Fernando Alonso joins exclusive Bugatti Veyron club with chrome-plated hypercar

Fernando Alonso has added a chrome-plated Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport to his hypercar collection, joining an exclusive club of owners of one of the most iconic machines in automotive history. The two-time F1 champion's latest acquisition adds to a year of exotic car purchases.

Why it matters:

Alonso's off-track car collection now rivals his F1 achievements for attention. This Veyron, with its bespoke chrome body, underscores his passion for rare engineering and solidifies his status as a serious collector. The Veyron remains a benchmark for hypercars, and owning a one-off chrome version is a statement.

The details:

• Built between 2005 and 2015, the Veyron saw only 450 units – 300 coupes and 150 roadsters. Special versions like the Grand Sport Vitesse world-record car were limited to eight.
• Alonso's example is a Grand Sport with a chrome-plated aluminum body, a request from the previous owner, likely making it one of the priciest Veyrons ever.
• Under the hood: the 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16, producing 1,200hp.
• This marks Alonso's third major car purchase this year, after a Mercedes AMG CLK and a Pagani Zonda 760 Roadster Diamante Verde.
• Standard Veyrons sell for $1.2M–$2.2M; rare versions can exceed $2.5M. Alonso's price remains undisclosed.

What's next:

With three headline-making acquisitions in one year, Alonso shows no sign of stopping. The chrome Veyron is likely a centerpiece, but another extravagant purchase could be just around the corner.