Bugatti has revealed the ultimate tribute to its Veyron hypercar – and the visionary engineer and Volkswagen Group boss who made it a reality.
At first glance, the FKP Hommage could easily be mistaken for a Veyron, produced between 2005 and 2015. Look more closely, however, and it becomes evident this is something even more special.
Named in honour of the late Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Karl Piëch, Volkswagen Group chairman until 2015, the FKP Hommage is built on the same platform as the Bugatti Mistral.
Designed and engineered by Bugatti’s super-bespoke Solitaire programme, the FKP Hommage subtly enhances and updates every detail of the original Bugatti Veyron.
The result is a unique hypercar that, according to Bugatti managing director Hendrik Malinowski, celebrates “the timeless proportions of the original Veyron with two decades of engineering evolution”.
The Bugatti Veyron evolved
Frank Heyl, design director at Bugatti, revealed that when he first joined the French marque, he was “sketching developments of the Veyron, looking at how we could evolve the styling”.
Although his work was never used at the time, Heyl helped to shape the FKP Hommage. He believes Prof. Dr. Piëch would see the completed car as the “most appropriate celebration” of his original Veyron vision.
Changes for the FKP Hommage include a reprofiling of the famed horseshoe grille, which is said to flow organically into the rest of the bodywork.
A two-tone colour scheme is also incorporated into the lines of the FKP Hommage, creating a “more harmonious visual split”. Modern paint technology is used to give the red exterior finish a deeper three-dimensional effect, too.
Larger alloy wheels (20-inches on the front axle, 21s at the rear) are also fitted, along with rubber that reflects two decades of progress in Michelin tyre technology.
Peak Piëch engineering
Beneath its aluminium and exposed carbon fibre bodywork, the FKP Hommage makes use of an enhanced version of Bugatti’s legendary W16 engine.
Introduced for the Chiron Super Sport, the 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged unit produces an incredible 1,600hp, combined with 1,180lb ft of torque. A sizeable jump, when the first Veyron made do with just 1,001hp…
Generating this extra power are larger turbochargers, enhanced cooling systems and new intercoolers, along with upgrades for the transmission so it can handle the colossal torque.
New air ducts to feed the engine are installed, although the polished signature intakes above the W16 remain intact.
These changes mean the FKP Hommage is capable of exceeding 300mph; something that Prof. Dr. Piëch would most certainly approve of.
Precise timekeeping included
As part of creating the ultimate Veyron tribute, the FKP Hommage’s interior also gains a modern reinterpretation of the classic model.
Bauhaus design, which helped influence the styling of the Veyron, has been applied throughout the cabin, even down to the steering wheel. In contrast to the D-shaped wheel inside the Chiron, the FKP Hommage has a more traditional round item.
The centre console of the FKP Hommage is also bespoke, having been machined from solid blocks of aluminium to give an updated take on the Veyron’s dashboard.
The FKP Hommage uses more than just leather upholstery for its interior, too. Custom Car Couture fabrics, woven exclusively in Paris, feature throughout the cabin, allowing for greater personalisation.
Besides the absence of any gauche infotainment touchscreens, the crowning glory for the FKP Hommage is the inclusion of an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon.
Requested especially by the car’s commissioning owner, the 41mm timepiece sits in a special self-winding gondola. This allows it to keep time without the need for an electrical connection.
The ‘definitive Veyron‘
The addition of a self-winding tourbillon demonstrates the level of design and engineering possible through Bugatti’s Solitaire programme.
This is only the second Solitaire car to be completed, following the Bugatti Mistral-based Brouillard revealed last year.
Up to two ‘bespoke masterpieces’ will be created via the Solitaire programme each year, with intensive involvement from the commissioning customers in every design detail.
Frank Heyl added: “It was a tremendous honour to work directly with the client on this project, refining every detail through multiple iterations to create what I consider the ideal, definitive Veyron”.
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