cars on earth

-* The 2019 La Voiture Noire pays homage to probably the most valuable classic car in history - the Type 57 SC Atlantic La Voiture Noire

-* It is a one-off Bugatti - the most exclusive car on earth then

-* It combines design techniques that go beyond the limits of the ordinary imagination

-* It has six exhausts, just like the Type 57 Atlantic (c'mon, that alone is good for a mill or two)

-* And, last but not least, we are in the year 2019, meaning that we need the most expensive car on earth

The one-off Bugatti La Voiture Noire is already sold to an unnamed buyer for more than $12 million. The buyer actually paid $18.9 million after taxes. That made the La Voiture Noire the most valuable new car ever sold. It even exceeds the $17.5 million price paid for the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta and $13 million paid for the one-off Rolls-Royce Sweptail. What a time we live in.

2019 Bugatti La Voiture specifications

Engine

W16 8.0 liters

Power

1,479 hp @ 6,700 rpm

Torque

1,180 lb-ft @ 2,000 - 6,000 rpm

0 to 60 mph

2.4 seconds

Top Speed

260 mph (est.)


Further Reading

Unique Bugatti La Voiture Noire Pays Tribute to the iconic Atlantic in Geneva

Read our full review on the 2018 Bugatti Chiron.

Read our full review on the 2018 Bugatti Chiron Sport.

Read our full review on the 2019 Bugatti Divo.

Read our full review on the 2016 Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo.