Paying homage to two legends.
In 1937, Bugatti brought the Type 57G Tank to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the 13 races before, teams from Bentley and Alfa Romeo dominated the endurance race, making victory lane appear as an insurmountable challenge for the French Bugatti team. But, the aerodynamically-shaped, 200-horspower Bugatti Type 57G Tank driven by Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist had a lower center of gravity than its competition and was capable of reaching higher speeds quicker.
Shortly after the start of the race, Wimille was able to speed to the front of the pack and eventually took the checkered flag with an impressive 84 mph average speed covering a total distance of 2,043 miles. It marked the first victory for the French automaker and the first of two victories for Jean-Pierre Wimille.
To honor the automaker’s famed factory racing driver, Bugatti unveiled the Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport at the 2013 Monterey Car Week. The Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron is the first of six editions in the new Legend special edition range and will be limited to just three vehicles.
“With our first Legend ‘Jean-Pierre Wimille’ we are celebrating Bugatti’s racing life, which experienced a meteoric high point with the Le Mans victory of 1937”, explains Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
“Bugatti has a strong tradition. Our customers and fans have a great understanding of the brand’s history”, he continues. “The Legends reflect the incredible creativity and unbelievable feats of craftsmanship which distinguish a modern Bugatti. In addition to the outstanding dynamic characteristics, the use of authentic materials and high-quality craftsmanship lie at the very core of this brand’s ethos.”
The new Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron takes much of its design and color scheme from the original Bugatti Type 57G Tank and its light- and dark blue colors. The entire body is constructed from lightweight carbon fiber. A special “Bleu Wimille” paint was developed specifically for this model and covers the entire frontal area, side doors, aspects behind the doors, “medallion”, and underside of the rear spoiler. Special exposed dark blue carbon fiber runs from the headlights and to the rear section of the Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron providing a similar contrast as the original Type 57G Tank’s “Wimille Stripes.” The final touch is Jean-Pierre Wimille’s signature laser-etched into the oil and fuel caps.
The same two-tone color scheme showcased on the exterior of the Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron is used throughout the beautifully handcrafted cabin. The seat inserts, headliner, and footwells all wear “Bleu Wimille” upholstery and are contrasted by dark, “Lake Blue” dashboard, doors, center console, and seat bolsters. Each seat also wears light blue stitching to contrast the “Lake Blue” color, while the blue, white, and red colors of the French flag are used on the steering wheel and gearshift. Exposed carbon fiber adorns the center console extension and feature “Les Legends de Bugatti” logos.
Paying homage to the legendary driver are “Bleu Wimille” signatures stitched into each headrest as well as a polished aluminum relief of the Le Mans circuit below the “EB” logo on the rear centerbox in dark blue exposed carbon fiber. Special Bugatti elephants are worn on each door sill plate alongside the portrait and signature of Jean-Pierre Wimille.3
The volcanic powerplant that is the 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged, W-16 producing 1,200 horsepower and 1,106 lb-ft. of torque from 3,000 to 5,000 RPM, will power the Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron. The hypercar will still be capable of accelerating to 62 mph in just 2.6 seconds and reaching a top speed of 253 mph (408.84 km/h).
Only three of the Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron models will be produced. The car is the first of six in the Bugatti Legends special edition series. Pricing has not been released.
Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron Gallery
Source: Bugatti
Is the Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” Veyron a proper tribute to the driver and his Type 57G Tank?
