It takes more than courage to take delivery of a new Bugatti Bolide hypercar worth about $5 million and then put it through its paces at a private trackday on the second day of ownership. It takes a person of standing to rent a racetrack like the Circuit of the Americas and cover any eventuality, for one. More importantly, it takes skill.
So when Bugatti released a video of one of their American customers shaking down his new 1-of-40 Bugatti track toy at COTA right after delivery, you know this owner is not just any collector.
Bugatti has tried to keep the identity of the owner under wraps, just not very hard. In one of the shots showing the driver fully kitted out settling into the Bolide’s seat, the driver’s name is clearly seen on his crash helmet. The lucky Bolide owner is none other than Bret Curtis, American entrepreneur and gentleman racer.
Curtis has had varying levels of success in motorsport since 2009, having raced the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona, amongst being a regular name in other series. Inside the Bolide too, stands a custom plaque engraved with Èquipe Curtis, hailing back to Ettore Bugatti’s racing team and Curtis’ ownership.
It’s safe to say that Curtis is more than well-equipped to handle the 1,578 horsepower the quad-turbo 8-litre W16 motor puts out. Of course, being a Bugatti track toy, the event was punctuated by the presence of a full technical team going over the car every chance they had to ensure Curtis had a good time. Going by the top speed he recorded, a staggering 207mph on the track, he did have a good time.
The Bolide’s performance figures are far too impressive (0-62mph in 2.2 seconds, theoretical top speed of 311mph, and a 2,733-pound curb weight being highlights) to be parked in some collector’s garage. It’s extremely heartening to see an owner actually use a Bolide as it’s meant to be.
