Galibier on hold

Bugatti head, Wolfgang Durheimer, has confirmed the Galibier project is being re-evaluated to improve its design, interior comfort and performance.

The 16C Galibier concept (pictured) debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and was expected to roll into billionaire garages in 2013, but the Durheimer put the project under review when he arrived in February this year.

"I analysed the customer feedback and I studied the '09 show car very closely," he explained. "There were three major areas that I spotted with room for improvement. First; design, then; interior comfort, particularly leg room and back seat space, and third; performance and power.

"It was not really lacking in power (with a proposed 850 horsepower [634kW]) but it could have brought our customers into an argument when they put the key on the bar with their billionaire friends.

"I would protect our customers from arguments. There are some powerful sedans with 800 horsepower [596kW]. I proposed four digit horsepower."

Yet all may not be what it seems with the Galibier's postponement, with industry insiders insisting one of Durheimer's major issues is with the cost, manufacturing tolerances and stiffness of its carbon-fibre chassis.

"They went to (Italian open-wheel racing company) Dallara for the chassis, and that's fine if you want a few racing cars, but they don't build things to cost," one VW Group insider admitted.

"When they showed the Lamborghini people what they'd proposed, they were told they could build more of them at a fraction of the price with tolerances they can barely do in aluminium. Needless to say, both Dallara and Bugatti were shocked.

"Nobody has done a four-door, four-seat carbon tub before, but Lamborghini has a process that would make it a lot easier and more accurate. And cheaper."

Lamborghini has been working with carbon fibre for more than 24 years and reached a new peak with its Aventador, which combines three different carbon-fibre technologies in its tub and it is ramping its production up to five cars a day to meet an order bank of 1800 cars. Yet, while admitting knowledge of the Bugatti Galibier's chassis development at Dallara, Lamborghini's carbon-fibre gurus refused to discuss any dealings with Bugatti.

That won't stop Bugatti pushing the technical limits with the Galibier, should its re-start be approved at the end of this year.

"What I always liked as an engineer is technology with no restrictions and to be responsible for the development of Bugatti projects is at the absolute borderline of the possibilities of engineering," Durheimer said. "There are also some risks that come with it. If you don't take risks we will not make remarkable improvements and the Galibier is kind of a laboratory type vehicle, with one or two cars a week."

He insisted the Galibier would carry on the work of the Veyron experimenting new technologies for the Volkswagen Group's other fast-car brands like Porsche, Lamborghini and Bentley.

"That's why the profitability is by far not as relevant as it is with Bentley. My target is that we get Bugatti into a position to develop a new product by the earnings of the running one and by the earnings of the intellectual property and to explore new technologies for Audi, Lamborghini and Porsche for the future."

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