The artistry behind the Bugatti Baby II Tourbillon edition
Molsheim
An ode to the icon of a new era in Molsheim, the Bugatti Baby II Tourbillon Edition from Hedley Studios pays remarkable tribute to the recently unveiled V16 hybrid hyper sports car. Blending historic design with sublime artistry, this limited-edition draws heavily from Bugatti's 115-year history while embracing design elements of the new Tourbillon¹.
Hand-built by the Hedley Studios artisans at their home in Oxfordshire, UK, the Bugatti Baby II Tourbillon Edition nods to Bugatti’s rich legacy and exciting future. The result of over 200 hours of craftsmanship, the art behind this edition is nothing short of extraordinary. The scaled car meticulously reinterprets the legendary Bugatti Type 35, taking its century-old racing flair into the modern world. Each Bugatti Baby II is evidence of the time-honored processes used in their creation, processes that echo the methods used for the original Type 35.
Its aluminum body panels, painstakingly hand-beaten over wooden bucks using traditional coachbuilding methods – like those used on the original models that debuted at the Grand Prix de Lyon – are a testament to the maker's skill. Reminiscent of the marque’s past yet meeting the demands of modern electric drive, the traditional fuel pressure gauge now serves as a battery gauge, and – taking inspiration from another Bugatti era, the Veyron one – a power gauge replaces the oil gauge.
Emulating the careful attention to detail seen in the early Type 35 variants, the turned aluminum dashboard – with its overlapping turns – ensures no glare disrupts the driving experience. Meanwhile, adjustable pedals, machined from solid aluminum billet and proudly bearing the renowned ‘EB’ logo, meet modern functionality and performance demands.
More than a scaled homage to Bugatti’s history, the Tourbillon Edition reflects the creative vision of the new Bugatti masterpiece that debuted in France in June. The Baby II Tourbillon Edition reproduces the sleek livery of the launch car, adorned in the familiar light and dark Aerolithe colorway, separated by a smooth 'C' curve – a reference to Bugatti’s iconic C-line – that stretches from behind the cockpit to the front of the car. This concept continues in the cockpit, where lavish Light Aerolithe leather hide covers the interior, perfectly complementing the overall aesthetic.
The artistic craftsmanship behind this Bugatti Baby II is also reflected in the wheels, where Nocturne Black rims, coupled with Gunmetal Grey Carbon spokes, recall the Tourbillon’s unique design. The engraved ‘EB’ wheel caps, alongside the Gunmetal Grey Carbon-accented fuel cap, replicate the exacting standards found in Bugatti’s highest expression of luxury and performance. A hand-painted French flag, carefully added by Hedley Studios’ in-house artist, recalls the original Tourbillon hyper sports car. The detail itself curved to align with the car’s fluidity.
Introduced to the world on a special night at the home of Bugatti this year, the Tourbillon marked the beginning of a new era for the brand. 20 years after Bugatti first created the concept of a hyper sports car, it redefined the concept completely with an entirely new powertrain and platform. The Baby II Tourbillon Edition pays homage to this new chapter in Bugatti’s sprawling history of motorsport success and automotive sophistication.