Type 35 – SCDW

Now 0.67kg per PS doesn’t mean too much without context. The Koenigsegg Agera One:1 released in 2014 was coined the first megacar with 1kg per PS – 1,360PS for 1,360kg.

Now Bugatti has decided to explore what would happen if they used the 8.0-litre W16 engine in a track-only special which focused on minimal weight and excessive downforce. The answer is the Bolide. 1,850PS, 1,850Nm, 1,240kg dry weight, 8.0-litre W16 quad-turbo which can hypothetically lap the Nordschleife in 5 minutes and 23 seconds according to simulations. How has Bugatti achieved this?

The turbochargers have optimised blades to build more boost pressure and power, the intake and exhaust system have been dethrottled to achieve a more spontaneous and faster response. There is air to air intercooling with water pre-cooling for optimal performance on the race track. The two water coolers are positioned in a such a way that is seen in F1 cars. Getting the car to slow down, the team at Bugatti has fitted the car with racing brakes with ceramic discs.

To bring the weight down, there is a carbon monocoque, all the screw and fastening elements of the Bolide are made completely out of titanium, hollow, thin-walled functional components made of an aerospace titanium alloy are used. This isn’t a Bugatti that we have become accustomed to, a show of opulence and luxury – the Bolide is a bonafide track special. It is the same height as the Type 35 – 995mm, Bugatti’s most successful racing cars ever. Similar to a LMP1 car, the doors swing up, to offer a small aperture for the driver to fold into and the entire vehicle is fitted with safety equipment as per FIA regulations and every LMP1 car needs a compressed-air-driven jack system with four rams making tyre changing easier, a quick refuelling system allows pressure refuelling.

As a child, driving around in an electric car experiencing that freedom in the back garden was peak enjoyment. Some electric toy cars resembled their larger ICE counterparts better than others and this leads me to this.

What had originally started as a one-off present from Ettore Bugatti to his grandson Roland for his fourth birthday, the Bugatti Baby was a hit with Bugatti customers, so much so that 500 were sold between 1927 and 1936.

In 2020, the Little Car Company has taken that concept and ran with it. The Bugatti Baby II is based on the Bugatti Type 35, the most successful racing car of all time, and like the original, it too will be limited to 500 units.

The Baby II is a three-quarters-size replica of the Bugatti Type 35 so it can be driven by both adults and children. It is fitted with a rear-wheel drive electric powertrain powered by three removable lithium ion batteries, a limited slip differential and regenerative braking. It comes in two selectable power modes; 1kW Novice Mode limited to 20km/h and 4kW Expert Mode limited to 45km/h, but much like the modern Bugattis, there is an optional Speed Key that winds the power up to 10kW and removes the speed limiter.

Other elements that make this unique is the plaque displaying a unique chassis number and the famous Macaron badge made of 50g of silver.

Now if you haven’t gathered yet, this isn’t a cheap toy – offered in three models – Base, Vitesse and Pur Sang. The Base is fitted with composite bodywork, standard 1.4kWh battery and standard powertrain and only one choice of colour and interior at a cost of €30,000.

The Vitesse is fitted with the long range 2.8kWh battery and high performance powertrain with the Speed Key included. Bodywork is made of Carbon fibre and can be optioned in 21 exterior colours and eight interior leather colours with an option to upgrade to Bridge of Weir Leather, known for incredibly soft leather in some of the world’s best cars. Prices for Vitesse start at €43,500.

The Pur Sang goes one further, remaining true to the original Type 35 with hand formed aluminium bodywork that takes 200 hours to create. It carries the same powertrain and battery, including the Speed Key of the Vitesse and prices for that start at €58,500. I would shy away from the traditional French Racing Blue and pick Jaune Molsheim (contemporary yellow) with the upgraded Bridge of Weir Leather in Lake Blue.

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