Bugatti to expand into yacht making

Bugatti has announced it has teamed up with legendary yacht builder, Palmer Johnson, to make a new range of carbon-fibre hull yachts inspired by some of its famous models.

The boats, named Niniette after founder Ettore Bugatti’s daughter’s nickname, are said to be inspired by classic Bugattis from the past including the Type 57 C Atlante and the Type 41 Royale.

Made in three sizes -- 42ft, 63ft and 88ft -- the yachts are all based on the Palmer Johnson SuperSport series that is said to have a revolutionary hull shape featuring a monohull with two sponson stabilisers (mini hulls) at the rear to add high-speed stability.

Speaking of which, according to the Monaco-based yacht builder the SuperSport is capable of exceeding 70km/h.

Design cues borrowed from Bugattis include a falling shoulder line that’s said to be pinched from the Type 57 Atlante.

Meanwhile, according to the French hypercar-maker the accentuated waist line and familiar two-tone colour scheme borrows from the sold-out Veyron.

The best-selling model is expected to be the PJ63 Niniette, the mid-range 63ft model that provides what Bugatti describes as “luxurious accommodation for up to four guests, plus a small crew cabin.

The French car-maker says it can tailor the cabin to the individual requirements of its customers -- but at a price. The basic price for a PJ63 starts at around $4.7 million.

If you can’t afford that the smaller, more affordable PJ43 Niniette is priced from around $3 million.

Build time takes around 12 months.