This Black & Yellow Bugatti Chiron Super Sport Is Inspired By A Classic Speed Demon
Bumblebee Bugatti.
Bugatti’s latest bespoke hypercar undoubtedly will evoke “Bumblebee” Chevrolet Camaro vibes, but that’s certainly not what the French marque was going for. The vehicle that actually inspired the Chiron Super Sport “55 1 of 1” is the Type 55, which was designed by Jean Bugatti, the son of company founder Ettore Bugatti.
“Even 100 years after his time, we have remained totally connected to Jean and his designs,” said Jascha Straub, Manager of Sur Mesure and Individualization at Bugatti.
“And inspiration for us today still comes from Jean because he understood proportions better than anybody else and was the first to offer cars combining comfort and sheer performance. Imagine, almost 100 years ago, the Type 55 was able to reach 180 kph [112 mph].”
Like the Type 55 was in its day, the Chiron Super Sport is one of the quickest and fastest vehicles on the market, with an electronically limited top speed of 273 mph. Fitting, then, that it wears the black and yellow paint coat that Ettore favored on the Type 55.
The brand notes that the scheme’s focal point falls on the black centerline. Meanwhile, a yellow line flows from the back of the rear to front fenders, while a soft black-over-yellow line surrounds the central grille. The Chiron’s basic shape is far evolved from the Type 55’s, but the colorway really does help onlookers appreciate the visual link between these technologically far-removed models.
That connected ethos also informed the meticulously hand-applied fading “55” pattern above the headlights and over the fenders—the element is designed to narrow the appearance of the front end, thereby recalling the distinctive fuselage shape of its predecessor.
“From a distance, the ‘55’ pattern ensures that the fender appears to be black like on the original car,” added Jascha. “On the original historic car, where you have some parts that end at a certain point, you can just paint until the shut line. But with the Chiron Super Sport, it had to fade into zero. It was a long and intricate process, but it was the right approach.”
Other key facets include minimalist 10-spoke wheels; a “55 1 of 1” inscription on the underside of the rear win; and the continuation of the fading “55” pattern on the interior’s hand-stitched door panels.
The Bugatti Chiron’s eight-year run is coming to an end, with the final “standard” model already delivered. The good news is that we should be treated to quite a few commensurately impressive special editions before the last of the W16-powered wonders rolls out of Molsheim.
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