Tag Archives: Bugatti

Bugatti Plants Its Flag in Shanghai: A New Era of French Hypercar Luxury in China

For more than a century, Bugatti has stood at the intersection of engineering brilliance and high art — a brand that doesn’t just build cars, but creates rolling sculptures for the world’s most uncompromising collectors. Now, as the marque enters a new chapter under Bugatti Rimac, it’s extending that vision eastward.

Welcome to Bugatti Shanghai, the brand’s first dedicated showroom in mainland China — and a statement of intent for a market that’s rapidly becoming one of the world’s most influential luxury hubs.

A Jewel in the Heart of Shanghai

Nestled in the bustling core of China’s largest metropolis, Bugatti Shanghai isn’t your typical dealership. The space, developed in partnership with long-time regional collaborator Kingsway Apex, was designed to Bugatti’s exacting global standards — part art gallery, part private salon, and entirely immersive.

Visitors are greeted not by sales desks or spec sheets, but by an atmosphere that blurs the line between atelier and museum. This is where the story of Bugatti’s past and future collide — a brand built on Molsheim heritage and now propelled by Rimac’s technological audacity.

A Divo Makes a Grand Entrance

The showroom’s grand opening was more than a ribbon-cutting ceremony — it was a celebration of rarity. On display was the Bugatti Divo, one of just 40 examples ever built, making its first public appearance in China. Its sculpted aerodynamics and unmistakable presence underscored the message: this new Shanghai destination isn’t about volume, but about vision.

The Divo’s arrival follows the Chinese debut of Bugatti’s latest masterpiece, the Tourbillon, earlier this year — a hybrid hypercar that signals the brand’s move into a bold new electrified era while maintaining its devotion to craftsmanship and visceral performance.

The event was graced by some of Bugatti’s biggest names, including CEO Mate Rimac, Managing Director Hendrik Malinowski, and Regional Director Kostas Psarris, who each emphasized the significance of China’s growing passion for mechanical artistry and design purity.

“Shanghai – a city where tradition and innovation converge – is the ideal location for our first brand showroom in mainland China,” said Malinowski. “It’s a destination where clients can truly experience the unparalleled Bugatti universe.”

Beyond Cars: The Bugatti Lifestyle

Stepping into Bugatti Shanghai, one quickly realizes that this isn’t just about cars — it’s about the Bugatti way of life. The showroom also features a temporary Bugatti Home exhibition, developed by Luxury Living Group, that translates the marque’s automotive DNA into interior design.

Highlights include the TYPE_3 sofa and ottoman in Voltaic Blue — their curves echoing the fluidity of Bugatti’s hypercars — as well as the TYPE_11 side table, whose sweeping form incorporates the brand’s signature “C” line. Even the TYPE_14 rug draws inspiration from the aerodynamic silhouettes of Molsheim’s finest machines.

As Albert Wong, Principal of Kingsway Apex, puts it:
“This showroom is a statement of commitment — offering Chinese clients direct access to the full Bugatti experience. Every detail mirrors the exceptional quality of our cars and the bespoke journey our customers expect.”

A Strategic Step East

For Bugatti, the Shanghai opening isn’t just about selling cars — it’s about deepening roots in a market that reveres craftsmanship as much as power. China’s luxury automotive scene has matured rapidly over the past decade, and the appetite for hyper-exclusive vehicles has followed suit.

By establishing a permanent presence in Shanghai, Bugatti isn’t chasing volume; it’s cultivating legacy. The city’s unique blend of modern ambition and cultural heritage provides a fitting stage for a brand that’s as much about artistry as it is about engineering.

In the words of Mate Rimac, Bugatti’s evolution is “not about making more cars, but about making the best cars.” With Bugatti Shanghai, the marque isn’t just opening doors — it’s opening a new chapter.

Bugatti’s first showroom in mainland China is more than a business move; it’s a cultural handshake. It symbolizes how the world’s oldest names in automotive luxury are finding renewed relevance in markets defined by innovation and sophistication.

