It appears that the Bugatti bunch may soon double. According to CAR magazine, Bugatti president and CEO Wolfgang Durheimer confirmed the green light for the Galibier project, a four-door super-sedan that was unveiled in concept form back in 2009. The concept mirrors many of the Veyron’s design cues including the large gaping front grill and rounded rear end.
The Galibier is expected to receive the 7-speed direct-shift gearbox (DSG) transmission and the monster W16 engine from its bigger brother Veyron supercar, where it’s rated at 1,001 horsepower. The same engine is tuned to put out 1,200 horsepower in the Veyron Super Sport. The Galibier’s performance numbers are unconfirmed, but there’s speculation that the W16 should be tuned to produce anywhere between 800-1,000 horsepower.
But Durheimer points out that the Galibier’s goal is not to dethrone the Veyron’s status as the fastest production car in the world.
“We can have one car biased more towards racing, and one for the road,” he told CAR. “We are looking not to the floor but to the ceiling… We want to see how far we can push this brand.”
Bugatti is already synonymous with insane speed, but he hopes to make the brand more “social acceptable” to the eco-conscious crowd by offering the Galibier with a second powertrain that incorporates hybrid technology. According to Durheimer, the powertrain is still in development, though it’s highly doubtful that the W16 will be part of the automaker’s hybrid equation if they’re looking for acceptance.
Much of the car is still in the early stages. The first step for Durheimer is to meet with VW chairman Martin Winterkorn to discuss the sedan’s dimension, body materials and design. The automaker plans to produce about 3,000 copies of the Galibier and the price tag should be no less than $1 million.
