This Bugatti isn’t a robot in disguise, but it might be the next best thing.
A Transformer-themed Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s Sealed this week. This isn’t some aftermarket custom job, either. The hypercar, which is almost certainly the most recognisable Veyron, left the factory looking this way.
Bugatti has built its fair share of ridiculous vehicles over the years, but it likes to present itself as one of the world’s most cultured automakers. It is more than willing to throw taste to the wind if a customer has deep enough pockets, though. This example of the Veyron, which was the marque’s first model after it was bought and relaunched by Volkswagen Group, is ample proof of that. The company built just 450 examples of the car between 2005 and 2015—92 of which were the high-performance Grand Sport Vitesse targa top variant—and only one of them looks like it was designed by a child.
Image courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The Transformers-themed Veyron was commissioned in 2014 by someone named Daniel who apparently wanted a multi-million vehicle that signalled their love of the successful movie franchise (and possibly the cartoon and toy line before it). Surprisingly, the car’s unique look isn’t based on Drift, the Veyron Transformer that appears in Transformer: Age of Extinction. Instead, this Veyron features a light blue-over-dark blue colour scheme that inverts the one from the big screen and features a mosaic of monotone images on the doors and hood that form the Autobots’ symbol. The colour scheme carries over to the interior as does the symbol, which is located between the two seats. The headrests were originally embroidered with the name “Daniel” but have since been retrimmed.
The custom details seem limited to the exterior and interior, which strikes us as a good thing. That’s because the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is powered by a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W-16 that produces 1,167 hp and 1,100 ft lbs of torque. That was more than enough power to push the hypercar from zero to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds and to an electronically limited top speed of 233 mph. This example is on its third owner and has just 3,231 miles so it figures to be in decent shape. It also is covered by Bugatti’s Passeport Tranquillité service plan through the end of the year.
Image courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Bidding for the Transformers-themed Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse opens on Wednesday, 1 May, and runs through Friday, 3 May. The auction house doesn’t list an estimate for the one-of-a-kind hypercar, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it sell for the US$2.5 million (HK$19.5 million) it cost originally.
Click here for more photos of the Transformers-themed Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse.
