This 1999 Bugatti Chiron concept you’ve never heard of paved the way for the Veyron and eventually the actual Chiron

If you’ve ever wondered how the supercars made by Bugatti came to be, look no further.

We bet you’ve never heard of this 1999 Chiron concept that paved the way for the Veyron and Chiron.

It was conjured up before the millennium.

And it certainly is impressive.

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The supercar maker we all love

Bugatti is a big name in the supercar game.

Due to loving the cars so much, one guy even 3D printed a supercar in his garage and the likeness is uncanny.

Plus, our very own Supercar Blondie got a $4 million Bugatti Tourbillon that arrived in true style.

But we bet you’ve not heard of this concept.

The concept was unveiled in 1999

The Bugatti concept was kept under wraps until the right moment arrived.

And it all happened at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where they also announced the concept’s name. It was called the 18/3 because – you guessed it – it had 18 cylinders beneath the engine’s hood.

It had some rather cool concepts involved overall

The latest Bugatti innovation came with some luxe features. They included 20-inch wheels that drew inspiration from the legendary Louis Chiron’s Type 35B racing car – cool right?

It also had clever systems to cool its brakes and engine and was made from carbon fibre.

This meant that the car only actually weighed 3,700lbs including the hefty engine coming in at 700lbs – we wouldn’t want to drop it, that’s for sure.

According to ItalDesign the car was a ‘two-seater coupè powered by a 6300 cc, 18 cylinder, 555HP mid-rear engine.’

Plus, the color of the car is sure to catch your eye – a striking electric blue.

You can thank the 18-cylinder engine for the Veyron 16.4 too, as design elements were lifted and used in the later model.

Who founded Bugatti?

Ettore Bugatti was the man with the plan behind the supercar company.

“As a self-taught engineer, Bugatti had already designed his first vehicle by the age of 20.

He subsequently gained experience in almost ten years of training and journeyman, including with two German car manufacturers,” reads the bio on the VW website. Yes, VW.

Believe it or not, Volkswagen bought the marque in 1998, bringing new found jazz to the plush company, and since taken it from strength to strength.

What models does Bugatti make?

Well, under the realm of money and power lies a whole fleet of supercars.

Popular among the super-rich and famous, models include the Veyron, Mistral, and of course the Chiron.

Then there’s the Divo, Centodieci, and the one-off masterpiece known as La Voiture Noire, simply, the Black Car.

They’re all sleek, fast, and beautiful, everything you could want in a supercar. And that takes talent.

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