Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse "Jean Bugatti"

The world’s fastest production convertible just got a bit more exclusive with a new special model, the Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse “Jean Bugatti”. This legends edition Bugatti will be revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show this month, showing one of the finest automobiles ever built in a form that is even more rare. This blacked-out edition is named after Jean Bugatti, the son of Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti and the creator of one of the most sought after Bugatti’s ever built.

With its “Jean Bugatti” Legend model, Bugatti pays homage to a prominent figure in 20th century automotive history. Gianoberto Carlo Rembrandt Ettore Bugatti, known as Jean, was the eldest son of Ettore Bugatti and the most gifted of his four children. From the late 1920s onwards, Jean used his own structural and design ideas to exert more and more influence over the development of the company located in Molsheim, Alsace. In 1936, he took over as head of the company at the age of 27. By the time of his tragic accidental death in 1939, Jean had secured his place in automotive history thanks to his pioneering engine and chassis designs and concepts for vehicle bodies.

This new Grand Sport Vitesse is inspired by Jean Bugatti’s Type 57SC Atlantic, but it does so in a very contemporary rendition. It’s body is crafted from carbon fiber and platinum from front to back, but done so in a subdued fashion that yields a luxurious look that isn’t intended to be flashy. Like other Grand Sport Vitesse, this beautiful vehicle can break 250 mph on the open road. It does so in a class even more rare than the original, and for the princely sum of just over $3 million.

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