It does not feel like it has been eight years since Bugatti stunned us with the Chiron. After the sheer power and speed of the Veyron we were sitting thinking, is it possible to create something even faster, even more technologically advanced? Well that was answered in 2016 when the 1,479 brake horsepower Chiron graced us petrolheads. 

Since then we have seen many different editions of the Chiron; there has been the Pur Sport, Sport, Divo, Centodieci and Super Sport 300+ to name a few. However, the last Chiron is a ‘standard’ Super Sport, packing 1,578 bhp from its now retired 8.0 litre quad-turbo W16 which will propel it to a top speed of 273 mph. That’s a 12 mph increase over the “regular” Chiron, if we can call it that.

However, it is important to remember the original Chiron today. This is because L’Ultime takes a lot of inspiration from the car that started it all eight years ago. The most obvious way this has been done is through the colour, or I should say colours of the Chiron Super Sport. This is because Bugatti have used the trend of colour fading.

Ordinarily if I read this, I will roll my eyes because I am not normally a fan as it is being done a lot and for me is very hard to do right. However, with L’Ultime, it has been done so so well. The two colours used, French Racing Blue and Atlantic Blue fade into each other in a way I have not seen done before. Key locations and events that have contributed to the Chiron, have been applied in a hand written style to help blend the colours.

Alongside this, Bugatti have painted the wheels so that they are mirroring the front and rear shades which further helps that blend work. Another fine detail that helps this work is a detail I first remember seeing on the Hermes Chiron Super Sport: its detailing of it being a 1 of 1 on the wheel. L’Ultime borrows from this with the L’Ultime writing at the top of the Bugatti logo and 500/500 at the bottom so signifying that this is the last Chiron to roll out of Molsheim.

Before going round to the back of L’Ultime, where more special features await, I want to just look at the signature front horseshoe grill as it has a specially designed “blue Bugatti macaron” which sits in, and I can only apologise for this, the tennis racket style grill. That was the first thing that came to mind!

Anyway back to the car, moving towards the back of L’Ultime, one of my favourite details is the painted, hand-writen 500 on the underside of the spoiler. So when the lucky owner decides to slam on their brakes and the air brake is triggered, it reminds whoever is behind them that they aren’t following any normal Bugatti. As well you can find the same number 500 engraved, yes engraved, on the exposed engine cover of the glorious W16. You can also find the same 500 painted on the ‘French Racing Blue’ rear arches.  

However, the bespoke touches don’t end with just the exterior, working our way inside the cabin of L’Ultime the blue theme is carried over. The use of ‘Deep Blue’ leather alongside ‘Blue Carbon Matt’ covers the interior of L’Ultime with ‘French Racing Blue’ touches throughout, tying the exterior to interior seamlessly. Normally, using the same colour palette on the interior of a car for me is a big no, yet again Bugatti have shown a way to make it work perfectly. 

The splashes of French Racing Blue used for the 500 embroidery on the seat headrest, seat belts and L’Ultime embroidery down by where your knee would rest help add subtle hints of colour that helps make the interior feel so special. As well as this, there is red, white and blue stitching used on the seats, a small nod to Bugatti’s French heritage, which ties in with the French flags that can be found painted on the wing mirrors. 

For us here at Rush, we think the L'Ultime is a near perfect way to celebrate the past eight years of the Chiron, while getting us all eagerly awaiting its V16 replacement in the near future.