Bugatti has created a jet black rocket that's the costliest car of all time

'La Voiture Noire' is priced at 11 million euros ($12.5 million), which would buy about 300 Tesla Model 3s.

For its 110th anniversary, Bugatti has created a jet black rocket it hails as the most expensive car of all time. It wouldn’t look out of place as Star Wars villain Darth Vader’s preferred mode of transport.

“La Voiture Noire” is priced at 11 million euros ($12.5 million), which would buy about 300 Tesla Model 3s. The one-time vehicle has already been sold and speculation points to former VW Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Ferdinand Piech as the new owner. Piech was known for his tough leadership style before quitting the brand’s parent Volkswagen AG in acrimony in April 2015.

While there’s no mention of Piech in Bugatti’s statement, describing the new owner only as an “enthusiast” for the brand, it was Piech who signed off on some of Bugatti’s outrageous development costs. There is — intended or not — a hint of Darth Vader providing some inspiration: “The windscreen seems to flow seamlessly into the windows at the sides like the visor on a helmet,” Bugatti said.

Bugatti’s ultra-wealthy customers appreciated the brand’s expertise in turning out cars to their exacting specifications, said Bugatti design director Achim Anscheidt.

“Our customers really appreciate this, as they know this from purchasing other luxury goods like a yacht," he said.

The 16-cylinder engine has six tailpipes and La Voiture Noire’s extravagant specs highlight the balancing act VW is pulling off across its 12-brand empire.

CEO Herbert Diess, in charge since April, has sought to accelerate an overhaul to make the company more agile and rein in spending. The company says the car is “far more than a modern interpretation" of Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic, an industry icon coveted by classic-car aficionados and the most famous work of the son of the company’s founder, Ettore Bugatti.

The car’s not-so-subtle six tailpipes are a reference to the Atlantic model’s five exhausts, said Anscheidt. “They clearly show this isn’t an electric car.”

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Mahindra unveils world's 'fastest' e-car Battista at Geneva Motor Show

When it arrives in 2020, the Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy, Automobili Pininfarina said.

Luxury electric vehicles brand Automobili Pininfarina, a part of the Mahindra Group, Tuesday unveiled its luxury electric vehicle Battista here which is touted to be faster than a current Formula 1 race car in its 0-100 km/h sub-two second sprint.

When it arrives in 2020, the Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy. It has the potential to accelerate to 62 mph in less than two seconds, faster than a Formula 1 car, and break the 250 mph top speed barrier all with a potential zero emissions range of over 300 miles, the company said.

It will deliver a level of performance that is "unachievable today in any road-legal sports car featuring internal combustion engine technology", it claimed.

"This is the most authentic and exciting automotive story imaginable. The Battista is the hypercar of the future, inspired by a legendary past," Automobili Pininfarina CEO Michael Perschke told reporters here.

Electrification unlocks the door to a new level of performance and a zero-emissions future, whilst a passion and respect for automotive history will define how this landmark car looks and feels, he added.

"We aim for the Battista to be a future classic and automotive icon, writing its own page in automotive history books," Perschke said.

No more than 150 Battistas will be hand-crafted in Italy and allocated equally between the regions of North America, Europe and Middle East/Asia, Pininfarina said.

Customer service will be delivered through some of the world's best luxury car retail specialists, from Los Angeles to London to Tokyo, it added.

The Turin-based company has named the model after Battista 'Pinin' Farina, the founder of the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coach building company that he started in 1930. The all-electric hypercar is designed and hand-built in very limited numbers at Pininfarina SpA.

Based out of Europe, Automobili Pininfarina combines its automotive design prowess with Mahindra's growing electric vehicle (EV) expertise, gained from participation in the Formula E electric racing car championship.

The Mahindra Group had acquired Pininfarina in late 2015 for an overall outgo of over EUR 50 million after months of negotiations.

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