The way the precisely designed body panels of the marque’s hyper sports cars reflect light continues to be a source of creative inspiration. Whether it be under a vibrant light tunnel within the Atelier as the automobiles undergo an extensive paint quality inspection, or under the dappled light of a setting sun between palm tree branches, the shapes and patterns that naturally emerge are striking. However, no paint finish is identical – each is individually applied and unique to every vehicle.

One of the very first Chiron Super Sport units to be handed over to its new owner draws from this unique source of inspiration. The “Vagues de Lumière” is hand-painted in a base California Blue finish, and is enveloped by light-sculpted lines in Arancia Mira applied over the course of many weeks. The hyper sports car’s horseshoe grill proudly features the number 38 at the owner’s request, and is completed with further fine details including Arancia Mira magnesium wheels and engine bay lettering. The Arancia Mira theme again flows into the luxurious, leather-filled cabin. The Chiron Super Sport is the ultimate luxury Grand Tourisme, designed for effortless cross-continental journeys in opulent luxury, while remaining perfectly composed at its top speed of 440 km/h thanks to its unique longtail silhouette.

Exiting the Atelier alongside the Chiron Super Sport is a Chiron Pur Sport, also featuring its own unique light-inspired hand-painted artwork. With exposed Blue Carbon bodywork, Nocturne stripes encircle the bodywork. The Tricolor – the national flag of France – adorns each of the rear wing end plates, as the number “9” is painted on the horseshoe grill in French Racing Blue at the front of the hyper sports car. Inside the opulent cabin, the theme continues with a leather color split of Beluga Black and French Racing Blue. The Chiron Pur Sport, with its high downforce bodywork and modified powertrain for optimum acceleration, is the most agile Bugatti ever created. In its element upon twisting, narrow mountain roads, the connection between driver and road is unbreakable.

The intricate process of creating these extraordinary paint schemes takes around five weeks, beginning with the creation of a number of 2D shapes, which must be applied to the car’s 3D surfaces with millimeter-perfection. Bugatti craftspeople then hand-paint layer upon layer of contrasting color to develop a deep color pattern to create the illusion of light reflection. Once complete, the paint is then secured with a number of layers of clearcoat.

In 2011, Bugatti revealed the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport L’Or Blanc in partnership with the Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin. Recreating the way natural reflections on the bodyshell “flow” over the car, hand-painted lines were applied to the Veyron’s sweeping curves in a powerful Blue shade. Later in 2019, Bugatti produced the Chiron ‘Zebra 1 of 1’ in a unique Titanic Blue and Gunpowder Grey theme painted over three weeks and also inspired by natural light.

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti, said: “The ‘Vague de Lumiére’ paintwork applied to these two examples of our hyper sports cars embodies Bugatti’s fundamental philosophies; craftsmanship, innovation and heritage. We are always striving to enhance the Bugatti customer experience, from point of enquiry through to final handover and aftersales services, to levels never before offered in the automotive world. I’m truly excited to witness what our customers, alongside the Sur Mesure team, create in the years to come”.

The Sur Mesure Experience

Translated as “tailored”, Bugatti Sur Mesure builds upon the marque’s distinguished history of coachbuilding, handcrafted interiors, paint finishes, embroidery and bodywork, gathering the collective expertise of its skilled designers and engineers to form a brand-new program to meet growing customer demand for ultra-customized designs, materials and finishes.

As part of the official program, with one-to-one support from the Bugatti Sur Mesure Team, customers will be guided through the world of possibilities open to them. When configuring a Bugatti, the sheer number of exterior colors and leather finishes is nearly unlimited, but for those who wish to take a further step and create a truly unique piece of personalized automotive art, Bugatti Sur Mesure is at their disposal. From initial design concept through to vehicle production and final handover, customers will receive the full Molsheim experience.