The Bugatti Baby II, a new take on the tiny car founder Ettore Bugatti made for his youngest son’s fourth birthday in 1926, is a lot of things. You could call it a revival of history, as Bugatti does, or perhaps “the only Bugatti most of us can afford.” Or you could take the most direct route, which is a $33,000 kiddie car for the rich that sold out in three weeks.
Somehow, this $33,000 kiddie car isn’t the brand-new Ford Mustang with way too many options the kid down the street was gifted in order to drive to school every day. This is an actual kiddie car, and that sinking feeling in your body is you realizing that it took you much longer than three weeks to decide whether to buy a real, daily-driving car for that much.
But hey, at least the children are happy!
Bugatti announced all 500 Baby II builds sold out in three weeks on Wednesday, when it unveiled the “first” prototype for the car that’ll start production next year. (Why, yes, apparently kiddie cars have prototype unveilings among the rich.) There’s a reserve list, though, should a current buyer pull out.
We first heard about the Baby II back in March, learning that it would fit both children and adults, and with a “Speed Key” upgrade, would hit a menacing 13.4 horsepower and have no speed limiter. Aside from that, Bugatti said its “child mode” limits the car to 1.4 HP and a top speed of 12.4 mph, while “adult mode” will unleash a full 5.4 HP and 28 mph. Zoom zoom, kids.
Bugatti also said Wednesday that the car will come in three specifications—a composite body, a carbon-fiber body with the Speed Key, and a handcrafted aluminum body with the Speed Key—because adding lightness is the way to go. The company said the electric kiddie car “starts” at about 507 pounds without a driver, and has a version expected to make more than 18.6 miles of range.
The Baby II also comes with a limited-slip differential, horn, rearview mirror, handbrake, headlights, regenerative braking and a remote control for someone, likely a parent, to disable the car if a kid decides to take off in their $33,000 toy car. Each car also gets a solid-silver Bugatti badge, like the 1,500-HP Chiron, and Michelin tires so the kids get the full Bugatti experience from a young age.
The rest of us, well, we could have the full Bugatti experience as well—so long as somebody on the list drops out and we forgo that new daily-driver purchase a little longer. After all, Bugatti ownership rarely comes this cheap.