Geneva 2009: Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire

Bugatti is starting to develop "Mustang Syndrome." This rare but treatable condition involves the creation of multitudes of special editions of one model, which are all rather similar only slightly different, for no apparent reason.  While Bugatti doesn't need a reason to do anything (hey, they can sell a $1.4m USD car in this economy!) I do think the special editions are getting out of hand.  Still, the latest limited-edition Bugatti - the Veyron Bleu Centenaire - is easily the best looking of the Bugattis.

It's mainly paint.  the Veyron Bleu Centenaire is being made to celebrate the French company's 100th birthday (thus Centenaire) and is painted in two-tone matte and gloss-finish "Sprintblue," Bugatti's traditional racing color of the 1930's.  It's a nice touch and gives the car a unique, historical look - although to me it pretty much looks like Audi's Nogaro Blue.  The neatest thing is that the Sprintblue paint extends to the quad-turbo W16's exposed valve covers, which is a neat touch.

The Bleu Centenaire also gets a new set of alloy wheels and red brake calipers to further differentiate it from "pedestrian" Bugattis.  Sadly, mechanical changes are nil.  Some sites were reporting this special Veyron would receive a significant power upgrade and an increased top speed of 270mph (from 253), but considering the Veyron is already powered by a quad-turbocharged, 1001bhp, W16-cylinder engine - is more power really necessary?

The asking price of the Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire is US $1.7M.  This means that it will mostly likely be picked up and deposited in some middle-east Oil Sheik's garage, never to see a road again.  I guess it can sit next to their regular Veyron, their Veyron Pur Sang (the one with no paint that was more expensive... go figure), their Veyron Fbp par Hermés (co-created with the French luxury brand of the same name), their Veyron Sang Noir, and maybe their drop-top Veyron Gran Sport.  It makes the head spin...