Gold, for all its shimmering loveliness, is actually a very soft and delicate material. That, among other reasons, is why it is so rarely seen on the exterior of vehicles. Unwilling to allow the material realm to limit its vision, though, Bugatti spent the last five years working on a way to make it resilient enough to adorn the exterior of the final Chirons.
The automaker announced today that it has been working with Poellath GmbH & Co. KG, a Bavarian minting and embossing company to develop the production process to make the grille trim, the “EB” logos, and the Macaron surround on the Chiron L’Ébé out of 24-karat gold.
The first time that the brand’s logo has ever been made out of real gold and applied to a grille, the design was inspired by the Art Deco style of the ’20s. It was only made possible thanks to extensive research and laboratory testing to ensure that the soft gold finish could withstand being on a car.
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Like the 970 sterling silver Macaron that has graced the grille of other Bugattis, the gold trim uses nickel as a basis for its corrosion resistant properties. Experts then apply a thin layer of gold measuring just three to four micrometers, which is then polished to give it a mirror finish. The process is almost entirely done by hand, and it takes more than 10 hours just to make the Macaron.
The biggest challenge, though, is the grille surround trim, which is 17.3-inches (44 cm) long and 15.7 (40 cm) across. Since this is where the gold finish is most clearly visible, experienced craftspeople must carefully apply the finish to ensure that the gold flawless and completely even.
“Our customers want the extraordinary. We are therefore always considering what fits well with the brand’s quality ethos and how we can implement it,” said Hendrik Malinowski, the managing director of sales at Bugatti. “With the gold Macaron on the horseshoe grille and the vehicle’s other gold elements, we can offer our customers something they can only get in this form from Bugatti.”
The 24-karat gold trim is joined by gold-colored trim elsewhere on the body, which complements the “Blue Royal” carbon-fiber bodywork of the Bugatti Chiron L’Ébé. Limited to just three examples (one Chiron and two Chiron Sports), the special edition cars will be the last examples of the model ever delivered in Europe.
Named after Ettore Bugatti’s eldest daughter and biographer, L’Ébé, the car’s design was inspired by the Art Deco style that she so loved. It’s powered by Bugatti’s famed 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 engine, which makes 1,479 hp (1,103 kW/1,500 PS).
