To be introduced next week in Geneva

A test prototype of a Bugatti Veyron has been caught on camera with minimal camouflage.

Judging by the two-tone red-black exterior finish, it appears to be the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse La Finale that will be revealed during the Geneva Motor Show. The photographed vehicle has some black foils on the wheel arches and the rear bumper, while the door handles, fuel cap and the rear badge are covered with white scotch tape. Obviously, the car is running at low speed and the rear spoiler with the La Finale lettering is not activated.

A successor for the model is already planned. It could wear the Chiron moniker and will likely receive two electrically-powered turbochargers for a total power of around 1,500 HP (1,103 kW).

No official details have been released yet, but Bugatti president Wolfgang Durheimer commented “many of our customers are art collectors, and they know that it takes time to create a work of art”, hinting it could be awhile before we see the new supercar.

End of an era

Belgium media has managed to acquire more official images of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse La Finale.

Based on the Grand Sport Vitesse, it represents the 450th and final Veyron built by Bugatti after approximately ten years since production of the supercar kicked off in France at the factory in Molsheim,Alsace. It adopts a two-tone paint scheme similar to the first Veyron but the red and black theme has been inverted while the wheels adopt a ruby red finish.

The car will be on display starting tomorrow at the Geneva Motor Show before heading over to its rightful owner in the Middle East. Just like the standard model, the Veyron La Finale is powered by a quad turbo 8.0-liter W16 engine unleashing 1,200 HP (882 kW) and 1,500 Nm (1,106 lb-ft) of torque channeled to the road through a dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox. This hardware setup enables the Grand Sport Vitesse hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in only 2.6 seconds before reaching a tested top speed of 253 mph (408 km/h).

The Geneva Motor Show marks the end of a glorious era for the Bugatti brand, which has produced the 450th and last Veyron model.

Called “La Finale,” the highly-customized Grand Sport Vitesse model is on display in Geneva alongside the first-ever Veyron built, which left the factory in 2005. The fact that these two cars are showcased side by side shows how little the Veyron has changed during 10 years of production, during which 300 coupes and 150 roadsters were built.

The Veyron “La Finale” pays tribute to chassis no. 1, from which it sources the black and red color scheme. The devil is in the details though, as the 450th Veyron built combines black and red exposed carbon fiber, the latter used for the first time on a vehicle, according to Bugatti. The car also sports a series of custom features including “La Finale” lettering under the right front headlight and on the underside of the rear wing, or the the Bugatti elephant featured on the hubcaps and in the cabin.

The Grand Sport Vitesse “La Finale” is powered by the 16-cylinder 8-liter engine producing 1,200PS (1,184hp) and a maximum torque of 1,500 Nm (1,106lb-ft). The car is able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, with a similar model setting a world record speed of 408.84 km/h (254 mph) in 2013.

The 1,001PS Bugatti Veyron 16.4 debuted in 2005, followed in 2008 by the open-top version, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. In 2010, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport with 1,200PS was launched and was joined two years later by the roadster version, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse.

Made before La Finale

It has come to our attention that Bugatti made a one-off Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse before terminating production of their supercar.

The reason why the car has many pink accents is because it was purchased by Zheng Ting (aka "Prince Ting" in China Hyper Auto Club) for his girlfriend. It's known as the Cristal Edition and was delivered in January before Bugatti concluded Veyron production with the La Finale, yet another one-off based on the Grand Sport Vitesse.
The pink theme continues on the inside and even in the engine bay while the side sills have received "Cristal Edition 1 De 1" lettering. The fuel cap is adorned with a pink "L" and there seem to be some Chinese words embroidered on the sides of the center tunnel.

Bugatti’s 8.0-liter W16 engine is a mechanical masterpiece that will hopefully live on in the next model the noble brand aims to build. But until that happens, the W16 engine will take a break, as the mighty Veyron is history.

As you probably know, the Veyron’s engine was available in two states of tune: 1,001PS (987hp) and 1,250Nm (922lb-ft) of torque in the earlier models and 1,200PS (1,184hp) and 1,500Nm (1,106lb-ft) of torque in the later models. We may take them for granted now, but such mind-blowing figures were unheard of on a production car back in 2005 when the Veyron launched.

As you can imagine, the 16-cylinder, quad-turbo 8.0-liter monster had a special build process. Thankfully, a video that documents the assembly of the hand-built engine has surfaced online, and you can check it out below.

Although ten years have passed since Bugatti started making the Veyron, it still is an incredibly impressive machine. As I’m sure you’re aware of, Bugatti has built (and sold) the 450th and final Veyron, which means the only way to get one now is on the used market.

The last Bugatti Veyron was built entirely by hand, just like the 449 cars before it, as the following video released by the automaker shows. It documents how the Veyron “La Finale” was built, and some of the footage is quite impressive. The moment technicians attach the enormous powertrain to the chassis is definitely an epic one.

The Bugatti Veyron “La Finale” is an homage to the first Veyron built in 2005, sporting a similar black and red paint scheme. A big part of the outer shell is made from red exposed carbon fiber, marking the first time this color has ever been used on a vehicle.