RUMOR: Bugatti Royale to Debut at Frankfurt

The rumor mill is in full gear with speculation of a new Bugatti being introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Supposedly the new model, a concept of the Bugatti Royale, could be either a faster, more expensive car. However, what the car is exactly is anyone's guess.

Bugatti has also been rumored to be working on a better-stronger-faster replacement to the Veyron, as well as a more "cost effective" sports sedan. In the current economy, the company certainly has reason to flex their luxe credentials, but they clearly have a need to show off a more "affordable" model. A $200,000 high-end supercar has also been speculated.

The Volkswagen-owned automaker (or is that Porsche-owned?), has also been believed to be working on the Project Lydia, a $3 million, 1175 horsepower super supercar that is more geared for the track than the touring Veyron. "Lydia" theoretically has a tuned up version of the 8-liter quad-turbo W16 currently found on the Veyron. Named for the wife of company-founder Ettore Bugatti, the car could blast through the Veyron's top speed of 400 km/h (249mph).

It would certainly be unusual timing if a new, extremely expensive Royale were to come out now. The original $30,000 Type 41 Royale was planned as a 25-unit limited edition, but since it was introduced at the beginning of the Great Depression, they were only able to sell six. However, in today's money, that would be a sticker price of around $368,800, a far cry from the 1.1 million euro retail price of the Veyron.

Note: Attached Bugatti renderings are for illustrative purposes only.