Monterey Car Week has arrived, and we already have a surprising announcement from Bugatti. The French brand took to social media Monday morning with a simple but tantalizing teaser video that promises to “unlock the icon” Friday at The Quail. Specifically, it will take place at 10:20 p.m. PDT.
As of now, we only have videos that Bugatti has shared online, embedded below for your viewing pleasure. The rumor mill has been pretty quiet regarding the goings-on with the supercar brand, so we’re pretty much in the dark on this one. We emphasize more or less, because there is one rumor worth mentioning. So let’s put on our investigative hats and go in for a closer look.
Per the video, we clearly see a close-up view of a segmented white light surrounded by a black body panel. As the camera moves to the left, a very contrasting outline of the body begins to appear. We almost certainly saw the headlights and a close-up view of the front clip, reaching across the hood, but it doesn’t resemble anything currently in the Chiron family. If anything, the vertically oriented lights are reminiscent of La Voiture Noire but different in design. Could that indicate there is another version of this very special car in the works?
25 Photo
The contrasting body lines on the hood suggest otherwise. The angles are much sharper than the ones we saw on La Voiture Noire, much like what we saw on the standard Chiron. That could be significant, as there are rumors that Bugatti could offer the Roadster Chiron to buyers. SupercarBlog recently claimed such a machine is in the works, with a production plan of 99 vehicles and a debut slated for Pebble Beach. Like other Bugatti models that use Chiron bones, this version will have a different exterior bodywork to match the W16’s quad-turbo which produces 1,600 horsepower.
If this speculation about a roofless Chiron proves to be true, it means Hennessey will have some very high-performance roadster competition at the event. The Texas-based company will debut the new Venom F5 Roadster on August 19, coincidentally the same day Bugatti plans to reveal the subject of this teaser. So no matter what Bugatti has planned, all our questions will be answered in just a few days.
Get a preview of Monterey Car Week and more at Chatting About Cars podcast, available below.
