Venuum Bugatti Chiron: Salvaged Pur Sport Gets A Carbon Widebody Makeover

The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport “VXX” by VENUUM project is one of the most high-profile and controversial hypercar builds in modern automotive culture. Spearheaded by British salvage builder and YouTuber Mat Armstrong alongside the vehicle’s owner, Alex Gonzalez (FXAlexG), the project converted an ultra-exclusive $4M–$5M hypercar into the world’s first aftermarket widebody Chiron Pur Sport.

📸 Photo Credit: @venuum_black on Instagram

1. The Car: Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport “VXX” by VENUUM

With only 60 Chiron Pur Sport units ever produced globally, valued upwards of $4 to $5 million USD, cutting into original structural carbon mounting points to install widebody arches is unthinkable to traditionalists. But this build wasn’t born out of vanity—it was born out of pure necessity. Because factory OEM Bugatti panels were completely unobtainable, Mat commissioned VENUUM Black—a luxury tuning firm based in Dubai and Spain known for wild bespoke widebody styling—to create a custom carbon fiber widebody program dubbed the VXX.

Reported to have cost in the region of $700,000, the VXX kit radically restyles the Chiron Pur Sport with aggressive aerodynamic channels, widened front and rear arches, a redesigned front fascia, custom carbon side skirts, and an exaggerated rear diffuser setup. Fitting the kit required extensive custom fabrication and cutting into original structural and carbon mounting surfaces, converting the ultra-rare hypercar into a true 1-of-1 widebody build.

2. The Backstory: Alex Gonzalez (FXAlexG) and the $1.7M Copart Salvage

The backstory reads like a high-stakes thriller. Alex Gonzalez crashed his Chiron Pur Sport, causing heavy structural damage to the front end, suspension geometry, active airbags, and delicate carbon body panels.

When Bugatti officially assessed the car, they quoted an astronomical repair bill—reportedly around $1.7 million. With the cost deemed uneconomical, the hypercar was written off by insurance and slated for salvage auction, eventually surfacing on Copart. The sight of a 1-of-60 Bugatti Chiron on a salvage lot stunned the car community. Refusing to let the car die, Gonzalez partnered with British automotive builder and YouTuber Mat Armstrong—celebrated for tackling seemingly impossible salvage supercar rebuilds—to bring the Chiron back to life outside official dealership channels.

3. The Issues With Bugatti: Parts Blacklist & Extreme Reverse-Engineering

The build sparked immense tension between the manufacturer and the independent builders:

Parts Blacklist & Refusal of Service: Bugatti maintains strict control over its supply chain, diagnostic software, and spare parts catalog. When Bugatti discovered the car was a total-loss salvage write-off being repaired independently in a non-certified garage, they deemed it structurally compromised and refused to sell OEM replacement parts to Armstrong or Gonzalez. Key safety components—such as genuine airbags, sensors, wiring harnesses, and windshields—were strictly withheld.

Extreme Reverse-Engineering: Denied official parts, Armstrong had to scavenge and adapt components from across the Volkswagen Group parts bin (such as Audi airbag assemblies) and fabricate custom hardware from scratch. The inability to buy factory panels was the primary catalyst for going to VENUUM for an aftermarket widebody kit in the first place.

Brand Integrity vs. “Right to Repair”: Bugatti’s stance is rooted in brand liability, vehicle dynamics, and passenger safety—especially on a car engineered for speeds exceeding 217 to 260 mph where structural carbon integrity is non-negotiable. Conversely, Armstrong and Gonzalez framed the project as a victory for independent engineering and right-to-repair advocacy, proving that even a Chiron could be salvaged without paying multi-million-dollar manufacturer dealer markups.

Why The Venuum Bugatti Chiron Divides

Beneath the aggressive purple bodywork, the 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 still delivers roughly 1,479 hp through all four wheels. According to Bugatti, the Pur Sport was originally engineered for lightweight track agility, so every added kilogram of carbon and fabrication matters. On paper, the VXX is an audacious styling exercise. In reality, it turned into a massive viral spectacle, concluding with the world’s first aftermarket widebody Chiron Pur Sport.

Expect this car to become a fascinating collector curiosity. Its provenance, salvage history, and one-of-one status could command a premium from buyers who value story and rebellion over factory originality. Chassis purists will mourn the altered carbon, yet the W16 remains a mechanical masterpiece. Find more hypercar coverage at Auto News Magazine.

Written By

Marcus Vance

Senior Track & Performance Editor at Auto News Magazine. Veteran automotive journalist specializing in chassis dynamics, apex telemetry, track-day specials, and high-revving mechanical purity.

View all articles by Marcus Vance →