BUGATTI F.K.P. HOMMAGE: WHEN THE VEYRON’S SHADOW LEARNS NEW TRICKS TO BECOME THE COOLEST HYPERCAR OF THE LOT.
Twenty years ago, Bugatti detonated the rulebook. The Veyron redefined what a road car could be. Four figures of horsepower. Over 400 km/h. And the sort of refinement that made other supercars feel like unfinished sketches. It invented a new car category - the hyper-GT. Now, as the second creation under Bugatti’s ultra-exclusive Programme Solitaire, the marque reveals the F.K.P. Hommage. A deeply considered, exquisitely engineered tribute to both the Veyron’s revolutionary spirit and the man who willed it into existence, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Karl Piëch.
The origin story, fittingly, begins far from Molsheim. On a Japanese bullet train, Piëch sketched the improbable idea of a W-shaped engine. It was a thought experiment that became a mechanical manifesto. As Chairman of the Volkswagen Group, his engineering fingerprints were already everywhere: the compact VR6 that redefined the Golf, the W8 and W12 that slipped quietly into Passats and Bentleys. The Veyron’s quad-turbocharged W16 was the final, unapologetic escalation. That W16 remains a packaging marvel. By staggering the cylinders in a short, wide-bank configuration, engineers compressed what should have been a metre-long engine into just 645 mm. The payoff was profound. A compact 2,700 mm wheelbase, all-wheel drive, and near-perfect balance. The result was a car capable of ferocious speed without sacrificing civility. Violence with manners.
When the Veyron first appeared at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, penned by a young Jozef Kabaň under the guidance of Hartmut Warkuß, it stood apart instantly. While rivals clung to aggressive wedges and forward-leaning theatrics, the Veyron leaned back. Calm. Confident. Almost aloof. A 1,000-horsepower statement defined by restraint rather than excess. Its Bauhaus-inspired clarity has aged with rare grace, still looking contemporary two decades on. The F.K.P. Hommage builds on the most advanced evolution of Bugatti’s W16 platform. Beneath its skin lies the 1,600 hp quad-turbocharged engine first seen in the Chiron Super Sport, the very machine that finally fulfilled Piëch’s speed ambition by breaching the 300 mph barrier. This is the zenith of W16 development, with larger turbochargers, enhanced intercooling, uprated cooling systems and a reinforced gearbox engineered to tolerate the immense torque on offer.
Visually, the evolution is subtle but deliberate. The Veyron’s signature reclining stance and falling beltline remain intact, but every surface has been sharpened with modern intent. The iconic horseshoe grille, now three-dimensional and machined from a solid block of aluminium, flows seamlessly into the surrounding bodywork, replacing the flatter interpretation of the original. The updated colour split aligns precisely with revised panel architecture, bringing greater harmony to the overall form.
Larger front air intakes feed the more potent engine, while the distinctive air ducts behind the occupants’ heads remain proudly in place. Wheel sizes grow to 20 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear, wrapped in the latest Michelin rubber, improving both dynamic capability and visual balance. Paint technology, too, has leapt forward since the Veyron era, and the F.K.P. Hommage wears it boldly. A rich red finish is created through advanced layering: a silver aluminium base beneath a red-tinted clear coat, delivering remarkable depth and a shifting, almost liquid presence as light moves across the surface. Contrast comes via exposed carbon fibre, not painted black but subtly tinted through a 10 % black pigment in the clear coat, offering a visual richness that rewards close inspection.
Inside, the transformation is near total. Compared to recent W16-era models such as Chiron and Mistral, the F.K.P. Hommage charts a new course. A bespoke circular steering wheel nods to the original Veyron’s Bauhaus simplicity, paired with an entirely new centre console and tunnel cover, each machined from solid aluminium. Custom Car Couture fabrics, woven exclusively in Paris, make their debut here, marking Bugatti’s next step beyond the leather-only interiors that once defined the Veyron. At the heart of the dashboard sits something extraordinary. An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Tourbillon, a 41 mm timepiece integrated at the personal request of the car’s future owner. Set within an engine-turned “island” inspired by the finishing of Ettore Bugatti’s straight-eight cylinder heads, the watch features a remarkable self-winding system. A diagonal-axis gondola rotates several times per hour, powered mechanically by the car itself, with no electrical connection. It is personal, poetic, and unmistakably Bugatti.
As the second creation following Brouillard, the F.K.P. Hommage reinforces the philosophy behind Programme Solitaire. Limited to just two bespoke masterpieces per year, each project reimagines bodywork, interior architecture and storytelling from the ground up, creating deeply personal expressions of Bugatti heritage. The Bugatti F.K.P. Hommage will make its physical debut at Ultimate Supercar Garage during Rétromobile Paris, from January 29 to February 1, 2026.
Take a look at the YouTube video fromthe crew at Top Gear that gives an in-depth look at this new hommage car - this thing is next -level awesome: New Bugatti Veyron! Iconic Hypercar Reborn | Top Gear
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