Since Bugatti announced that the final Veyron had been produced and sold Feb. 23, the future of the marque, at least publicly, has been slightly uncertain. No news has been revealed about its potential next step, but Fraser Leid, a design student from South Africa based in the UK, has a few ideas for where they might head. Leid has created an aquatic concept for the marque, which he's dubbed the Bugatti Atlantean Racing Yacht. Sleek, minimalistic and inspired by the Type 57, it brings the design concept from the roads of the 1930s to the waters of the 21st century, which is what Leid set out to do with this project. He began by wanting to infuse classic design into a new concept for an established brand in a way they'd never done before.
Bugatti had yet to take to the water, and the quintessential Bugatti design of the Type 57 and Type 57 Atlantic became his jumping off point. "After playing with the words, the name 'Atlantean' came to mind as something people would understand as an object that belongs in the sea," he told us of his decision-making process. The concept makes use of glass fiber construction reinforced by a carbon fiber composite. Propulsion comes from a water jet system, eliminating the need for a fuel-powered engine.
"My perception of the interior is also extremely minimalistic, in a sense that it caters to a person who’d use it as a recreational vehicle for the afternoon," he said. "It would serve as a huge performance craft, but also could cater for the subtleties of everyday commuting," which makes it the perfect design for anyone living in an island state or nation that regularly travels from port to port. There are only two seats, and a small windowless cabin within the hull serves as a space for sleeping.
As for the direction the marque could realistically head in the future, Leid has a few ideas; he thinks there's a chance the W12 could stay around, but in a smaller form utilizing stronger turbochargers than the previous Veyron engine did. Or, he postulated, they could switch to a V8 or V12 enhanced by a hybrid component, similar to the i8 or LaFerrari's powertrain.
"I particularly enjoy this route because it’s a boundary pusher, making it unique and worth Bugatti’s name," he said, adding that the next model could perhaps pay tribute to the marque's founder, and simply be named "Ettore." To follow more of Leid's work, be sure to check out his profile on Behanced.com, and stay with us to learn more about the future of Bugatti as information is released.
