Guide: Bugatti 16.4 Veyron Grand Sport L'Or Blanc Art Car
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BACKGROUND
Among the many Veyron special editions created by Bugatti, of particular note were a pair of spectacular Art Cars based on the Grand Sport platform.
The Grand Sport was a targa-topped iteration of the original Veyron. Bugatti unveiled it at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Eelegance in August 2008 and production started in June 2009. A limited run of 150 units was anticipated.
The first few years of Veyron production saw Bugatti struggle to sell the car in the quantities that they had hoped. As a result, one-off specials and short runs of heavily customised Veyrons were produced to try and stimulate demand.
Perhaps the most famous of these (and certainly the most striking) was the Grand Sport L’Or Blanc unveiled during June 2011 at the Berlin Royal Porcelain Factory (KPM).
BUGATTI 16.4 VEYRON GRAND SPORT
Compared to the fixed-head Veyron, the Grand Sport came with a significantly modified monocoque. For safety reasons, load paths were redesigned and reinforcements were added around the sills, central tunnel, doors, windscreen and the engine intake scoops behind the cockpit.
Aside from a 2mm lower ride height and re-rated dampers, the rest of the mechanical specification was pretty much unchanged.
In the engine bay was an all-alloy W16 engine that featured dry-sump lubrication, dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and four MP-Engineering MP70 turbochargers. Displacement was 7993cc thanks to an 86mm bore and stroke.
With a compression ratio of 9.0:1, peak output was 987bhp at 6000rpm and 922lb-ft at 2200-5500rpm.
Transmission was through a Ricardo seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and electronically-controlled permanent four-wheel drive system.
The Grand Sport was equipped with a distinctive transparent roof that had to be manually fitted and removed. A temporary canvas roof that could be carried in the car was also supplied.
With the fixed roof in place, top speed was an unaffected 253mph.
With the roof off, this dropped to 224mph. If the temporary canvas roof was attached, Bugatti recommended a maximum of 80mph.
0-62mph took 2.7 seconds.
BERLIN ROYAL PORCELAIN FACTORY (KONIGLICHE PORZELLAN-MANUFAKTUR BERLIN)
The Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin (KPM) was founded in 1763 by King Frederick II of Prussia who purchased the organisation formerly run by Wilhelm Caspar Wegely and later Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky.
During his tenure at the head of the company, Frederick II was KPM’s best customer; he routinely ordered vast quantities of work for his palaces and guests.
KPM was initially best known for its fine white dinner services and went on to become a leader in the production of pictorial and veduta porcelain. KPM successfully transitioned from Rococo to Classicism, to Art Nouveau and (by the 20th century) Bauhaus and New Objectivity.
KPM’S VEYRON GRAND SPORT
The collaboration between KPM and Bugatti resulted in the first car to feature porcelain elements for its bodywork and interior.
The carbonfibre and aluminium exterior panels were coated with a fine layer of porcelain, after which KPM’s trademark shade of Cobalt Blue was applied by hand in a series of sweeping curves and delicate lines. The bodywork was then covered with five layers of lacquer.
Porcelain elements were also used for the petrol and oil filler caps, the ‘EB’ tail script and the centre caps for the wheels.
The rest of the specification included Mirrorshine grilles, aluminium door handles and red brake calipers. The wheels were a mix of diamond cut faces and Cobalt Blue inlays.
Inside, the L’Or Blanc was upholstered with a mix of dark blue and white upholstery. Two-tone door panels with porcelain inlays mimicked the exterior. There were additionally porcelain inlays on the transmission tunnel and the rear bulkhead between the seats (the latter decorated with Rembrandt Bugatti’s famous dancing elephant).
As a result of this successful collaboration, four KPM Edition Veyrons based on the Grand Sport Vitesse were subsequently built.
The one-off Grand Sport L’Or Blanc was originally marketed at a pre-tax price of €1.65m. Bugatti reputedly sold the car to a collector from the UAE.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Bugatti - https://www.bugatti.com
