The Bugatti Baby II is not your average electric kids ride-on car

At the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, Bugatti unveiled the reimagining of the original Bugatti Baby to celebrate their 110th birthday. Developed in partnership with The Little Car Company, all 500 kid-sized cars were reserved in just three weeks after the announcement. Since then, some buyers have had a change in circumstances due to recent global events, meaning a few of these reimagined beauties have become available.

Just like other kid-sized ride-on cars, the Bugatti Baby II is a miniature version of a real car, the Bugatti Type 35. Unlike other kid-sized ride-on cars this one can get up to 70 km/h.

The original Bugatti Baby was created in 1926 when Ettore Bugatti and his son Jean decided to build a scaled-down version of their successful Type 35 car for the youngest son, Roland for his fourth birthday. The Bugattis had intended the gift to be a one-off, but due to positive feedback from customers who saw the mini-me car, the Baby went into production and was sold between 1927 and 1936. Cherished by Bugatti enthusiasts worldwide, only 500 were ever made, until now.

While the original Bugatti Baby was a half-sized scale version of the car that brought Ettore Bugatti to fame in the 1920s, the Bugatti Baby II is larger (now at a 75% scale of the original Type 35) and much more powerful.

“Ettore Bugatti himself was already interested in catering to the children of Bugatti enthusiasts and designed the Type 52 miniature car as a genuine Bugatti. That was a sensation at the time,” says Stephan Winkelmann, President of Bugatti. “We are continuing this tradition with the new edition of the Bugatti Baby II, and I am delighted that we have found The Little Car Company, a partner that shares the same values as us. With the Bugatti Baby II, we invite a young generation of enthusiasts to fall in love with the wonderful world of Bugatti.”

The Bugatti Baby II is available in three versions starting with the Base model which will set you back €30,000 ($50k AUD), the Vitesse at €43,500 ($71k AUD) and the collectable Pur Sang range-topper at €58,500 ($96k AUD). This could be the only chance you get to own your own Bugatti in the 21st Century with new models like the Chiron fetching upwards of $5 million.

The Baby II’s performance is quite incredible for an electric small “kid’s car”. The Base model comes with two modes; Novice which is limited to 20 km/h and 1kW of power, and Expert which is limited to 45 km/h and 4kW of power.

The Vitesse and Pur Sang versions include the Novice and Expert driving modes, but also offer extra performance from an upgraded powertrain, unlocked by the legendary Bugatti Speed Key. This enables drivers to access up to 10kW and with a weight of just 230kg, the Vitesse & Pur Sang models will try and spin their rear Michelin tyres from a standstill, on the way to a 70 km/h top speed!

When driven carefully, the Base model can get 25km of range on a single charge from its lithium-ion battery pack. The larger battery pack in the Vitesse & Pur Sang models doubles that, though not if they decide to unleash the full performance of the Baby II. And if that’s not enough, the replaceable battery packs can be swapped out in a matter of seconds so the fun can continue.

Other features include working replicas of the original Type 35’s instruments, with some modern twists. For example, the fuel pressure gauge has now become the battery gauge and in a nod to the Bugatti Veyron, the oil gauge has become a power gauge. The scale replica of the famous four-spoke steering wheel now has a quick release to make access to the cockpit easier. The adjustable pedals are machined from solid aluminium billet and proudly display Bugatti’s famous “EB” logo, while the fuel pump handle has been exactly reproduced, but now serves as the forward, neutral and reverse selector.

And proudly displayed on the nose of each car is Bugatti’s famous ‘Macaron’ badge, made of 50g of solid silver, an exact 75% replica of the badge on the current Bugatti Chiron. The car can even be customised in multiple colours for both the exterior and interior, including the same solid shades available on the Bugatti Chiron, which you and the kids can configure on the BugattiBaby.com website.

All owners of Baby IIs will also receive membership of The Little Car Club and the Bugatti Owners’ Club, and be able to attend events where they, their children and grandchildren can drive their cars at famous motor racing circuits. Beats driving around the backyard...

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