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Editor: Jaap Horst

Volume 25, Issue 3

Bugatti Reimagines a 1930s Vintage Coupé as a Modern Concept Car

Various sources

Sources state that the above design contraption was by Bugatti itself, but it was probably not.
Of course the designs of the Veyron and Chiron are pretty hideous compared with the originals, but by far not as bad as the one above..... Furthermore, there is no sign of it on the the Bugatti.com website. The only good thing is the mirror image in the picture above, which is in fact an Atantic.

One source (Martin Lerma in Robb Report) states that the new take is a worthy homage to the original. Well, I doubt if Martin has ever seen a real Bugatti. His comments:
"Legacy is a tricky thing to grapple with, but Bugatti’s latest concept car shows just how successful embracing the past can be."
Well, Ettore would turn in his grave, would he ever see this....

Martin goes on with: "Like something straight out of a time-bent film noir, the marque’s (which it probably is not) Next-57 concept is a streamlined take on the Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupé that it first created back in the 1930s. Its silhouette expands on the original’s sweeping body lines and takes them to their limit for both aerodynamics and an aesthetic that’s just as alluring today as it was nearly a century ago. Bugatti’s hallmark horseshoe grille at the front pays homage to its design tradition while creating a welcome textural disruption to the otherwise glossy exterior."

As if the exterior itself is not enough, even the brothel-like interior receives praise from Martin:
"The cabin itself has a teardrop outline with a likewise flowing interior enhanced by extensive use of hot pink suede upholstery across the single seat, door interiors and steering wheel. But, fortunately, all of this extravagance can be appreciated even by those not operating the vehicle as a ridged glass roof provides improved visibility. Plus, quite simply, it just looks painfully cool." (painful yes, but cool no)

Apparently, Martin does have some knowledge of the real Bugattis, because he ends on a more serious note:
"As impressive as the imaginative renderings are, their grandeur is necessary to match that of their inspiration. The Type 57 SC Atlantic is one of the rarest, most influential—and most valuable—vintage cars on the market. Between 1936 and 1938, only four were produced in total and only three of them are known to remain in existence today, with many searching for the elusive last example (a car the automaker estimates could be worth $114 million) like some kind of Holy Grail. The model helped pave the way for how contemporary minds think of sports cars and, seeing how it was built as both a street car and racing alternative, it provided the framework for the creation of that particular kind of crossover."

Finally, I found who really is the designer of this... " "... It is a guy called "Cong".

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