The Bugatti Galibier has some startling similarities to the new Bentley Mulsanne. Is the Galibier a re-skinned Mulsanne?
A new Bugatti doesn’t happen every day. A new Veyron special edition may feel like it does, but an entirely new Bugatti is as rare as hen’s teeth. So the reveal last week of the Bugatti Galibier has had the Interweb in a bit of a lather trying to decide where the Galibier will fit in the big scheme of things. And what’s it based on? A stretched Veyron ? A Panamera? A Continental? A bespoke platform?
There have been comparisons to everything from a Panamera to a Flying Spur via the Rolls Royce Ghost and Rapide. But none of them offer a real alternative to an 800bhp+ four door saloon from Bugatti. But they all miss the point we made over a month ago, that the most likely basis – despite VW’s denials – is the New Bentley Mulsanne.
Do VW expect us to believe that they will develop a completely new chassis for the Mulsanne – by any definition a low-volume car – and then do it all over again for the Galibier – an even lower volume car? Hugely unlikely. And we also think that there will be a Bentley Mulsanne R at some point in the not too distant future, featuring the Bugatti W16 bolted firmly up front and with around 800bhp. Sound familiar?
And if you compare the Galibier with the Mulsanne there are some startling similarities. The wheelbase is identical. The A & B pillars are also bang-on. And even the small extra window at the back is there. It would seem that the Galibier is just a Mulsanne re-skin with the W16 up front.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Valentino says
Source: COACHBUILD.com http://www.coachbuild.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=164&Itemid=37
They have a better picture showing the Mulsanne’s structure over the Galibier’s body.
CarsUK says
Sorry, Valentino. The article at Coachbuild reaches the same conclusions as we did, but our original assertion that the Galibier is built on the Mulsanne chassis came a month before.
Valentino says
Sorry, I did not intend to imply you copied the info from Coachbuild.com, I just added a new source about this subject to show the picture I mentioned.
CarsUK says
Thanks, Valentino. But it’s interesting that others have reached the same conclusion despite Bugatti denying it. I guess we’ll find out eventually.
Thanks for the additional resource. Much appreciated.
Theo says
And the Veyron was a re-visited Bentley Hunaudieres, check ooolldddd pictures
VW is good at re-orienting projects 🙂