Bugatti La Voiture Noire Is the World’s Most Expensive New Car

Winkelmann says that “the true form of luxury is individuality” and that this one-off expresses what the company is capable of creating. To us, it sounds as though La Voiture Noire isn’t the only one-off that Bugatti is open to creating. But that begs the question: If this is “a tribute to perfect technology and perfect design” as Bugatti says, where do they go from here?

There’s no such thing as a “cheap” new Bugatti. A standard Chiron—if you can even call one standard—starts at just under $3 million. Then there’s the Chiron Sport variant, which tacks a few hundred grand onto that number, and options like the Sky View roof and colored carbon-fiber body panels raise the price even further. Finally, there’s the Divo, which is a limited-run model based on the Chiron that’s focused on track performance and costs just shy of $6 million. But today at the Geneva auto show, Bugatti has revealed a one-off car that truly does make the rest of its lineup look cheap and basic. It’s called La Voiture Noire, and Bugatti says it’s the most expensive new car of all time, costing its owner $12.5 million before taxes (or $18.9 million including them).

Technologically advanced in terms of design and production and able to reach top speeds of 125 mph, the Atlantics were instant icons. Of the four, the most legendary is the second car, which was Jean Bugatti’s personal example. Called La Voiture Noire (literally “the black car”), the Atlantic was used in Bugatti’s promotional materials and was only driven by Jean and a select few racing driver friends. After 1938, though, the car seemingly disappeared without a trace.

The car features an incredible design, showcasing what can be achieved when there really are no budgetary pressures on a project. The handcrafted carbon fiber body is sleek and looks sexy while also achieving the aerodynamic properties required for maximum performance.