Allow me to go on record as saying that I kind of like this car because it is straight out of left field and it actually has some amazing technology and craftsmanship wound together in a weird but unique package. What do I mean by that? Well, this car has a hand formed carbon fiber body, a custom made chassis that combines a front end by Fat Man Fabrications, a Ford 9-inch rear end, and a GMC V12 for power. I am trying to place the wheels from an OEM application but I can’t and that’s probably because they are not from an OEM application but they remind me of something I have seen before. The really nipple twister in this whole equation is the price of the car, $650,000. Is there that much tied up into the whole thing? When you consider the carbon fiber body and everything that has gone into the rest of the thing there may be something like that figure involved.
This may be the ultimate case of “just because that’s what it cost, doesn’t mean that’s what it is worth” in the automotive world. This car is beyond a niche, it is literally a niche of one that will need to see the machine and lay out a huge sum of cash. Just think about this. If they cut the price in half, the car will still have an asking price of $325,000. Even that number seems insanely high. Again, I’m not knocking anything about the car, its construction, or its look. I am just choking on the price.
The GMC V12 is cool because it harks back to the era of huge 12 and 16 cylinder engines that powered cars like this when they were brand new but even with the Thunder hot rodding treatment you are still looking at a 425hp engine that does make a big 630 lb/ft at 1,800 RPM. It will certainly move this car down the road and it will fry the tires right off of idle but it won’t be setting drag strip records anytime soon. A mildly boosted V8 of your choosing would bury this thing in the weeds, but we understand that it is not the horsepower that makes this thing but the visual impact of the big engine.
Here’s the text of the eBay ad for the rig:
931 BUGATTI ROYALE KELLNER COUPE TRIBUTE. Hand crafted Carbon Fiber Recreation of the worlds most prestigious auto. Every piece of this project was hand crafted. Body and fenders were formed of carbon fiber with the body having a foam core to add strength. hood and grill are hand formed steel. frame constructed of 2in. by 8in. tubing with 1in. by 2in. bracing. Fatman Fabrications front end with custom built 9in. rear. Engine is a GMC V12 Custom crafted by Thunder V12 I could talk about this car for hrs. but as you can see by the last photo this beauty speaks for itself. Its not about being noticed its about being remembered.
Scroll down to see the photos of this truly interesting (and really expensive) massive hot rod –
I like it. As you ssaid, though, price is waaaay up there, especially when you consider some of the details like the taillights and ‘bumpers’ look so cheap.Considering it’s one of a kindness and fab work, I think this car should be… 75K? Tops.
Oh, the wheels? They are copies of the ones that where on the Chrysler Imperial concept.
$75K tops, really? Body alone is probably more than $75K. I saw this car a few weeks back at a car show in Henderson, NC. Its a big but beautiful car! My only downfall is the se of a GMC V12, it would been more exotic to use say a Falconer V12 even though its has a $65K price tag!
Yeah..
I’m reminded of the scene from Trading Places where Dan Ackroyd goes to pawn his expensive watch. He says it is hand made, does this, this, this, and this, and states it cost however many thousands of dollars, only to have the worker respond, “In Philadelphia, it’s worth 50 bucks.”
This car has hell of a lot of fab work, that expensive carbon fiber body, paint work is great, that tastefully done interior, and whoever had it built dropped at least a good 200-300k on it. Well, here, in the real world, it’s worth 75k.
And it’d still take a very specific kind of person willing to drop that much on it.
In the end, it is just a replica, one with many questionable final details. Why go all out on the body and paint, custom frame, that interior, only to put a steel tube as a front bumper, ugly headlight supports made from same tubing, and tailights that look like there were ordered out of a JC Whitney style catalog for semi trucks? More nitpicks that is are personal preferences, that frame should have been black, and those lightning bolts on the valve covers are kinda lame, they don’t really fit the style of this car.
Not considering price, this looks like a great car, you are correct about a niche of one, building this and trying to get your money back out of it is insane, if you build something like this it is a commitment to keep it forever
I agree with Burner. I respect the work but too many details are off on this one to command that price. 650K gets you something closer to a hand built one-off Blastoline creation. If you want a replica Bugatti you get a better looking product from Decorides (http://www.decorides.com/). They would probably be able to make the shell in CF for you too. All that being said maybe one of those dotcom millionaires will like it and bite. You never know.
I have always liked this particular Bugatti, and have a plastic model of this car on my windowsill. This one has some odd finishes here and there, nothing that can’t be fixed (I think the dash needs to be done in a period correct style). But that price…
the 610 cubic inch GMC was a gas guzzling boat anchor 50 years ago
now if they had a kenne bell blown triton V10 they would be able to drive it without stopping for gas every 20 miles
good lord,where to start?—the top was probably covered in material to hide some less than perfect bodywork,the engine choice is bizarre(and not in a good way)–the interior?—mercy!! looks like vinyl to me,the tops of the seats do not line up,neither do the cushions,i’d like to see more of the fit and finish on the interior—wheels kinda work,as does the banjo style steering wheel,but the dash should be more art deco looking,in keeping with the body—the taillights? ugghhhhhleeeeeee—–for the kind of coin they are asking,everything(not just parts of it) should be flawless