autoevolution
 

Front-Engined Bugatti Divo Looks Like the Grand Tourer the Company Never Built

Bugatti's Chiron, along with all the derivatives that now make up the automaker's range needs no introduction. But what if the Molsheim family could spread past this platform?
Front-Engined Bugatti Divo rendering 8 photos
Photo: spdesignest/instagram
Front-Engined Bugatti Divo renderingBugatti DivoFront-Engined Bugatti Divo renderingBugatti W16 Coupe Rembrandt renderingBugatti W16 Coupe Rembrandt renderingBugatti W16 Coupe Rembrandt renderingBugatti W16 Coupe Rembrandt rendering
The French automotive producer came up with an answer last week, allowing the world to feast its eyes on a trio of concepts that never made it to production. So, before we talk about the independent-artist rendering we have here, let's take a bit of time to go through the said official delights.

In the chronological order of their birth, the first is the Barchetta version of the Veyron, which was born early in the past decade. The proposal, which features a Chiron-like front end, was canceled after the VW Group noticed that Lamborghini's partially similar projects, like the Sesto Elemento, didn't deliver the expected financial results.

As for the second, this is the only one that came close to completion, with a show car being built. Named Atlantic and designed by Sahsa Selipanov, the man who penned the Chiron and now leads Koenigsegg's design efforts, this was supposed to be a front-engined Grand Tourer slotted below the company's mid-engined model. Sadly, the Dieselgate's consequences meant the concept, which was based on VW Group parts, including a V8, never make it to the 2015 Pebble Beach show, which should've hosted its official debut.

Then we have the W16 Coupe Rembrandt, which you can find in the second part of the gallery above. Borrowing its DNA from historic Bug models, this was expected to sit above the Chiron. And the said connection meant it kept the W16 powerplant up front. And yes, this was yet another Dieselgate victim, albeit with its spirit living on in the $18.7 million La Voiture Noire, which continues to hold the record for the world's most expensive new car.

As for the pixel play we have here, this showcases a Divo with the said front-engined layout. Sure, the W16 doesn't protrude through the hood, as in the case of the concept described above, but the result is still a sight for sore eyes, at least from where I'm standing.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Bugatti continues to take the Chiron platform further, as this recent prototype sighting demonstrates - note that we're talking about a development that seems different to the wing-sporting Chiron R expected to debut next week (this was one of the releases that might be confined to our screens now that the Geneva Motor Show was cancelled after the coronavirous determined the Swiss authorities to axe large events).

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories