Founded in 1909 by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti, the brand has been shaped by generations of the family - notably Ettore’s son Jean, the creator of one of the most beautiful cars ever - the Type 57 SC Atlantic. Today, Bugatti continues to push the boundaries of automotive design while still inspired by the marque’s earliest designs.

Described as an automotive solitaire, the Bugatti Chiron Profilée is a one-of-a-kind member of the Chiron line-up. 

One of the final W16-powered Bugattis, it builds on 2020’s Chiron Pur Sport with its 6ft-wide fixed rear wing, shorter gear ratios, advanced magnesium wheels and raft of other innovations designed for cornering. When customers asked if a Chiron could integrate aspects of its character while maintaining the model’s timeless elegance, the Profilée was born.

Auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in February 2023, this one-of-a-kind car features a carbon fibre body and sweeping fixed tail at the rear, which ensures stability and control right up to the Profilée’s 380kmh top speed by increasing downforce over the rear axle, and uses negative pressure to suck hot air out of the engine compartment – which is covered with carbon fibre - via two interior tunnels.

At the front of this unique hypercar, the Profilée was given wider air inlets and an enlarged Bugatti horseshoe grille to help funnel more cooling air into the radiators. A revised carbon fibre front splitter works in tandem with a sculpted underbody to further increase downforce and maximise airflow. As with any Bugatti, the mastery of airflow for both cooling, drag reduction and downforce is fundamental in delivering extraordinary performance.

In character, the Profilée maintains much of the purity of the Pur Sport; designed for lateral grip and ultimate acceleration. It is powered by the same 1,500 PS development of the Bugatti W16 engine, with 15% shorter transmission ratios than the Chiron Sport. The Profilée accelerates from 0 to 100kmh in 2.3 seconds and up to 200kmh in 5.5 seconds.

It is presented in Argent Atlantique, a colour exclusively developed for this car. The lower section is finished in exposed carbon fibre, with the wheels finished in a shade of Le Patron created to match the carbon tint of the lower half of the body. Polished aluminium elements reflect the famous shape of the Bugatti grille.

Meanwhile, the interior of the Profilée is finished by hand at Bugatti’s atelier in Molsheim. Designed around high-quality materials - including carbon, leather and aluminium - each component is worked and refined by hand. Craftsmen follow the philosophy of defined minimalism, reducing each component to its simplest and most beautiful form.