The story of the mighty W16 engine began in September 2005 with the launch of the Bugatti Veyron, the brand’s first car to be powered by a 7,993 cc, 16-cylinder W16 engine. This engine brought Bugatti back into the spotlight, producing one of the most exotic automobiles available then. The Bugatti Veyron became the first production car to break the 1000 horsepower benchmark and set a record-breaking top speed of 400 kilometers per hour (km/h). The W16 legacy was carried forward to Veryon’s more evolved and better-equipped successor in April 2016, named after the renowned racer Louis Chiron, the Bugatti Chiron. Ever since the global debut of the Bugatti Chiron, this breathtaking hypercar gained the title of being the world’s fastest production car till 2021 which was another victory for the Bugatti’s W16 legacy.
In 2024, the automobile industry is entering a new era of large-scale electrification and increasing dominance of artificial intelligence. As governments worldwide are taking the “Net Zero” emission norms quite seriously, it is getting quite difficult for automobile manufacturers to meet these emission norms from a gasoline-powered engine. So, as a solution, a majority of the manufacturers have shifted to its alternatives including fully electric or hybrid powertrains. But, if we talk about the Bugatti, they are still much steady on the track of fully gasoline-powered engines for 2024 with the announcement of a final edition for the brand’s most dominant W16 hypercar character, named the Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime.
Exclusivity Bookmarks the Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime as the 500th Chiron Masterpiece
Celebrating the roadway to the success of Bugatti’s renowned hypercar Bugatti Chiron, the brand has finally decided to bring an end to the production of the Bugatti Chiron. However, to pay tribute to the legendary W16 hypercar, they have recently unveiled a special edition Bugatti Chiron Super Sport which will be the final as well as the 500th masterpiece of sensational art and engineering. This one-of-one the rare W16 masterpiece will be known as the Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime hand-built and assembled inside the heart of Bugatti’s core beginnings in Molsheim, France. Based on the Super Sport version, this particular model will be technically similar to the previous limited edition “55 One of One” model that was built to commemorate the creator Jean Bugatti.
As we all know, the first Chiron debuted at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show with a striking French Racing Blue and Atlantic Blue paint scheme that inspired the emotions of true luxury, design, and engineering. So, for the reconciliation of its farewell, the Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime is being offered with the same paint scheme in a reverse order that merges these two unique colors into a single gradient from front to rear. For more attention to detail, the front and rear alloy wheels are painted accordingly to match the bodywork’s gradient colors. As the colors smoothly merge into each other, the door panel contrasts with the hand-written names of every destination or event that played a big role in Bugatti Chiron’s history.
A few of these names include Geneva (where it was first showcased), Molsheim (which is the hometown of each Bugatti), Paul Ricard (where it was first tested), Ehra-Lessien (where the Chiron set several speed records), etc. Furthermore, to constantly remind you of its worth of being the last Bugatti Chiron to be ever built, you’ll get to see the number “500” hand-painted on the bodywork at places including the rear wing, wheel caps, and in the corner of the rear wheel arches.
The Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime will surely remind you of its French craftsmanship when you have a closer look. The outside rearview mirrors feature a short strip of the French flag with that unique horseshoe mesh grille finished in Atlantic Blue. Being an ultra-rare hypercar, the interiors of the Chiron L’Ultime are finished in the same tone as its exterior with hand-selected, hand-cut, and hand-stitched blue leather in contrast with blue-tinted carbon-fiber trims. The seat piping will remind you again of its French craftsmanship stitched in red, white, and blue leather that resembles the French flag. The number “500” and “L’Ultime” badging won’t leave you alone even if you’re sitting inside the ultra-exclusive Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime.
If we keep all the exclusive bits apart, the Chiron L’Ultime gets the same powertrain as the Chiron Super Sport as we’ve mentioned before. However, the refinement in performance seems to have improved.
“The Bugatti brand is built not only on pure performance but on absolute craftsmanship, sophistication, and elegance, forming the very pinnacle of the automotive sphere. This very special Super Sport – the final masterpiece in the era-defining Chiron family – embodies those values, sublimely connecting incomparable core attributes with ease and purpose,” remarked Christophe Piochon, president of Bugatti Automobiles. “With this bespoke work of art, we have retraced the Chiron’s majestic eight-year journey with unforgettable moments that have taken place throughout the world, creating legions of fans for the Chiron, not to mention its countless industry-first breakthroughs and unique world-first achievements. This 500th and final Chiron model is a fitting farewell that captures a defining legacy that will forever be etched in automotive history and paves the way to a bright new chapter, starting with the production of the Bolide and the W16 Mistral and continuing with the unveiling of our new model in June.”
Christophe Piochon
President of Bugatti Automobiles (2024)
The Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime runs on an updated 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W-16 engine powered by four turbochargers. The French hypercar manufacturer has recently upgraded this W16 engine in the Super Sport models by replacing the cylinder heads and valvetrain with improved ones, along with better oiling and a slightly higher redline. These changes have marginally increased the power output to 1,600PS and 1,600Nm of torque. Also, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has been retuned for quicker shifts and improved power delivery. If you still somehow forget that it’s the last Bugatti Chiron to be ever built, the number “500” beautifully sits engraved onto the engine cover housing the 1,600hp, 8.0-litre W16 to remind you of its worth again.
Our End Note – The Chiron L’Ultime Marks an End to Bugatti’s Legendary W16 Era
The number “500” marks a legendary end to the production of the Bugatti Chiron after nearly a decade since its first debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime stands to be the last evidence of a highly-exclusive hypercar limited to just 500 hand-built examples worldwide. Potentially being a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, it can launch like a rocket from a standstill to 60 mph (100kmph) in just 2.3 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 273 miles per hour (mph). Moreover, you’ll get the same all-wheel-drive system and automated dual-clutch gearbox except for the unique paint scheme with the number “500” and “L’Ultime” badging all around.
This one-of-one Bugatti Chiron L’Ultime is a creation by the Bugatti team at Molsheim as a fitting tribute to the last W16-powered hypercar from the Bugatti factory. Considering a standard Bugatti Chiron Super Sport price tag that starts somewhere around $4 million, this special edition model surely deserves a premium over its remarkable history. With the recently upcoming launch of Bugatti Chiron’s successor, the Bugatti Tourbillon. It is time for the legendary W16 legacy to say goodbye to the new naturally-aspirated V16 powerplant that runs synchronized with the hybrid technology (Bugatti’s first hybrid powertrain).
However, the French manufacturer will still produce the W16 powerplant for the Bugatti Mistral Roadster limited to 99 units, and the track-only Bugatti Bolide with only 40 units, both based on the Chiron platform.
Gallery: Bugatti Chiron L'Ultime
