We’re willing to bet that this isn’t what you were expecting to see under the headline. While the Baby II is not some electrified supercar, or a Chiron priced to rival a Ford Fiesta, it is an impressive piece of engineering like all Bugattis. Dubbed the Baby II, this scaled-down replica of the immortal Bugatti Type 35 is a small electric toy.
Far from some sort of marketing stunt, this little car is in fact a rebirth of something Ettore Bugatti made for his son. Modelled on arguably the most successful racing car of all-time, the little Type 35 was given to Jean Bugatti in 1926 for his fourth Birthday. However, visitors to the factory were so impressed with the little car that Bugatti actually put it into production, making the toy a real Bugatti. The original was manufactured from 1927 and 1936.
Fast forward to today and The Little Car Company has helped Bugatti develop a successor, the Baby II is about 75% the scale of the original Type 35 racer. A 1.4kWh battery powers an electric motor capable of producing up to 5.8bhp – although a slower 1.3bhp mode can be activated. Set free, this electric car can actually hit speeds of up to 30mph.
Just like a big Bugatti, you can specify your Baby II. Upgrade to Vitesse or Pur Sang and you’ll get a larger 2.8kWh battery with a drivetrain capable of 13.4bhp! Use the Bugatti ‘Speed Key’ and the car will race on to a top speed of 42mph.
Regular Baby IIs are made of composite materials, while the Vitesse is forged from carbon. The top Pur Sang model wears an aluminium body that is hand-beaten and involves over 200 hours of work to create.
This car is the perfect replica, with engineers scanning a real Type 35 to create the scaled-down suspension components. Battery range varies between 15 and 31 miles dependant upon model. Just 500 of these beautiful ‘toys’ will be built at prices ranging from £27,375 to £53,382.
We know what to ask for this Christmas!
Keyword: Bugatti releases new entry-level electric car