Bugatti Tourbillon CMF: Automotive Couture Redefined
In the finest fashion houses of Paris, a couturier researches and refines every fabric before creating something truly singular for each client. At Bugatti's Atelier in Molsheim and Design Studio in Berlin, the company follows the same philosophy. The latest episode of Bugatti's 'A New Era' documentary series explores the world of customisation. It shows how the Colour, Material and Finish team is redefining individualisation for the Bugatti Tourbillon and for Bugatti itself.
CMF shapes every tactile and visual element of a car’s interior and exterior. At Bugatti, the discipline has always demanded extraordinary ambition. With the Bugatti Tourbillon, Bugatti takes that ambition further and calls it ‘automotive couture’. The process sets no limits. The team can add sparkle and even diamonds to the paint. The team also creates the best possible interior configuration for every customer.
Sabine Consolini, Head of CMF, leads that process with her team. She oversees every stage of material development at Bugatti, from series production to the most bespoke commissions imaginable. The Bugatti Design Studio houses the CMF team and hosts private configuration sessions for invited customers. The studio serves as both a workshop and a gallery. The team develops materials there, tests them there and presents them in the hypercar they will inhabit.
The Tourbillon opens a new chapter for personalisation. Bugatti now offers fabrics for the first time. The team researched manufacturers in the fashion industry, adapted their materials to the demands of the automotive environment, and created a collection with no precedent in the segment. One standout example comes from Kyoto, Japan. Artisans there hand-weave a textile that combines metallic yarn with washi paper strips. The result delivers remarkable depth and softness. The team also selected a refined knitted fabric that uses metallic yarn to catch the light and create a sparkling three-dimensional effect. In addition, the team developed a signature Bugatti fabric in four colours. It features the EB monogram subtly woven into the material, adding a distinctive finish to the Tourbillon interior.
Bugatti keeps its material philosophy intact throughout the Bugatti Tourbillon. What you see is what you get, and what you get is always real. The team redeveloped the leather with a new tanning process that makes it measurably softer than before. Aluminium is used throughout the exterior and interior. It defines the centre console, the controls and, most notably, the instrument cluster. Watchmaking inspired the cluster, and its interchangeable back plates draw directly on the traditions of haute horlogerie. Bugatti developed those finishes with the same Swiss manufacturer that created the Tourbillon’s celebrated analogue dials.
Bugatti also brings glass into the interior in a completely new way. The centre console uses a single formed glass piece in several colour shades. Material specialists worked closely with the team to achieve it. The colour story of the Tourbillon shows the same refined judgement. Bugatti avoids harsh contrast and builds the palette around nuanced tones with depth and character. These colours complement the elegant and harmonious design of the Bugatti Tourbillon. Customers who want something even more exclusive can commission a material or colour developed only for them. The Design Studio gives those conversations a home and turns bespoke luxury into reality.
