Every automaker has its unicorn; the car that is always rumored to get built but for one reason or another never seems to happen. For Bugatti,->ke16 that car is the Galibier, the super luxurious and super powerful 1,000-horsepower sedan that the French automaker unveiled in 2009. Over the following seven years, decision-makers at Bugatti have waffled over the production of the Galibier->ke3516 about as often as a Spider-Man movie reboot. It’s going to be built one day and going to be shelved the next. However, it appears that Bugatti is finally considering the Galibier as a production model again, albeit with a catch. It’s one of four different alternatives that the company is looking at to replace the yet-to-arrive Bugatti Chiron.

Word from Car and Driver has it that Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer is weighing the possibility of bringing the Galibier to the market. It’s a long-overdue development for the 2009 concept,->ke169 which was initially billed as one of front-runners to eventually replace the Bugatti Veyron.->ke1112 We all know that didn’t happen since the Chiron->ke5023 has taken that mantle, but it appears that not all hope is lost with regards to the possibility of the Galibier transitioning into production form.

But don’t get excited just yet. Dürheimer says it’s just one of four alternatives, which means that there are three more that the company is considering. No details have been revealed on what these three “alternatives” are, but knowing how Bugatti operates, it’s going to be absurdly fast and powerful beyond compare. Could it be a more track-focused version of both the Veyron or the Chiron? Maybe it’s an all-powerful hybrid,->ke147 something a lot of people initially thought the Chiron would come in.

It’s still too early to tell at this point. Even if Bugatti does choose the route of the Galibier, don’t expect to see it for a long time, or at least until the Chiron’s production run ends. Remember, the Bugatti Veyron and all it’s forms and variants lasted 10 years in the market. If the Chiron has a similar lifespan, the successor wouldn’t arrive until 2026.

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Why it matters

Fans of the Bugatti Galibier are going to be excited about this news, but it’s also important to remember that Bugatti hasn’t actually confirmed its plan to build a production version of the seven-year old concept. All it said is that it’s one of four models that it’s considering as an eventual replacement to the Chiron.

That statement shouldn’t be taken with cartwheels and fist bumps. Bugatti has repeatedly said that it’s not going to build a second model anytime soon so if the Galibier does get the green light, it’s not going to arrive for a long time. And knowing Bugatti’s history with the waffling on the model, it’s no sure thing that it’s going to push through with the development of the Galibier once the Chiron heads for its swan song.

I know it’s a lot to accept. When I first saw the news, I also had a similarly excited reaction. I may have even thrown out a few gleeful curse words under my breath in my excitement. But then I read the news and I realized that the Galibier's fate won’t be determined for years. It’s disappointing, but the glass-half-full argument can also be played here. So what if it’s probably another 10 years until we see an all-new Bugatti. What’s important is that the Galibier is back in the discussion. For better or worse, all hope isn’t lost that we might still see the luxury super sedan in production form. As to when that’ll be? That’s another discussion for another time.

Bugatti 16C Galibier

Read our full review on the Bugatti 16C Galibier here.