Earlier this month at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland, French luxury automotive brand Bugatti introduced "La Voiture Noire" – French for "the black car" – for its 110th anniversary, priced at $18.9 million (approx Rs. 130 crore), reportedly making it the most expensive car in the world currently, transcending the Rolls Royce Sweptail, the on-road price of which is $13 million (approx Rs. 90 crore).

The supercar possesses a 16-cylinder engine harboured inside a sculptural body crafted from carbon fibre, with an extended front and the signature Bugatti C-line separating the driver and passenger seats. The handcrafted car has a deep gloss black finish with a unique bodywork with the rear almost floating elegantly over the exhausts.

The maker of the luxury French automobile claims that La Voiture Noire is a modern interpretation of the 80-year-old Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic, said to be the most iconic work of Jean Bugatti, the son of the company’s founder Ettore Bugatti. Only four cars of the model were crafted during that time, of which only three models currently remain. The other one reportedly disappeared right before World War II.  Among the three, two are 100 percent original, while the other one has been repainted with a non-Bugatti colour by famous clothing designer Ralph Lauren.

Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann described La Voiture Noire as a “far more than a modern interpretation of Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic,” claiming the supercar to be a feast of aesthetics. He added that the model is a “coupé with the comfort of a luxury limousine and the power of a hyper sports car,” and compared it to “the haute couture of exclusive Paris fashion designers.”

The one-time vehicle has already been sold to former VW Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Ferdinand Piech, the grandson of Porsche’s founder. Bugatti, without revealing the owner’s name in its statement, simply claimed that he had an enormous attachment to the brand. La Voiture Noire, unlike the brand’s performance-oriented previous models, will be known for its cruising capabilities rather than just speed, making it an ideal choice for a comfortable long-drive.