Bugatti has predictably stolen the show at Pebble Beach with the world debut of the new limited-edition Divo hypercar, named after the French racing driver Albert Divo who won the famous Targa Florio for Bugatti twice in the 1920s. The Divo is powered by the same 8.0-liter W16 engine as the Chiron, delivering a power output of 1,479 horsepower. While it isn't more powerful than the Chiron, the Divo is much more agile, nimble and satisfying to drive thanks to optimized aerodynamics and a fine-tuned suspension and chassis.
"To date, a modern Bugatti has represented a perfect balance between high performance, straight-line dynamics and luxurious comfort. Within the possibilities, we have shifted the balance in the case of the Divo further towards lateral acceleration, agility and cornering," said Bugatti's president, Stephan Winkelmann. "The Divo is made for corners."
The savage styling is a homage to Bugatti's early coachbuilding days, resulting in a unique design that looks more muscular than the Chiron, yet is still easily identifiable as a Bugatti thanks to its recognizable grille, signature side lines, and central fin. Bugatti has added additional air inlets for brake cooling and new vertically oriented front lights with daytime running lights on the outer edge that affords the Divo a wider look.
New 3D rear lights have been integrated into the rear grille and the central fin runs from the front over the roof to the rear spoiler as a throwback to Bugatti's legendary coachbuilt models while helping to create turbulence on the rear spoiler. The exterior boasts a unique two-tone finish developed specially for the Divo, with matt "Titanium Liquid Silver" applied to the top and a contrasting "Divo Racing Blue" highlighting the air inlets and outlets on the front, sides and rear. The same blue shade has also been applied to the Alcantara in the interior.
From every angle, the Bugatti Divo looks breathtakingly brutal. Massive air intakes improve airflow at the front and increase the car's aerodynamic efficiency, while an optimized "air curtain" produces better airflow over the front and rear sections of the car's sides. There's also a newly-designed wide front spoiler that provides higher downforce and guides more air to the front air inlets.
At the back, the Divo features a new adjustable rear spoiler, which also serves as an air brake when turned forwards and is set to different angles depending on the driving mode. Measuring 72 inches, the rear spoiler is 23 percent wider than the Chiron's, resulting in higher air brake performance and more downforce. The rear diffuser has also been redesigned for greater efficiency and accommodates four tailpipes. Thanks to these refinements, the Divo produces 198 lbs more downforce than the Chiron.
Compared to the Chiron, the Divo is sharper, nimbler, and more agile when devouring corners, making it better suited to winding roads. To achieve this, Bugatti has increased the camber, but the limited top speed has dropped to 236 mph as a result, down from 261 mph in the Chiron, while lateral acceleration is 1.6 g. The steering and suspension are also more responsive for a sportier driving experience, and new lightweight wheels and a carbon fiber intercooler have made the Divo 77 lbs lighter than the Chiron. Other weight-saving measures include the addition of front diffuser flaps, reduced use of insulation materials, and a lighter sound system. Door trims have also been omitted to make the Divo as light and nimble as possible. Bugatti says these improvements enabled the Divo to lap the Nardo handling circuit eight seconds faster than the Chiron.
Only 40 examples of the Bugatti Divo are being produced, each costing 5 million Euros ($5.8 million). And guess what? Every single one has already been sold to existing Chiron customers, so you can't buy it.
