Each year, Bugatti invites a select group of owners of the brand’s very latest hyper sports cars to enjoy them in extraordinary destinations for the Bugatti Grand Tour. This year, their visit took them to the jewel-like Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Gleaming under the immense skies of this ancient island, a line-up of 22 Chiron, Centodieci and Veyron models awaited the beginning of a three-day journey that would see them skirting turquoise seas, winding up spectacular mountain passes, tracing rivers and into the wild heart of Sardinia. The cars chart the evolution of hyper sports car performance and the development of the iconic W16 engine, from an early pioneering Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport with 1,001 PS through to the very latest Chiron Super Sport with 1,600 PS.
The many achievements of the Bugatti brand – both in design and performance – reveal themselves in this extraordinary line up of cars. A Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition pays homage to Bugatti’s one-time world’s fastest roadster. The intricate paintwork of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse ‘Transformer’ showcases the peerless quality and personalization, while models like the Chiron Sport4 Edition ‘110 ans’ and the coachbuilt Centodieci are nods to an incomparable heritage.
These Bugatti legends began their three-day tour at the Baglioni Resort Sardinia, with superior luxury immersed in a sublime natural landscape, before setting off inland in search of nuraghe; ancient megalith structures found all over Sardinia. Smooth, twisting tarmac led guests to the Nuragic Complex Romanzesu where the tour stopped to explore sacred stone buildings thought to have been constructed over 3,000 years ago. Highlighting the rich cultural tradition of the island, a group of Tenores – traditional singers – soundtracked the visit.
From this important historical site, the roads sweep gently back towards the coast via the Genna Silana Pass, offering views of the island from a vantage point more than 1km above sea level. Their destination for the day after 290 km of driving was the Su Gologone Experience Hotel, Sardinia’s top country lodge, laid out on terraces amid bowers of Mediterranean trees and flowers. It was their spectacular location for an unforgettable traditional Sardinian dinner and an evening of reflection on the extraordinary day of driving behind them.
The next morning, as the sun rose over Sardinia’s seemingly endless horizon, a chorus of 22 W16 engines rumbled into life ready to begin a journey from the east of the island over to the west coast. The route took drivers right through the wild heart of Sardinia and the spectacular site of Nuraghe Losa, one of the most famous, well-preserved megalithic testimonies of the Nuragic civilization. A traditional display of ‘Boes’ and ‘Merdules’ masked dancers provided a valuable insight into the folk rituals of this ancient island.
As the tree-lined roads of the island guided the procession of Bugatti models again to the coast, they emerged in the town of Bosa; a sea-front destination marked out by its collection of brightly hued buildings. Their route then continued to hug the coast, ending at Hotel Carlos V just in time for a spectacular sunset.
With more than 530 km already covered, the final day got underway, looping over the north of the island to return to their starting point. The beautiful region of Gallura, driving through Valle della Luna – Moon Valley – and the shores known as the Costa Smeralda, named for its shimmering blue-green emerald water would mark the final point on the tour, with each car travelling around 720 km in total. At the tour’s conclusion, the drivers had tackled more than 5,000 curves on Sardinia’s beautiful roads.
A very successful tour indeed. Just try not to think about the amount of carbon emitted by flying 22 Bugattis to Sardinia, driving them for only 530 km, and then flying them back home. It’s a good thing they only do this once a year.
