How do you follow perfection? Bugatti’s Galibier sedan could come after the Chiron

By Andrew Hard May 23, 2016

Bugatti Galibier Sedan Concept — Bugatti Galibier Sedan Concept Image used with permission by copyright holder

Bugatti is one of the most prestigious names in the automotive industry, and the brand’s success can be largely tied to its singular focus. For the most part, the French automaker builds just one vehicle at time, pouring every ounce of its soul into one nameplate in the pursuit of transcendent greatness. Take a quick look through the company’s history and you’ll probably agree: Bugatti’s strategy is working.

Right now, the luxury manufacturer is all about the Chiron, a 1,500-horsepower magnum opus that makes even the most dramatic superlatives feel unworthy. The $2.6 million showstopper was just revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, but that isn’t stopping the company from taking a peek toward the horizon.

In a recent interview with Car and Driver, Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer said that his brand was weighing “four strategic alternatives” for a Chiron follow-up, one of which is the Galibier super sedan that has been rumored for several years. Speculation started back in 2009, when Bugatti debuted the five-door Galibier concept car at an invitation-only event in France. Whether or not an eventual production version will mirror the concept is anyone’s guess, but the possibility of a 1,500-hp four-door certainly has us intrigued.

As for the other three options? Dürheimer didn’t go into details, but he promises each of them are “sensational.” At this point, we have no reason to doubt him.

Read more: 11 radiators. 16 cylinders. 1,500 horses. How Bugatti built the monstrous Chiron

In the more immediate future, Bugatti will likely echo the Veyron’s production cycle by adding new variants of the Chiron. A roadster is the most probable choice, and when Car and Driver asked if a topless Chiron would need a T-top roof to preserve its unique “Atlantic” roof, Dürheimer responded cryptically and succinctly.

“Very perceptive,” he said.

That’s not a lot to go on, but whether it’s a drop top Chiron or a four-door Galibier coming up next, the future of Bugatti is as bright as ever.

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Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

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