Configuration Made To Order on Request: The High Art of Coachbuilding Perfected by Bugatti

 

 

Bugatti Divo Configuration Made To Order on Request

The high art of coachbuilding has been perfected by Bugatti and its partners in the 1920’s and resumed by Bugatti in recent years with the Divo, whose individuality is pervading into each element of this unique hyper sports car.

Bugatti Divo is undoubtedly one of the world’s most extraordinary hyper sports cars.

This Bugatti coupé, which is limited to a series of just 40 cars, is now reviving the long coachbuilding tradition of the French luxury manufacturer. After two years of development work, the first of these Bugatti luxury cars costing at least EUR 5 million will soon be delivered to expectant Bugatti enthusiasts.

“Every Divo is absolutely unique, the ultimate form of luxury. This limited and extremely high-performance hyper sports car has an exclusive character all of its own,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti.

“The Divo offers exceptional lateral acceleration as well as agility, and it is a must-have for any Bugatti enthusiast’s hyper sports car collection.” Besides reduced weight, progressive design and sophisticated aerodynamics, the Divo is characterized by the ideas of its future owners.

More than two-thirds of the Bugatti Divo supercar purchasers decide to customize their cars, choosing their own colors and materials such as paint, leather, fabrics and stitching. They introduce their own design ideas and use them to create their very own personal cars.

“This makes every Divo one of a kind,” says Laure Beneteau, Sales and Operations Manager at Bugatti. The 37-year-old Frenchwoman has been working for Bugatti since 2006 and since then she has supported over 400 Veyron and 300 Chiron2 customers during configuration and she has also been supporting Divo customers since 2018. “We accompany them as they choose their cars. But that is not all we do. They can dream with us. Almost every wish that makes a Bugatti unique? We can make it come true,” explains Laure Beneteau.

So, in theory, the choice of colors is unlimited. Three staff members handle the wishes of Bugatti customers from all over the world and explain what is technically feasible, and the entire customization team is made up of 15 staff.

There are many ways to customize a Bugatti.

During the Molsheim Experience, where Bugatti customers can learn about the history of the marque, the historic Château, the North Remise and South Remise and the modern Atelier, Laure Beneteau or one of her colleagues accompany Bugatti enthusiasts as they configure their cars. A designer and a technician also assist in this process, explaining the technical details of the vehicle. The process takes almost five hours to complete.

“Some customers might know exactly what they want. But we also have customers whom we advise in detail, we work together with them and come up with suggestions,” explains Anne Beynat, Sales Coordinator at Bugatti since 2011. “Customers often have their own ideas, such as family crests, national flags, their own logos or special color schemes. We then try to implement the ideas in technical terms. Some customers choose the leather and color to match their handbag or their favorite pair of shoes,” says the 32-year-old.

Their wishes must not impair vehicle safety or change the Bugatti logo. Anne Beynat often makes a selection of configurations which she then presents to customers and discusses with them.

“Most of them already own a Bugatti, so we know their preferences. Our Divo customers all already drive at least one Chiron,” she explains. Together they select the type and color of leather to use, run through possible options and decide on the perfect color for the paintwork. Most customers want something very special.

In addition to the body color, the centerline, roof, engine covers and the air intakes on the wings can also be painted in contrasting colors. Not just well-known types of cowhide are used. Other types of leather, or even vintage leather can be used to cover seats and side trim. The leather types usually differ in terms of thickness and perforation. It is even possible to match the paintwork to the leather.

Special features include embossed children’s footprints in the rear panel of the Veyron, the first name of the partner embroidered in the door pockets, or crystals in the cockpit. Special grilles or logos in the wheels or an inverted paint scheme are also possible. “Besides the technical challenge, time always has a part to play. It can take up to four months to develop a new color, nine months for a new leather and up to a year for a new carbon interior.

While customers from the Asian market tend to request more unusual colors such as transposed paint schemes or bright colors, the European market tends to choose more reserved tones. Customers from the USA or the Middle East, on the other hand, like to order more eye-catching and extravagant color combinations.