Bugatti 16C Galibier

The Bugatti 16C Galibier is a luxury 5-door fastback concept car built by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S..[1] It was unveiled at an invitation-only show held at the Molsheim, France assembly salon on September 12, 2009. The 16C Galibier was to use a front-mounted, 8.0 L twin-supercharged W16 engine delivering power via permanent all-wheel drive. A production version of the 16C Galibier concept, named the Royale, was initially expected to reach the market around 2014 to 2015; however in September 2013, Bugatti announced that it will be "pulling out" of the Galibier project in favour of the Veyron's successor, the Chiron.[2][3] However, in May 2016, amidst the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, the then Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer announced that the Galibier was up for another reconsideration, and will be priced similarly to the Chiron.[4]

Bugatti 16C Galibier
Overview
ManufacturerBugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Production2009
AssemblyMolsheim, Alsace, France
Body and chassis
ClassConcept car
Body style5-door fastback sedan
LayoutFront-engine, all-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine8.0 L twin-supercharged Volkswagen W16
Transmission8-speed automatic
Chronology
PredecessorBugatti EB 218

Name origin

The 16C Galibier name is a reference to the Bugatti Type 57 Galibier. Bugatti traditionally gave Type 57 variants names that referred to mountain passes. Galibier refers to France's Col du Galibier.[5] The "16C" refers to the engine's 16 cylinders.

Design

The 16C Galibier features a bonnet which opens in two parts along a central hinge. The 16C Galibier features the longitudinal rib also seen on the previous EB118 and EB218 concepts that references the longitudinal body seam of the Type 57SC Atlantic. The Gabilier would most likely have been one of if not the most luxurious cars in the world, with interior features such as an analog timepiece which can be mounted in the dash as a clock or on a wristband as a watch.[6][7]

Debut

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. debuted the Bugatti 16C Galibier 5-door fastback concept at an invitation-only show held at the Molsheim, France assembly salon on September 12, 2009.[6][8] The 16C Galibier was first shown to the general public at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Powertrain

The 16C Galibier uses a front-mounted, 8.0 L twin-supercharged W16 engine that delivers power via permanent four-wheel drive. The engine is derived from the quad-turbocharged unit used in the Bugatti Veyron.[6] An optional hybrid powertrain was considered primarily to reduce pollution in urbanised environments.[9] Performance figures were not specified, but power output was hinted in excess of 1,000 PS (986 hp; 735 kW) while exceeding speeds of 235 mph (378 km/h).[10]

Production

A production version of the 16C Galibier concept, expected to be named the Royale, was originally scheduled to reach the market in 2013.[8] In 2011, Bugatti postponed the release of the Royale to 2015 or later to refine the vehicle's design.[11] Bugatti was expected to produce 3000 units of the Galibier compared to 300 of the Veyron. It was also expected to cost more than £1 million.[9]

In an interview with Top Gear, President of Bugatti Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber said that Bugatti will never manufacture Galibier nor SuperVeyron because it will confuse their customers.[12]

However, in 2016, the newly appointed CEO of Bugatti, Wolfgang Dürheimer confirmed the sedan will be released soon after the production of the Chiron, the only difference is a different engine.

References
  1. Philip De Ste. Croix, Jonathan Wood, Andrew Noakes (2011). The Ultimate History of Fast Cars. p. 301. ISBN 9781445434315.
  2. "Bugatti pulls plug on Galibier, next car could a 'plug in' superhybrid". Digital Trends. 5 September 2013.
  3. "Bugatti pulls plug on Galibier, next car could a 'plug in' superhybrid". Digital Trends. 5 September 2013.
  4. Kable, Greg (29 August 2016). "Bugatti Galibier super-saloon to be produced". Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  5. "Login". timesonline.co.uk.
  6. "Bugatti 16C Galibier news - Galibier revealed - 2009". Top Gear.
  7. Noah Joseph (27 April 2009). "Bugatti celebrates 100 years with four Centenaire specials at Villa d'Este". Autoblog.
  8. "Bugatti 16C Galibier concept (2009) unveiled in Molsheim". CAR Magazine.
  9. "Bugatti Galibier 'will be a hybrid' - Wolfgang Durheimer". CAR Magazine.
  10. "Bugatti Galibier Detailed, Will Have More Than 1000 hp". caranddriver.com.
  11. Noah Joseph (6 October 2011). "Bugatti Galibier redesign pushes launch date back to 2015". Autoblog.
  12. "Wolfgang Schreiber: "No SuperVeyron, no four-door Bugatti"". Retrieved 17 January 2014.


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