The Dubai International Motor Show 2013 has marked the world premiere of the Bugatti Legend “Meo Costantini”. This is the third model in the six-part edition “Les Légendes de Bugatti”, and is dedicated to Meo Costantini, a close friend of company founder Ettore Bugatti and two-time winner of the Targa Florio.
This Legend car, like all cars in the series, is based on the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. It pays homage to Meo Costantini, head of Bugatti’s factory race team for many years and also a driver, winning the Targa Florio two times in the Bugatti Type 35, one of the most successful racing cars of all time.
The Legend Edition “Meo Costantini” is priced at $2.7 million. As with all Bugatti Legend cars, the production run is limited to only three vehicles.
“Meo Costantini embodies the most successful era in Bugatti’s racing history,” says Dr Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “Ettore Bugatti’s vehicles from the 1920s stand for light-weight construction and technical aesthetics. When Bugatti created the Type 35, he inspired one of the most successful racing cars of all time. The Vitesse ‘Meo Costantini’ is reminiscent of the Type 35.”
The series of Bugatti Legend cars, “Les Légendes de Bugatti”, was launched in August at California’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with the Vitesse “Jean-Pierre Wimille”. This was followed by the Legend car, “Jean Bugatti”, which was presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt.
The Legend Edition “Meo Costantini” is based on the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. Its 8-liter W16 engine can accelerate from 0 to 62 MPH in 2.6 seconds. The Vitesse was driven to a top speed of 253 MPH with the roof down in April 2013, making it the fastest production roadster ever built.
The body of the Vitesse Legend “Meo Costantini” is primarily constructed of carbon fiber. The wings, doors, the parts behind the doors, the “medaillons” (French) and corners of the front bumper are rendered in aluminum. The blue paintwork on the carbon fiber parts references France’s classic motor sport color, as well as the Type 35. The new paint color “Bugatti Dark Blue Sport” has been specially developed for the vehicle. The aluminum parts are hand-polished and coated with clear lacquer. Bugatti is the only production manufacturer to offer polished clear-coated aluminum bodywork.
As a reference to Costantini’s victory at Targa Florio, the silhouette of the historic race course is painted on the underside of the rear wing (air-brake) in “Bugatti Dark Blue Sport.” Another feature that pays tribute to the illustrious racing driver is his signature, which is laser-engraved into the aluminum tank and oil caps and painted in silver.
The interior of the Legend Vitesse “Meo Costantini” is completely upholstered in leather. The roof, footwell, center sections of the seats and rear wall are all in the color “Gaucho”, a sophisticated cognac tone. The seat’s side cushions, arm rests, extended center console, door panels, dash panel, instrument panel and steering wheel are all trimmed in dark blue leather in the “Lake Blue” color.
The head restraints are embroidered with Meo Costantini’s signature in “Bugatti Light Blue Sport,” whilst the cover of the rear center box features the eye-catching silhouette of the Targa Florio race route. The silhouette is portrayed in a milled and polished aluminium relief that has been attached directly below the EB logo on the cover, itself crafted from dark blue clear-coated carbon fiber.
A special highlight of the interior is the racing scenes and vintage car motifs on the doors, which have been laser-engraved into the leather trim with the utmost precision and attention to detail. These images illustrate the most glorious moments of Meo Costantini’s racing career and the exciting world of motor racing in the 1920s. The interior trim of the door pockets and door handle recesses in “Bugatti Light Blue Sport” adds a dash of color.
The Vitesse Legend “Meo Costantini” also shares several features with the other Legend cars in the Edition, including the inlay in the extended section of the center console, crafted of clear-coated carbon fiber and sporting the Legend logo with the famous Bugatti elephant, and the door sill strips displaying the likeness and signature of Meo Costantini.
