Bugatti’s Never-Ending Special-Edition Veyron Lineup Just Got Larger

If I were to ever sit down and name all the special-edition Bugatti Veyron models – I’d probably lose a whole day out of my already busy life. Just when you thought Bugatti was done milking the Veyron for all the special-edition models possible from a model, the company has gone ahead and introduced a whole new special-edition segment, which consists of three different special-edition models. Confused? Let me explain in bullet point format.

• Bugatti loves special-edition models.
• New Special-Edition segment is called Bugatti Legends.
• There will be a total of three Bugatti Legend special-edition models.
• Hope that helped.

Moving on. The first special-edition Bugatti Legends model will be known as the Bugatti Veyron Jean-Pierre Wimille, who until now was a mystery to me but apparently won the brand two victories for Bugatti at Le Mans. Those two victories included a win in 1937, driving a Bugatti 57G Tank co-piloted by Robert Benoist, and repeating the win in 1939, driving a Pierre Veyron in a 57C Tank.

“This brand has been in large part defined by outstanding personalities and historically resonant moments,” said Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles. “We want to tell the story of the brand through these Bugatti legends, and at the same time create a link between its past and presence.”

Each Bugatti Legends model is based on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. Power comes from a 8 liter W16 engine making 1,183-hp, propelling the car to go from 0 to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds with a top speed of 253 mph. That’s just the type of car we’d love to see take the track.

Production of the Bugatti Legend “Jean-Pierre Wimille” will be limited to three units.

About Jean-Pierre Wimille (if you’re interested):

Jean-Pierre Wimille was one of the longest-serving test drivers at Bugatti. The son of a journalist, he was born in Paris on 26 February 1908 and drove almost exclusively for Bugatti throughout his racing career. With a number of victories already under his belt, in 1933 Ettore Bugatti invited him to take up the position of official test driver for the brand. He joined Bugatti at a point when its last great racing triumphs lay a few years in the past, making the string of victories he brought home to Molsheim over the following years even more significant. In his very first year he came first in the Algerian Grand Prix, then in 1935 he collected the title in the then-famous hill climb at La Turbie near Nice driving a T 59, following this with a second place in the Tunisian Grand Prix and fourth place in Spain.

And it was Jean-Pierre Wimille who brought Bugatti what was to be its last ever racing number one, in 1947 at the Bois de Boulogne, behind the wheel of a 4.7 litre Monoposto Type 59/50 B. Wimille was a world-class driver, who played a key role at Bugatti, especially as the brand’s racing era came to an end. His greatest racing achievement was without doubt his twin victories for Bugatti at Le Mans. He died in a car crash in 1949 in Buenos Aires.