Shanghai may be a long way from Molsheim, but the spirit is the same: relentless pursuit of perfection. And for Bugatti, that pursuit now has a new home address — right in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

Source: Bugatti

The Bugatti Tourbillon and Its Eyewear Twin: Hypercar Meets Hyper-Optics

Bugatti doesn’t do half-measures. When the French marque revealed the Tourbillon hypercar, it wasn’t just the start of a new performance era—it was a signal that everything wearing the Bugatti badge is expected to embody the same blend of power, elegance, and audacity. That ethos now extends beyond W16 successors and quad-turbo theatrics into something smaller, lighter, and meant for your face: Bugatti Eyewear’s boldest collection yet.

The timing is no accident. With the Tourbillon headlining Bugatti’s latest automotive chapter, its eyewear arm—developed with longtime partner OBI—is seizing the moment to redefine its own design language. The brand chose Paris, naturally, as the stage. Ahead of a full public reveal at SILMO 2025, the world’s biggest eyewear showcase, a private preview unfolded at Luxury Living Paris, flanked by pieces from the Bugatti Home Collection. Subtle? No. On brand? Entirely.

A Tourbillon for the Eyes

At the heart of the new collection is the Tourbillon Limited Edition frame, a 3D-printed titanium sculpture that looks less like something you’d perch on your nose and more like it belongs on a concours lawn. Its flowing, aerodynamic lines echo the rear design of the hypercar itself, while the choice of titanium delivers strength, flexibility, and that oh-so-necessary dose of aerospace chic.

Bugatti being Bugatti, rarity is baked in. Just 100 pairs will be produced worldwide, each housed in a custom carbon-fiber collector’s box and accompanied by a 3D-printed polyamide case modeled after the Tourbillon’s suspension geometry. This isn’t just eyewear; it’s optical jewelry for the same clientele that casually cross-shops Veyrons and private jets.

Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac, frames it bluntly: “In every facet of its design, the Tourbillon embodies uncompromising precision and daring creativity. Infused with that same spirit, the Tourbillon Limited Edition frame is a natural choice for discerning customers.” Translation: if you’ve got one of the cars on order, you’ll probably want the sunglasses too.

Beyond the Halo Piece

But the collection doesn’t stop with one showpiece. The Model 36 debuts Bugatti’s first rimless design—featherweight, minimalist, and aimed at the executive who likes their luxury subtle. The Model 100, meanwhile, goes the other way: a bold navigator silhouette blending carbon fiber and horn, finished with EB-engraved hinges and accents plated in silver, white gold, or 24-karat gold.

And then there’s the Precious Collection, which makes no apologies for being extreme. Frames are set with certified VVS1 diamonds and rare gemstones, lenses are custom-faceted, and every flourish is handmade by master artisans in Antwerp. It’s eyewear as haute joaillerie—pieces designed less for vision correction than for Instagram correction.

Long-Term Vision

This eyewear reset is guided by Sascha Koettig, CEO of OBI, alongside creative director Kellie Hautala, both of whom speak of building “a new design foundation” and “a strong identity” for the future. Bugatti clearly agrees: its eyewear partnership with OBI has been extended through 2030, ensuring that the marque’s glasses evolve alongside its hypercars.

Wiebke Ståhl, managing director of Bugatti International, sums it up as “quiet luxury and refined sophistication,” though anyone who’s seen a diamond-studded frame plated in 24-karat gold may take the “quiet” part with a grain of salt.

The Big Picture

If this all sounds extravagant, that’s because it is. Bugatti is one of the few brands left that still trades unapologetically in excess. For buyers, a pair of diamond-set Bugatti glasses is less about blocking the sun and more about projecting the same aura as the $4-million hypercar parked outside the villa.

