You won’t find this steering wheel in your everyday Bugatti Chiron.
Over the past two decades, you can’t really discuss Bugatti without the words “insane” or “I’ll never afford that in my life” — at least I haven’t. Even so, the automaker continues to outdo its previous offerings with crazier, ultra-low-volume models like the Divo and a track-only racer: the Bolide. While we have seen exterior shots of the production car, there’s been a question mark about what the inside would look like, until now.
That wait is over, and as you’d expect the car looks predictably crazy. What it does not look like, though, is just a stripped down Chiron. In fact, Bugatti gave the Bolide a bespoke carbon fiber monococque, positioning the notably form-hugging driver’s seat right in front of an X-shaped yoke, rather than a full-on steering wheel. Like any proper racer, the standard gauge cluster makes way for a digital display that only conveys the most vital information, with a set of switches spread throughout the wheel that you certainly won’t see on the road-going Chiron. Naturally, the steering wheel is removable, and the driver can actually adjust the steering column and pedals to best fit their needs, since the bucket seats are fixed in place.
Like any other Bugatti, the 40 buyers who snag a Bolide can customize their car’s interior to fit their tastes and needs. You can get Alcantara, as these photos extensively show, or you can go for the more conventional leather instead. Instead of a bank of multi-functional switches down the center console, the Bolide gets a panel of essential buttons and four tubular HVAC vents, and that’s it.
The Bugatti Bolide should certainly be a track monster too, considering it only has 3,196 pounds to lug around, plus the driver. Power makes its way to all four wheels through Bugatti’s familiar 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W12 engine. In this application, you get a massive 1,578 horsepower.
Of course, some folks may not want to take their 1-of-40 Bugatti Bolide racing all that often because of the price. Production kicks off in early 2024, with each example costing a cool €4 million ($4.35 million) before taxes. Mind you, if you have the money to make it onto Bugatti’s short list for the Bolide, it’s likely that sort of money is a drop in the bucket anyway. Not that you could buy one now, even if you had the cash: the car’s been sold out since Bugatti first announced it in 2021.
