Auctions

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille Sets Auction Record at $5.44 Million

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A rare 2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille has become the most expensive Veyron ever sold at public auction, changing hands for 4,505,000 Swiss francs—approximately $5.44 million.

The record-breaking sale took place at the RM Sotheby’s auction in Zurich on September 26, where bidding lasted less than three minutes before the hammer finally fell. The result dramatically exceeded the car’s pre-auction estimate of $2.62 million to $3.05 million.

The final price was approximately 61 percent above the upper estimate and around $2.35 million higher than the previous auction record for a Bugatti Veyron.

A $5.44 Million Bugatti Veyron

The car in question is not an ordinary Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. It is one of just three examples of the Jean-Pierre Wimille Edition, making it one of the rarest derivatives of Bugatti’s legendary hypercar.

RM Sotheby’s had expected the 2014 Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille to attract significant interest, but the final result went well beyond those expectations. At 4,505,000 Swiss francs, the car established a new benchmark for the entire Veyron family at public auction.

The previous record was held by the one-off Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu, which sold in 2024. The Wimille Edition has now surpassed that car’s result by approximately $2.35 million.

For a production-based hypercar that is now more than a decade old, a price above $5 million is remarkable. It also demonstrates how rarity, provenance, specification and condition can dramatically influence the value of modern collector cars.

One of Just Three Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille Editions

The most important factor behind the car’s extraordinary auction result is its rarity.

Bugatti produced only three examples of the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Jean-Pierre Wimille. That puts the special edition in an entirely different category from the standard Grand Sport Vitesse, even though both cars share the same fundamental mechanical architecture.

The edition pays tribute to Jean-Pierre Wimille, the celebrated French racing driver and Bugatti factory driver. In 1937, Wimille became the first driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Bugatti.

The three Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille cars feature bespoke design elements inspired by Wimille and his racing career, giving the limited-run hypercars a level of historical significance that goes beyond their performance figures.

For collectors, that combination of extremely limited production and direct motorsport heritage is particularly valuable.

Just 3,766 Kilometers From New

The record-breaking Veyron had another important advantage: exceptionally low mileage.

Since leaving the Bugatti factory in 2014, the car had covered only 3,766 kilometers. For a ten-year-old-plus hypercar of this caliber, such mileage is exceptionally low.

Veyrons have increasingly become collector cars rather than machines used regularly on public roads. Many examples spend much of their lives in private collections, and the lowest-mileage cars can command significant premiums when they eventually appear on the market.

In this case, the combination of just 3,766 kilometers and a three-car production run made the Wimille Edition particularly compelling to prospective buyers.

1,183 HP From a Quad-Turbo W16

The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse remains one of the most technically significant hypercars of the modern era.

At the heart of the car is Bugatti’s legendary 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W16 engine, producing 1,183 horsepower. Power is delivered through an all-wheel-drive system, allowing the Veyron to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds.

Its top speed is approximately 409 km/h, placing the Grand Sport Vitesse among the fastest production cars of its era.

Those numbers helped establish the Veyron as a technological milestone, but today’s collectors are increasingly interested in the car for another reason: its place in automotive history.

The Veyron effectively established Bugatti as one of the defining names of the modern hypercar era, combining enormous power with levels of engineering complexity and luxury previously unseen in a road-going production car.

Why the Wimille Edition Is Different

The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse was already an exclusive machine, but the Jean-Pierre Wimille Edition adds another layer of collectability.

With only three examples built, it is considerably rarer than the regular Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. More importantly, its connection to one of Bugatti’s most significant racing drivers gives the car a direct link to the marque’s pre-war motorsport history.

That historical connection is important in the collector-car market. A hypercar can be valuable because of its performance, but cars associated with significant people, races or moments in a manufacturer’s history can acquire a different kind of appeal.

The Wimille Edition combines all of those factors: extreme performance, extremely limited production, low mileage and significant Bugatti racing heritage.

