Bugatti has developed a $2.2 million special edition of the Veyron Grand Sport with porcelain accents, including a caviar tray.
The L’Or Blanc, the first vehicle equipped with porcelain, according to Bugatti, is a joint effort between Volkswagen AG’s supercar brand and Berlin-based KPM.
The latter company is a 248-year-old porcelain maker that traces its roots to King Frederick the Great of Prussia.
The roadster, which will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, was unveiled last week in Berlin.
“Installing porcelain in the world’s fastest convertible car seems like a pretty odd idea,” said a Bugatti spokesperson. “But Bugatti has made a name for itself by not shying away from extravagant ideas.”
With Lamborghini and Bently, Volkswagen purchased Bugatti in 1998. Under VW’s ownership, the brand founded by Italian-born car designer Ettore Bugatti started production of the two-door Veyron 16.4 in 2005. The last of 300 models of the limited series was sold n June.
Bugatti, which makes about 50 cars a year from its headquarters in Molsheim, France, may build the four-door 16C Galibier model after getting the go-ahead from Germany-based VW.
The model has a 1,000-horsepower engine and may cost about $1.4 million.
The L’Or Blanc, painted in vibrant white with royal blue lines curving along the exterior, was developed as a one-of-a-kind model for an unidentified businessman from the United Arab Emirates, who has a collection of about 800 cars.
The vehicle features 12 porcelain elements, including wheel badges and fuel and oil caps.
A panel depicting an elephant standing on its hind legs, a Bugatti symbol, is mounted between the seats. A sceptre, the logo of KPM given to the company in 1763, is inlaid at the top of the windshield.
The car also has porcelain dish in the center console. The dish can serve as a caviar tray, when used together with an ice bucket that’s part of a specially designed picnic set.
Article Last Updated: July 12, 2011.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.