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Bugatti in Paris

Unique hyper sports cars demand an extraordinary backdrop. The former monastery, Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, lies at the heart of the forest of Rambouillet around 50 kilometers southwest of Paris. Parts of the complex were established in the 11th century as a Cistercian abbey. Nowadays it is one of the world’s most charming hotels – and thus the ideal place to highlight the Chiron Sport and Chiron Pur Sport to French passion.

“We are delighted to share, with an authentic simplicity, this passion that keeps us together”, explains Edouard Schumacher, CEO of Groupe Schumacher and LS Group. “La Maison Bugatti Paris has the purpose to create special experiences, that bring people to live the French Art de Vivre. The Chiron Sport and Pur Sport are extraordinary vehicles, with superlative performances, a real dream that links together all the automotive passions.”

Since its creation in 1947, the family Group has developed a representative network of roughly twenty automotive brands throughout France and has carried on the historical tradition and presence of sports cars brands in the Paris metropolitan region.

“For myself personally, it’s a particular pleasure to be part of this Bugatti Paris event and showcase the Chiron Sport and Chiron Pur Sport to our customers”, says Guy Caquelin, Regional Director Europe at Bugatti. “After long abstinence and merely digital presentations, aficionados of our brand finally have the chance here to test and experience the two hyper sports cars. Customers need to be able to see, drive and feel Bugatti vehicles so they can internalize their unique and special character.” The test drives in Paris have been the kick-off of a Bugatti Road Show for the Chiron Sport and Pur Sport in Europe.

The Chiron Sport, launched in 2018, refines the Chiron and relies on lightweight components and firmer running gear – for even more direct handling and impressive agility. With the Chiron Pur Sport Bugatti engineers developed a hyper sports car uncompromisingly geared towards lateral dynamics, boasting maximum agility, driving performance, and excellent handling. Ideal for fast cornering and appropriately matched with the 8.0-liter W16 engine generating 1,500 PS and 1,600-newton meters of torque. It propels the Chiron Pur Sport from 0 to 100 km/h in a mere 2.3 seconds and from 0 to 200 km/h in 5.9 seconds. The series-production version of the Chiron Pur Sport has been limited to 60 units and comes with a price tag of 3 million euros (net). Just like the Chiron Sport, the Chiron Pur Sport is being built in the Atelier in Molsheim in the Alsace region of France.

Paris site of historic significance to Bugatti

As a French luxury brand, Paris has always been a special place for Bugatti. Ettore Bugatti established the brand’s first showroom here in Avenue Montaigne almost 100 years ago. Even though the founder chose Molsheim as the company headquarters and production site in 1909, he frequently visited Paris, the center of the intellectual avant-garde. He spent pivotal parts of his professional and personal life here. Today Bugatti lives on in the spirit of Ettore Bugatti at the recently inaugurated, new showroom in Neuilly-sur-Seine – situated only 500 meters from where Ettore Bugatti spent his last days in 1947.

April 2, 2021 / Comments Off

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One of one Isdera Commendatore 112i goes to auction

Renowned RM – Sotheby’s will host a very special auction on February 13 2021 in Paris that has some amazing super and hyper cars already listed at this moment. How about six different Lamborghini from the time when Ferruccio was still running the company from Sant’Agata, or a 2015 Spania GTA Spano, one of 12 ever made, and the only one from the 2nd series production, interested in a 2008 Gumpert Apollo? It’s entered into the auction next month too, don’t miss it.

But for me personally the most interesting car is the silver metallic, 1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i … only one was ever built, and it comes with the same V12 Mercedes-Benz M120 engine as a Pagani Zonda! But the story of the Isdera Commendatore 112i begins in the Seventies, when Eberhard Schulz joined forces with B&B in Frankfurt to develop the CW311 prototype unveiled at the local 1978 IAA.

Mercedes-Benz even allowed B&B to put the famous star on the front of their CW311, but Schulz left B&B four years later and started his own company, Isdera, an abbreviation for Ingenieurbüro fur Styling, DEsign und RAcing. His first car was the Isdera Spyder 036i in 1982, a very rare car today as only 17 would be built, but Schulz really wanted to create a road-going version of that CW311 prototype … which became the Isdera Imperator 108i in 1983.

The Isdera Imperator 108i was powered by a 5-Liter V8 engine from Mercedes, the M117, and it came with real gullwing doors just like the Mercedes 300 SL, between 1983 and 1991 only 20 units would be made, all bespoke to order … but Schulz wasn’t satisfied yet, so he continued the development of a real boutique super car.

1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i Rémi Dargegen © 2020 RM Sothebys

In 1993 Isdera unveiled the next step in design and performance … the Commendatore 112i, a car named in honor of Enzo Ferrari himself, this new model took the Imperator idea to the extreme. Installing a V12 engine underneath two gullwing-style engine covers, delivering 400 hp from its 6-Liter displacement, dual overhead camshafts and coupled to a manual gearbox through a bespoke flywheel (Mercedes only had developed an automatic gearbox for this engine). RUF delivered the Porsche gearbox for the Commendatore with an additional sixth gear … which resulted in a theoretical top speed of 340km/h (211 mph), during wind tunnel testing this one-off prototype reached the magical 200 mph speed (322 km/h) … in 1993!

