UPDATE: 2026/08/09 10:00 EST BY SEAN MCMANUS
Bugatti’s First One-Off Programme Solitaire Special Edition
We added a section to include details about the special project that kicked off Bugatti’s coach-built models.
Bugatti may have built its last W16 engine in July, but that won’t stop the company from highlighting the iconic engine layout with an ever-more-enticing series of one-off “Programme Solitaire” cars built from existing chassis. The latest is called the Destrier, a name that comes from the largest and most intimidating horses used in medieval battle, and fittingly, it’s based on Bugatti’s most aggressive W16-powered beast of all – the 1,578-horsepower Bolide.
Only the Programme Solitaire Destrier replaces some of the track-only hypercar’s aggression with something far more graceful. Designed under a “Sculpture of Speed” ethos, the Destrier turns the uncompromising Bolide into something a lot more sensuous and organic – and that doesn’t even consider the gorgeous interior.
Longer, Lower, And Sleeker Than Ever
Bugatti Programme Solitaire DestrierBugatti
Although it starts from some prodigiously capable roots, Bugatti says the Destrier had a relatively simple design brief: take the Bolide and strip it of any wings, vents, or visual aerodynamics, then reimagine the bodywork for sleekness and purity. Thus, the Destrier is the lowest model the company has ever produced, standing at just 39 inches tall. Up front, the supercar has a wider horseshoe heritage grille design than the Bolide, with subtler front lighting elements that abandon the Bolide’s X-shaped LEDs in favor of a matrix design that fits within a more conventional headlight opening.
The Destrier hides its base vehicle’s impressive aerodynamic tricks under more graceful skin. For example, the bonnet features many of the same S-ducts and air curtains and vortex generators as the Bolide, and a roof-mounted air scoop continues to provide cool, fresh air to the 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W16 mounted in the middle, but the swooping forms are a lot more organic than they are on the tech-heavy hypercar. A long spear of brightwork sits in the middle of the bonnet and extends over the roof and onto the rear spoiler, drawing a visual link to the gorgeous Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic and its center-ribbed bodywork.
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The automaker’s famous C-line side profile, first introduced on the Veyron, is revised a bit on the Destrier, highlighted by another strip of brightwork that gets interrupted by the front wheel arch. The side view also betrays a decisive pinch behind the passenger cabin, allowing the hips to swell out over the rear wheels. The oval shape of the fixed rear wing was inspired by the Chiron Profilée, while the thin, X-shaped taillight motif and quartet of exhaust outlets clearly recall the car’s Bolide roots.
Bugatti Programme Solitaire DestrierBugatti
Bugatti sacrificed some of the hypercar’s overt track aggression in its transition to the one-off Destrier, but we think the trade-off is worth it. Only two panels – the front splitter and the rear diffuser – display their exposed carbon construction, and even then, the topcoat is tinted to complement the car’s For example, the sidewall-friendly 18-inch wheels of the Bolide have been abandoned for 20-inch front and 21-inch rear rollers, their polished finish filling out the low, arched fender contours beautifully. From bumper to bumper, the Destrier is a stunning piece of automotive art.
A Masterful Interior Redesign
Bugatti Programme Solitaire DestrierBugatti
As lovely as the sheet metal – er, sheet-carbon – is, the Destrier’s cabin is what really sets it apart from other one-off Bugattis. Instead of the stripped-out cabin of the Bolide, Programme Solitaire gave its newest baby a leather- and suede-lined cabin done up in a rich brown. Also notable is the use of an unusual 3D-knit fabric, which shows up on the shoulder bolsters, door panels, and twin-cove dashboard nacelles.
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The Bolide’s race-style steering yoke returns, as does the carbon-intensive cabin tub that integrates the fixed seats into its structure, complete with a motorsports-ready recumbent seating position. The duct-style HVAC vents also show up on the center console, but these are no mere rubber tubes, with absolutely gorgeous polished hardware holding them in place and the vent outlets trimmed in hammered-finish aluminum – an homage to the hand-formed armor of the knights who might have ridden destriers into battle.
Bugatti’s First One-Off Programme Solitaire Special Edition
One-of-one Bugatti Brouillard by Programme Solitaire, ExteriorBugatti
Bugatti isn’t shy about offering a single customer access to its custom design studio. For an undisclosed stack of cash (likely in the $20 million+ range), the automaker’s Programme Solitaire coachbuilding arm of the company produced the Brouillard and the FKP 16.4 Hommage. The Brouillard was the first project this custom studio built. It’s a closed-roof coupe (pictured above) with close resemblance to the W16 Mistral from the front and the Bolide from the back.
As a little backstory, the company’s founder, Ettore Bugatti, adored horseracing — his favorite horse was a thoroughbred called Brouillard. That inspired the coachbuilding team to take a smoother, organic, graceful approach to its design. Even the interior has horses on the door panels, a horse’s head etched into glass in the shifter, and more on the seats. Powering this elegant machine is a raw 1,578-horsepower, quad-turbocharged W16, or the same engine found in the Mistral among other models.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Bugatti says the Destrier is unlike either of the other Programme Solitaire cars – the Brouillard and the FKP 16.4 Hommage – in that it doesn’t draw any particular design inspiration from company history. However, the automaker does acknowledge that the design motivation does come from the past. The Bugatti Type 57 chassis was a true multipurpose machine, giving the automaker racing success via the 57C Tank that won the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans.
But the aforementioned Atlantic grand touring coupe, widely regarded as the automaker’s most beautiful car in history, also used the race-winning engine and chassis. Programme Solitaire wanted to do the same with the Bolide, turning the ultra-fast track superstar into a gorgeous piece of rolling sculpture. We’d say the company was successful. Although most of us will never get within 100 feet of the Destrier, much less drive or own it, we still are glad that such a beauty exists.
Base Trim Engine
8.0L Quad-Turbo W16 Gas
Base Trim Transmission
7-Speed DSG
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
1,850 hp
Base Trim Torque
1180
Fuel Economy
TBC
Segment
Supercar
Source: Bugatti
