Bugatti Galibier

First look

From the inception of the firm in the days of Ettore Bugatti, to becoming a modern unit headed by the VW Group, Bugatti has never really lost its eccentricity or its uniqueness. And the Bugatti Galibier is as highly anticipated a model as the firm has ever launched. The new Bugatti flagship is called the Galibier for the time being, although rumors suggest that it might be released in the fall of 2012 under the moniker ‘Royale’. Bugatti President and VEO Wolfgang Durheimer has commented on the revised timeline of the scheduled release saying that the most powerful four-door luxury sedan ever to have hit the scene will most definitely be out in the showrooms same time next year.

The machine

Set to be launched in late 2012, the Galibier looks to hold the title of being the undisputed champion in the luxury sedan segment and it can very well be just that thanks to the W16 engine on it that outputs something in the neighborhood of 986 hp (735 kW/ 1,000 PS). Details on the exact specs of the new model are still a bit sketchy but the firm has revealed plans to create 1,000 to 1,500 units of the practical luxury sedan to kick off the franchise. The final chassis construction and dimensions for the Bugatti Galibier Super Sedan are expected to be decided this fall with a carbon monocoque or an aluminum space frame being the way that the hybrid finally goes.

What’s good?

The immensely exclusive and equally expensive Galibier is undoubtedly more practical than the company’s current crown jewel, the Veyron, and looks to get even more pace and horsepower on it that the flagship model. The model will surely house the same dual-clutch gearbox as the Veyron with an optional dual power system making it more attractive to metropolitan users. The optional hybrid power system should make the car definitely more attractive to the ridiculously rich who “summer” in the countryside and don’t want to lose the air quality at their expansive estates.

What’s not so good?

While the Veyron was produced in an extremely limited run spanning just 300 units, the more practical Galibier has already been allotted a 3,000 unit-run. What sours the deal slightly for customers, however, is the estimated price of $1.4 million that would put the luxury sedan well beyond the reach of anyone who is not a gazillionaire.

Price and availability

You would need to rob a bank for €1 million ($1.4 million) to be able to procure yourself one of these and even then we suggest you keep a neat sum aside in case the company decides to adjust the price for inflation by the time the vehicle is set to roll off of the production line next year.

The bottom line

Set to get the tag of being the world’s fastest sedan, the Galibier is a gem worth having if there ever was one in the four-door world of automotives. Not only does the new model offer unprecedented bragging rights to its owners, it also ups the ante for other players in the super-luxury, 1K+hp sedan segment.