Who remembers the Bugatti 16C Galibier, the Panamera of the super rich?

In the 2000s, Bugatti once again became the leading brand thanks to the Veyron, which is nothing more and nothing less than the fastest production car in the world. Success was made possible thanks to the takeover of the brand by Volkswagen. But did you know that in 2009, the Alsatian manufacturer dreamed of a large luxury sedan? A concept, called the 16C Galibier, had been presented. In addition to its name evoking the legend of the Bugatti Type 57 Galibier, keen observers will recognize the general lines of the Porsche Panamera. Unfortunately, this concept never got the green light to go into production…

Today, we all know Bugatti for its powerful supercars. But historically, the Alsatian brand is associated with the world of high luxury. In the first half of the 20th century, the manufacturer produced some of the most unique sedans and coupes in the international automotive industry. Therefore, although today the series has only one model (not counting the special and small series), we almost got a second, more luxurious car.

In 2009, Bugatti revealed the 16C Galibier in great secrecy at its Molsheim factory, in front of about ten customers. Why Galibier? Based on the 5-door version of the Type 57. The following year, the concept took its first outing at the Geneva Motor Show. Unfortunately, despite the enthusiasm it generated, the 16C Galibier never made it past the production stage. As a reminder, this was Bugatti’s third attempt to establish itself in the exclusive sedan segment, after the EB112 and EB218 concepts, presented in the 1990s.

V16, against all obstacles

However, the technical sheet and design of the 16C Galibier were more than concrete. Aesthetically, this large sedan adopted all the stylistic principles of the brand. The front face adopted the famous horseshoe-shaped grille, the profile integrated a C-shaped line, as in the Chiron, while there was a long ridge that extended from the top of the windshield to the trunk. However, due to its association with the Volkswagen group, there are some similarities with the Porsche Panamera, especially at the rear. The 16C Galibier still stood out with more attractive headlights, a larger rear window and, above all, its 8 exhaust pipes.

The interior was very refined, with the dashboard and center console covered in wood. At the bottom, we found a block made up of a screen and a climate control panel. The rest was covered with brown leather and placed with aluminum. Facing the passenger seat was Ettore Bugatti’s signature. The rear seats, for their part, were not the envy of the most luxurious private jets.

Under the front hood, with a double opening like the old models of the brand, The Bugatti 16C Galibier featured the V16 8.0 quad-turbo from the Veyron. However, power was reduced to 800 horsepower, which would still make it the most powerful sedan in production at the time. Performance figures have never been announced, but we can imagine that this 16C Galibier may have outperformed the larger cars of the time. Unfortunately, we’ll never know. Despite the many rumors that talked about its entry into production, in the years that followed its presentation, the project was undoubtedly buried, before the Chiron arrived on the list. But with the arrival of electric and the partnership with Rimac, it is unlikely that a new large sedan will join the ranks one day …