The shipping wheels that General Motors puts on some of its trucks and SUVs have amassed a considerable following in enthusiast circles. It looks like hypercar owners can join the party, as a video showing the new Tourbillon on basic-looking black wheels has surfaced on Instagram.
Bugatti hasn’t commented on the wheels; it’s not the kind of thing a carmaker normally highlights after unveiling a new car, but I’m pretty sure we’re looking at shipping wheels. I can’t imagine this is a wheel design that appears in the configurator, though the sky is the limit when you’re ordering a car with a seven-digit price tag. Besides, the video shows the Tourbillon being unloaded from an enclosed trailer in front of a shop.
As the name implies, a shipping wheel is put on the car while it’s being transported from the factory to the dealership to avoid damaging the factory wheels, which presumably cost a substantial amount of money when they’ve got a Bugatti parts number. They’re 100% function and 0% form, so there’s no need to make them attractive or aerodynamic. This explains why Bugatti’s shipping wheels look so basic. They’re finished in black, they’re not detailed in any way, and they’re not even branded. If there was such a thing as a basic Chiron trim level, this would be the look.
What happens to the wheels after delivery? Given the relatively slow production cadence of a low-volume model like the Tourbillon, which is limited to 250 units, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they made their way back to the factory in Molsheim, France, to be used again.
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