These men transformed a totaled BMW into a custom Bugatti over the course of three years
- Content creators blend old BMW 3-series with a Russian Volga
- They were inspired to make a custom Bugatti
- The result after three years was the Volgatti
Published on Jan 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 13, 2025 at 6:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Russian content creators shared their incredible transformation journey taking an old BMW and giving it a new lease of life as a custom Bugatti named the Volgatti.
Their three-year automotive journey has been edited down to just fifty minutes.
The team reimagines the BMW with a Bugatti-inspired design, performance upgrades, and unique custom features.
Their question? How much does it cost to build a homemade car in the garage?
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Turning a BMW into a custom Bugatti
While a $100 Ford Probe was the car of choice for Sasha Likhoĭ and the Axes: Garage team’s project, it was later replaced with a later replaced with a wrecked BMW 3-series costing $3,500.
It was thought that the Probe’s frame lacked the dimensions, robustness, and mechanical capabilities needed to support the Bugatti Chiron homage.
The 3-Series clearly lends itself well to crazy projects, since it also happens to be the same car that a group of engineers used to create a real-life transformer.
However, the totaled BMW needed extensive repairs for the project to work.
Construction involved designing, refining, and creating custom body panels, molds, and components.
Aside from that, it took a long time to create a functional spoiler, integrate new windshield designs, and modify the cooling and suspension systems to match the Bugatti aesthetic.
Its custom paintwork, chrome finishing, and functional design elements were the cherry on the cake for the unique and high-quality final product.
How much did the Volgatti transformation cost?
As well as the $1000 cost of the BMW, a $400 Volga donor, and custom parts like fiberglass molds, air suspension, and wide wheels – hence ultimately naming the project ‘Volgatti’.
Built in the Soviet Union between the 1950s and 1970s, the GAZ-21 Volga is about as far away as you can get from a Bugatti Chiron.
The cumulative cost of the car came to $106,995.
This total covers materials, labor, rent, and custom parts.
Labor and rent of the workshop alone averaged $2,300.
While the car has already been for a test drive – it’s not quite finished.
The content creators have appealed for funds to complete its custom suspension, wheels, and license plate.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
