When you pay over a million dollars for a new Bugatti, you’re not just buying the car. You’re buying into an entire lifestyle – one which the Alsatian manufacturer aims to make as indulgent as possible.
The company currently caters to approximately 420 customers, who between them hold 450 Veyrons (320 owners) and have placed 200 orders for the new Chiron. That means that about 130 Bugatti customers have more than one Veyron in the garage, and according to Autocar, about half of the Chiron orders taken so far were placed by existing Veyron owners.
The bulk of those orders were taken at “roadshow” events held around the world ahead of the Chiron’s debut at the Geneva Motor Show this past fall. Existing and prospective clients were each given a two-hour appointment when the roadshow came to town to look at the car and talk to Bugatti designers, engineers, and executives. 160 of the 200 orders were taken at these events, before anyone has had a chance to drive one.
In fact most buyers won’t have had a chance to drive a Chiron before they take delivery of their own, a process which is set to begin this fall. But the ownership experience doesn’t end there.
The manufacturer organizes a Grand Tour event every year for owners to drive their Bugattis in glamorous locations. It also offers driving courses and track days, regularly invites owners to the factory in Molsheim, and even organizes private concerts.
Sound good to you? You’ll need to pony up $2.6 million to get a new Chiron. That’s assuming you can get a spot on the waiting list, and don’t mind actually waiting the months or even years to take delivery. (Bugatti makes fewer than 100 vehicles per annum.) Of course you could go the Bugatti Certified route and buy a pre-owned Veyron, but even those sell for seven figures – which only drives the point home that there is no cheap way to get into this particular club.
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