The Veyron Is Becoming a Major Collector Car

The $5.44 million result is another indication that exceptional Veyrons are moving into a different phase of their lives.

When the Veyron arrived in the early 2000s, its headline figures dominated the automotive world. A 1,000-plus-horsepower W16, four turbochargers and a top speed beyond 400 km/h made it one of the most technically ambitious production cars ever built.

Today, however, the most desirable Veyrons are increasingly being judged not only by their performance but also by their rarity, specification, mileage and provenance.

The record for the Grand Sport Vitesse Wimille illustrates this shift particularly well. This was not simply a sale of an older hypercar. It was the sale of one of only three examples of a historically significant Bugatti special edition.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

News

Honda Prelude Limited Edition Is Coming to Europe With Type R Hardware

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Honda is bringing the exclusive Prelude Limited Edition to Europe, giving the hybrid sports coupé a darker, more aggressive character and hardware borrowed from the Civic Type R. The first European deliveries are expected before the end of 2026.

Honda is expanding the reach of its new Prelude with a special Limited Edition previously reserved for the Japanese market. Following strong interest from potential buyers, the Japanese automaker has confirmed that the limited-run hybrid coupé will also be offered to European customers.

The move adds another layer of excitement to the return of the iconic Honda Prelude, particularly because the European Limited Edition combines distinctive styling with performance-focused chassis upgrades associated with the current Civic Type R.

Honda Prelude Limited Edition Gets a More Aggressive Look

The Honda Prelude Limited Edition stands out with a dark metallic red exterior finish, a color theme that continues into the cabin. The interior features leather trim complemented by red stitching, including contrasting details on the leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel.

Black 19-inch alloy wheels give the special-edition Prelude a more aggressive appearance, while red Brembo brake calipers provide an obvious visual connection to Honda’s performance models.

But the upgrades are not limited to cosmetics.

Honda has equipped the European Limited Edition with a wider track, adaptive dampers and high-performance Brembo braking hardware. Several of these components are closely related to technology used by the current Honda Civic Type R, giving the Prelude a considerably more serious chassis specification than its standard appearance might suggest.

That combination is likely to appeal to enthusiasts who see the new Prelude as more than simply a stylish hybrid coupé.

184 HP Hybrid Powertrain Remains

Despite its performance-oriented chassis, the Honda Prelude Limited Edition retains the same hybrid powertrain as the regular model.

At its heart is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine working with an electric motor integrated into Honda’s adaptive e-CVT transmission. The system produces 184 hp and 315 Nm of torque.

Honda has yet to reveal detailed performance figures for the European Limited Edition, but the powertrain specification suggests that the special model is focused more on delivering an engaging driving experience than outright acceleration.

That creates an interesting contrast with the hardware underneath it.

A wider track, adaptive dampers and Brembo brakes—components with clear performance credentials—give the Prelude the equipment enthusiasts would normally associate with a significantly more powerful sports car.

Where Is the Honda Prelude Type R?

That naturally raises the question of whether Honda could eventually create a genuine Prelude Type R.

Rumors and speculation surrounding a high-performance Prelude have continued despite Honda repeatedly indicating that a Type R version is not currently planned. The Limited Edition’s hardware, however, is likely to keep those conversations alive.

The idea is easy to understand. The Prelude already combines a lightweight coupé-style body with a sophisticated hybrid powertrain, while the Limited Edition adds performance-oriented chassis components derived from Honda’s more focused models.

What is missing is a substantially more powerful engine.

A hypothetical Prelude Type R with a high-output turbocharged engine—or another performance-focused powertrain—could transform the character of the car. For now, however, such a model remains firmly in the realm of speculation.

Honda HRC Has Already Shown a More Extreme Prelude

Interestingly, Honda’s racing division appears to have explored what a substantially more aggressive Prelude could look like.