Over the lightweight spaceframe chassis, Schulz mounted a body made from GRP, a Porsche 928 suspension was modified with BBS/Bilstein developed active dampers … the Commendatore would lower itself three inches at speed to reduce drag, which was only 0.306 when tested. The car came with the Isdera trademark gullwing doors, their own windshield wiper system to avoid drag, and the Commendatore didn’t even have traditional rear view mirrors on the fenders … there was a glass panel in the roof and a periscope style mirror was fitted on top of the roof.

Massive BBS racing wheels were used and Schulz had every intention to build a few road-legal cars and have a racing variant enter the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France … but in 1993 a major economic downfall occurred in Japan. And unfortunately most of Isdera’s funding came from Japan, so the company was forced into a restructuring and the Commendatore 112i project was halted. No entries into Le Mans, and the one-and-only car built was put aside, only to be unveiled again at the 1999 IAA in Frankfurt. Renamed into the ‘Silver Arrow’, a Swiss consortium had removed the BBS wheels, the periscope mirror and installed five-spoke wheels and ‘normal’ wing mirrors, have a look at those modifications in our earlier article on this car.

But things had turned around for Isdera by 2016, and they managed to buy this unique prototype back from the new owner, with only 10,500 km on the counter, it was rebuilt for road use and even had a license plate and registration now. Isdera did return their Commendatore 112i back to 1993 specs with those stunning, gold finished, multi-piece BBS Racing wheels. But also blue and black upholstered Recaro seats and the correct Porsche Arctic Silver paint.

This Commendatore 112i comes with a certificate if authenticity from Isdera themselves confirming this is the only one in existence, ever. This very special Nineties car will draw attention, even when parked next to a Koenigsegg or a Pagina from the same era … or newer, the Commendatore 112i is a very unique car that aged extremely well.

January 20, 2021 / Comments Off

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Another Lamborghini Veneno Roadster Listed for Auction

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster made headlines last year when it crossed the auction block at Bonham’s Switzerland sale. That car, previously the property of Tedoro Obiang Nguema, set a Lamborghini record with a CHF 8,280,000 hammer price. It seems that that result was enough to convince another owner to part with his limited edition Lamborghini.

The second Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is set to cross RM Sotheby’s auction block in Paris later this year. Having covered just 450 km from new, it is the second Veneno Roadster from a production run of nine cars.

The exterior colour of this car is Matte Black over an interior trimmed in lime green and black leather. Arguably, this example is a better proposition than the Bonhams car, yet RM Sotheby’s have opted for a conservative estimate of €4,5 million to € 5,5 million.

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster For Auction

The Veneno Roadster is a special edition model based on the Lamborghini Aventador. It received the same 6.5-litre V12 and generates a power output of 750 hp. It cost €3,300,000 when it was originally announced in 2014.

The Veneno Roadster is just one of a number of highlights RM Sotheby’s have lined up for their Paris 2020 auction. Other exotic machinery on offer includes a Porsche 904 GTS, a BMW 507 Roadster Series II, a Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio, a Ferrari 365 GTS/4-A Daytona Spyder and a Jaguar D-Type. A few oddballs also appear on the list, including a Spyker C8 and a Gemballa Mirage GT!

RM Sotheby’s have stiff competition in terms of attention too. Bonhams are holding a sale too. Highlights include an exceptional Bugatti Type 55 Two-Seat Supersport, a Bugatti 57 Atalante Coupé and a Ferrari Dino 206S/SP Racing Sports Prototype. Arcurial also has some interesting lots including a 1929 Mercedes-Benz 710 SS valued at €6 million to €8 million.

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January 11, 2020 / Comments Off

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How To Score A Private Tour At The Louvre Museum

No Paris itinerary is complete without a stroll inside the hallowed halls of the Louvre Museum. Popular works of art, some of which staples in pop culture dialogue, reside here. Seeing them up close would be an experience like no other.

But why not take it further with a private tour around the iconic museum?

As it turns out, you don’t have to be Beyoncé or Jay-Z to score some alone time with Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo. But you do have to have the same amount of paper to show for it. The Louvre Museum Private Tour, which costs $34,000 apiece, begins with a Tesla ride from your hotel to the Louvre Museum’s glass pyramid main entrance.

From there, you’ll be guided through a private, after-hours Louvre tour starting in the medieval section. No other tourists will be there except those as rich as you who snagged a ticket. A historian will take take you throughout the labyrinthine quarters of the sacred space. During which you’ll see highlights like the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

The 90-minute Louvre Museum Private Tour ends on the Pont des Arts bridge, where guests will exit on a private boat for a quaint ride down River Seine.

The solo excursion is obviously far more expensive than the museum’s regular-day admission of €15. But if you think roaming the vast corners and pockets of the Louvre during the quiet hum of night is worth the asking price, then be our guest.

The Louvre Museum houses more than 500,000 works of art, though only 38,000 are exhibited. The pricey Louvre Museum Private Tour isn’t just about luxury, though. It’s also about savoring a handful of the museum’s most treasured pieces without the chaos of crowds.

MORE INFO HERE

February 9, 2019 / Comments Off

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