Bugatti has just sold its 450th – and last ever – Veyron, drawing to a close one of the most powerful and exclusive megacars ever built. Nostalgic types will no doubt witness the passing of Bugatti’s iconic ride with bittersweet sentimentality.

On the flip side, given the phenomenal spending costs that go into every unit Volkswagen AG will probably be feeling pretty chuffed that all 450 have now sold – for an average price of about €2.3 million ($2.6 million) each. Still, outlay might be high but VW can handle it. Ten years on and Bugatti still has the power to reduce grown billionaires to excited infants, so it’s worth every penny of their technical mastery.

For distraught fans out there, VW design chief Walter de Silva has already declared that the Veyrons successor – the “Chiron” – could be unveiled by as soon as 2016 and will, naturally, be “a masterpiece.”

Rumour has it the new, no doubt painfully pretty, car will have at least two electrically-powered turbochargers, boosting the total power of the W16 8.0-litre engine to a jaw-dropping 1,500 bhp. Top speed should reach 288 mph and the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint take less than 2.5 seconds. Onwards and upwards.

The final Veyron sold – a Grand Sport Vitesse appropriately-named “La Finale” – was snapped up by a customer from the Middle East and will be showcased next week in Geneva from March 5th-15th alongside the first ever Veyron.