Honda Racing Corporation, or HRC, recently unveiled a much more radical Prelude concept. Although it remains a concept rather than a confirmed production model, the car demonstrates how far Honda could potentially push the platform from a design and performance perspective.

The HRC project is particularly intriguing because it comes at a time when Honda is using the Prelude nameplate to re-establish itself in the sports-coupé segment.

It does not confirm that a production Prelude Type R is coming, but it certainly gives enthusiasts something to talk about.

Source: Honda

CONCEPT CARS

Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso: New Concept Car to Debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show

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Alfa Romeo is preparing to put emotion back at the center of the automotive conversation with a new concept car called the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso, set to take the spotlight at the 2026 Paris Motor Show.

The name itself is a statement of intent. Cuorerosso combines two ideas deeply embedded in Alfa Romeo’s identity: “cuore,” the Italian word for heart, and “rosso,” the red associated with the brand’s racing heritage, passion and unmistakable visual identity. Together, they form a name designed to capture what Alfa Romeo believes should define the cars of its future: emotion first, explanation second.

While Alfa Romeo has not yet revealed the full technical specification or production plans for the Cuorerosso, the concept is clearly positioned as much more than a styling exercise. It is being presented as a vision of the future shaped around the emotional connection between a car and its driver.

Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso puts emotion first

For Alfa Romeo, choosing a car has traditionally been about more than comparing specifications, equipment levels or prices. The brand argues that its strongest appeal begins with an instinctive reaction — an emotional connection that is only later rationalized.

That philosophy is at the heart of the Cuorerosso concept.

Developed by the people who create Alfa Romeo vehicles every day, the concept has been designed with the global community of Alfisti in mind. These enthusiasts share a belief that driving should be experienced rather than simply measured, and that the relationship between driver and automobile remains an essential part of the Alfa Romeo formula.

The Cuorerosso therefore represents an attempt to translate that philosophy into a vision of the future.

The meaning behind the name

The choice of Cuorerosso is deliberately symbolic.

Red has been inseparable from Alfa Romeo for generations. It evokes Italian motorsport, competition, performance and the passion traditionally associated with the marque. The heart, meanwhile, represents the emotional bond between Alfa Romeo and its customers.

Bringing the two together creates a name that effectively describes the concept’s mission: a future Alfa Romeo designed to stir emotions.

The message is particularly significant as the automotive industry undergoes one of its biggest transformations in decades. Electrification, software, autonomous-driving technology and increasingly digital interiors are changing how cars are engineered and experienced.

Alfa Romeo’s Cuorerosso suggests that, despite those changes, the emotional character of a car should not disappear.

Designed for the Alfisti

Alfa Romeo describes the Cuorerosso as a concept created for Alfisti around the world — the passionate owners and enthusiasts who have helped turn the brand into what it calls an authentic “love brand.”

That relationship goes beyond individual products. Alfa Romeo’s history is filled with cars that have become cultural and automotive icons, creating an emotional connection that often survives long after a particular model has disappeared from production.

The Cuorerosso is intended to build on that tradition while looking toward the future.

Rather than presenting technology as the primary attraction, Alfa Romeo’s message is that technology should ultimately serve the experience of driving. The concept therefore appears to be built around a simple question: how can a future car remain emotionally engaging in an increasingly digital automotive world?

A future Alfa Romeo with a human character

The philosophy behind the Cuorerosso can be summarized by the contrast between reason and emotion.

Specifications can explain acceleration. Data can describe efficiency. Technology can demonstrate capability. But none of those measurements fully explains why a particular car can create an emotional response.

That distinction has long been central to Alfa Romeo’s identity, and the Cuorerosso appears designed to preserve it as the brand moves into its next chapter.

The concept’s name is therefore more than a marketing exercise. It serves as a reminder of what Alfa Romeo believes should remain constant regardless of how automotive technology evolves.

The car may become more sophisticated, more connected and potentially more electrified, but the relationship between the driver and the machine is still supposed to matter.

Source: Alfa Romeo

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