Bugatti shows how a Divo is delivered

By JAY WONG | 21 July 2020


PARIS: Happen to be taking delivery of your new Bugatti Divo? Well, if it isn't you turn just yet, here's what to look forward to.

Prior to any of the latest French luxury Divo supercar being delivered, it gets put through an extensive final approval test drive.

Firstly, a special film covers the carbon body with protective covers placed throughout the interior.


Bugatti Divo - 04


Also, a special test cover replaces the underbody to avoid damage to the customer's vehicle.

As the company founder Ettore Bugatti once said that a technical product was perfect only if it was also perfect from an aesthetic point of view.

Outstanding quality and craftsmanship are two important cornerstones in the over 110-year history of this car Atelier.

Four employees and two from the quality assurance department will test every hand-built Divo.

Bugatti Divo - 05


Before the Divo rolls onto the road for the first time after assembly, two employees cover the body with eight square metres of a special protective film.

Instead of the original underbody, they fit an underbody especially for test purposes and replace the original wheels with a set of test wheels.

The technicians check all electronic functions of the vehicle and adjust the chassis including the wheel toe before they undertake a five-hour test drive.

The car is first checked if it complies with the homologation that is required for the region to which it will be delivered as well as the customer's chosen configuration.

Then, the quality inspector tests all electrically operated functions such as the displays, power windows, navigation, sound system and air conditioning system.

Bugatti Divo - 02


After all that, the 8.0-litre W16 engine is fired-up and is driven slowly out for the five-hour drive that around a 300km route through Alsace, France.

The car will weave through the Vosges mountain pass, including public roads and highways,

The test driver checks the response of the Divo's steering, cornering behaviour, shift points and hill starts.

For acceleration and high-speed tests, every Divo drives on the closed runway at the Colmar airport where it can be subjected to various functional tests that require speeds of over 250kph.

Here's is where tests such as Launch Control, driving in the different driving modes, airbrake function, fast lane changes at 170kph, braking behaviour as well as full braking from 160kph to 0, ESP check and whether the full power of 1,500PS and 1,600Nm of torque is also available at 340kph.

Bugatti Divo - 07


After leaving Colmar airport, the car is then driven at a more sedate speed on the motorway in order to cool down the W16 engine

All reactions and noises or impressions that might appear strange or not ideal are recorded on a voice recorder while driving.

After the drive, comments are entered on the vehicle's routing card and is further analysed with colleagues the next day.

The Divo is prepared for the next step only when the trained test drivers cannot hear even the slightest sound that is out of place or feel any disturbing vibration.

Bugatti Divo - 08


After the vehicle returns, the technicians change the gearbox oil as well as the wheels that belong to the car and fit the original underbody.

This is followed by a last one-hour test drive of over 50km in order to issue the final dynamic approval.

Once the technicians remove the body protection, paint artists produce the finish during the course of two whole days.

Four further employees wearing fine, white cotton gloves then check the surfaces for perfect finishing during a more than six-hour audit inspection.

Only when the Divo is standing perfectly in the daylight-bright light beam of the company's own light tunnel can it undergo the last one-hour inspection before it is allowed for delivery.


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