Bugatti Baby II gets bigger, more powerful for production run

Approximately 16 months after its debut as a concept car, the Bugatti Baby II is making a comeback as a full production model. And if this is the first time you hear about the French marque’s new machine, don’t worry - you haven’t missed out on Molsheim’s new hypercar. As its name implies, the Baby II is a scaled-down car but it's not only for kids.

Designed as a tribute to the original Baby from the mid-1920s, the new model is a 75-percent scale of the Type 35 and should be comfortable for kids aged 14 and above. The original Baby model was significantly smaller, representing a 50-percent scale of the Type 35 and being suitable for kids aged up to 8. As Bugatti describes it, the new Baby II is “more of a young adult.”

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With just 500 examples planned for production, the Baby II is available in three versions. The Base one is made of composite materials and features a 1.4-kWh battery plus two driving modes - Novice limited to 12 miles per hour and 1.3 bhp, and Expert which can accelerate to up to 30 mph and has 5.4 bhp.

Go for the more expensive Vitesse model and it comes with a full carbon fibrе body, a larger 2.8-kWh battery, and an upgraded powertrain that can be unlocked with the Bugatti Speed Key. It unleashes the electric motor’s full potential of 13.4 bhp, which is more than enough for a top speed of 42 mph.

Last but not least, the range-topping Pur Sang comes with the same powertrain as the Vitesse model but it’s hidden underneath a hand-formed aluminium bodywork, which takes more than two hundred hours to build. 

Each Baby II model comes with a rear-wheel drive - just like the original - and a limited-slip differential. Stopping power is provided by hydraulic brakes and a regenerative braking system. Thanks to it, even the Base model can travel up to 15 miles at a single charge if “driven carefully.” The larger pack in the Vitesse and Pur Sang trims basically doubles the range but everything depends on how you drive it. All models come with a replaceable pack of batteries.

Most of the design features of the Baby II are a detailed and faithful replica of the original Type 35. Interestingly, the fuel pressure gauge now shows the battery capacity, while the oil gauge now displays the power used by the driver.

See the concept:

Electric baby Bugatti costs only £25,800

“Ettore Bugatti himself was already interested in catering to the children of Bugatti enthusiasts and designed the Type 52 miniature car as a genuine Bugatti,” Stephan Winkelmann, Bugatti’s CEO, comments. “We are continuing this tradition with the new edition of the Bugatti Baby II, and I am delighted that we have found The Little Car Company, a partner that shares the same values as us. With the Bugatti Baby II, we invite a young generation of enthusiasts to fall in love with the wonderful world of Bugatti.”

As mentioned above, Bugatti will produce just 500 copies of the Baby II with prices for the Base model starting at €30,000 (£27,350), while the Vitesse has a starting price tag of €43,500 (£40,000). Go for the range-topping Pur Sang model and it’ll set you back €58,500 (£53,300).