Will the Tourbillon hypercar matter more in 50 years than a titanium sunglasses frame? Absolutely. But as Bugatti tells it, both belong to the same lineage—rolling (and wearable) statements of craftsmanship, rarity, and the pursuit of beauty.

At SILMO 2025 in Paris, that message will be on full display: Bugatti doesn’t just build cars. It builds icons—and now, apparently, eyewear to match.

Source: Bugatti

Bugatti’s Forgotten Hero: The EB110 America SS025 and the Art of Provenance

For Bugatti, every car is more than an object of speed and beauty—it’s a story. A rolling, roaring artifact whose provenance is as valuable as the carbon fiber and titanium beneath its skin. Since Ettore Bugatti’s day, each machine leaving Molsheim has carried the weight of artistry, engineering obsession, and exclusivity. Today, that heritage is safeguarded through La Maison Pur Sang, the marque’s in-house authentication and heritage program.

And sometimes, the process uncovers not just a car, but a saga. Case in point: EB110 America chassis SS025, a rare development vehicle whose odyssey across decades, continents, and concours lawns reveals exactly why provenance matters.

A Collector’s Dream, Verified

Launched in 2020, La Maison Pur Sang’s mission is to document and validate every Bugatti’s story, from the day of commissioning to the present. Think of it as a deep archival dive mixed with forensic detective work. Order sheets, service logs, magazine covers—every scrap of paper and every bolt is studied to confirm authenticity. For owners, it’s not just about preserving value; it’s about connecting with history.

When SS025 rolled into the program, Bugatti’s archivists and engineers discovered a car that was not only genuine but profoundly unique. Built as a development prototype for the EB110 America, SS025 blended the comfort of the GT with the sharper edges of the Super Sport. In other words, a hybrid of both worlds—long-distance usability fused with 1990s hypercar fury.

A Life on the Road (and in the Spotlight)

After its assembly in Campogalliano, Italy, SS025 crossed the Atlantic to serve as Bugatti’s North American demonstrator. It quickly found the limelight: front cover of Robb Report, the People’s Choice Award at Concorso Italiano, a star turn at the 1995 Chicago Auto Show. For a car meant to woo wealthy Americans, it nailed the brief.

Its next chapter was no less cinematic. In 2000, none other than Romano Artioli, the Italian entrepreneur who revived Bugatti in the ’90s, became its first private owner. He stored it in France, later respraying its original silver to the now-iconic Bugatti Blu in 2007—a decision that would shape its future identity.

That fresh coat of blue caught the eye of a UK collector in 2013. Suddenly, SS025 was back in the spotlight, this time on the lawns of Salon Privé, the cover of Octane magazine, and even Jeremy Clarkson’s “The Grand Tour”, where it was hailed as one of the 1990s’ definitive supercars.

More Than Metal: An Emotional Connection

With its third custodian, Stefano Martinoli, SS025 became a bridge between past and present. Martinoli arranged an emotional reunion with Artioli, who hadn’t seen the car in years. Two men, one machine, united by shared passion.

The car later stood alongside the Bugatti Centodieci, a modern tribute to the EB110, outside the Château Saint-Jean in Molsheim. The pairing was poetic: one car, a survivor of Bugatti’s turbulent 1990s; the other, a 21st-century homage built in limited numbers. Together, they embodied Bugatti’s eternal obsession with heritage and progress.

Why Provenance Matters

Bugatti’s Heritage & Certification Expert, Luigi Galli, sums it up best:
“Honoring tradition and heritage is both a privilege and a responsibility. The passion for tradition and the desire to explore the unknown transforms each EB110 into a true treasure.”

In other words, it’s not enough to own a Bugatti—you need to know its story. That’s what La Maison Pur Sang provides: authenticity, reassurance, and, most of all, connection.

For SS025, that story spans continents, concours, magazine covers, and the hands of Bugatti’s most influential figures. It’s not just an EB110 America—it’s a rolling chronicle of Bugatti’s rebirth, preserved for the next chapter of its extraordinary journey.

Source: Bugatti