When you spend all your time building ultra-limited hypercars, coming up with something truly unique can be challenging. That is where the Bugatti La Voiture Noire comes in. Unlike most Bugattis, this is a one-off example with a price tag of around $18 million. While it made its official debut at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, it wasn’t production-ready at that time.

Over two years after it made its global debut, a photographer on Instagram named Jct_carphotography has spotted this rare machine out in the wild. Most notably, we can see this Chiron-based hypercar running some very familiar hardware.

How many Bugatti La Voiture Noire are there?

While the Bugatti La Voiture Noire is currently undergoing development, we’re looking at the only example that will ever be built. While its name literally means “the black car” in French, it is a reference to an ultra-rare missing Type 57 SC Atlantic that vanished during WWII.

Underneath its reworked aesthetic, you’ll find the underpinnings of the current Bugatti Chiron. This means there’s a quad-turbo W16 engine under the hood producing 1,500 hp. However, it is worth noting that since this vehicle is still under development, that figure could change.

As you might expect, this one-off example also features a fresh new look. While it pays tribute to the car of the early 1930s, it also gets massive new air intakes and sharp design lines throughout.

However, the largest stylistic change can be seen in the rear end, which now features a single massive LED strip. In case this wasn’t crazy enough, this hypercar also features six exhaust tips.

One thing that is immediately apparent about this Bugatti La Voiture Noire prototype is that it wears normal Chiron-spec wheels. Since they look slightly small on the prototype, we might be looking at widened bodywork here as well.

This one-off hypercar costs $18 million

If everything surrounding the Bugatti La Voiture Noire sounds expensive, you’d be correct. In fact, Autoblog reports that this one-off costs exactly $18,795,716. For context, the standard Chiron upon which it is based starts at around $3 million.

However, it is worth pointing out that part of that massive price tag comes from the research and development needed to produce a single car.

Additionally, the second major selling point surrounds the car’s exclusivity since there won’t be another. Once this hypercar reaches its owner, it will be the world’s most expensive brand-new car.

Who owns this Bugatti La Voiture Noire?

While there have been several rumors surrounding the ownership details of the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, no one knows who its owner is. Several rumors previously indicated that Cristiano Ronaldo had purchased it. However, later reports debunked the story.

Other rumors went as far as to speculate that the car had been auctioned off to Bugatti’s most important customers. However, with no official statement from the brand, this is nearly impossible to confirm. Regardless, it seems this one-off might hit the road relatively soon.