Bugatti has unveiled the Destrier, the third creation from Programme Solitaire and the program's third one-of-one car. Its technical starting point is the track-focused Bolide, but the brief moves away from maximizing downforce and instead puts proportion, materials and craftsmanship at the center of the design.
The Destrier retains the Bolide's carbon-fiber monocoque and complete quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 powertrain, producing 1,600 PS. The body around that hardware is entirely different. At roughly one meter tall, Bugatti says it has the lowest silhouette the marque has ever created. Its 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels are also notably larger than the Bolide's 18-inch wheels.
The designers stripped away many of the wings, vents and aerodynamic addenda associated with the track car. Exposed carbon is limited largely to the front splitter and rear diffuser, while the body is finished in a bespoke Sapphire Celeste paint. The interior similarly moves away from the Bolide's sparse cockpit, combining leather, nubuck and a three-dimensional knitted textile threaded with copper yarn.
Programme Solitaire gives Bugatti a structure for creating unique commissions on existing engineering foundations without turning them into conventional limited-production derivatives. The Destrier's oil filler cap carries a "1/1" designation, making its status explicit.
Bugatti scheduled the Destrier's public appearance for Monterey Car Week, culminating with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 16.