Bugatti Veyron

Peter Huynh
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in Düsseldorf, Germany
Overview
Manufacturer	Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Production	2005–2011 (Veyron 16.4) 2009–present (Grand Sport) 2010–present (Super Sport)
Assembly	Molsheim, Matthew Dicken's house
Designer	Jozef Kaban
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupé (16.4, Super Sport) 2-door targa top (Grand Sport)
Layout	Longitudinal mid-engine, permanent all wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	Standard (Coupe), Grand Sport (Roadster): 8.0 L (488 cu in) W16 quad-turbocharged 1,001 PS (736 kW; 987 bhp) Super Sport (Coupe), Grand Sport Vitesse (Roadster): 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)
Transmission	7-speed DSG sequential
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,710 mm (106.7 in)
Length	4,462 mm (175.7 in)
Width	1,998 mm (78.7 in)
Height	1,159 mm (45.6 in)
Kerb weight	1,888 kg (4,162 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Bugatti EB110

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined sports car, designed and developed by the Volkswagen Group and manufactured in Molsheim, France by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

The Super Sport version of the Veyron is the fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph). The original version has a top speed of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph). It was named Car of the Decade (2000–2009) by the BBC television programme Top Gear. The standard Bugatti Veyron won Top Gear's Best Car Driven All Year award in 2005.

On 6 April 2013, Bugatti set the record for having the highest top speed of any roadster in the world with the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, reaching on average a top speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph).

The Veyron's chief designer was Hartmut Warkuss, and the exterior was designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen, with much of the engineering work being conducted under the guidance of engineering chief Wolfgang Schreiber.

A number of special variants have been produced. In December 2010, Bugatti began offering prospective buyers the ability to customize exterior and interiors colours by using the Veyron 16.4 Configurator application on the marque's official website.

Origin of the car

In 1998, the Volkswagen Group purchased the trademark rights on the former car manufacturer Bugatti in order to revive the brand. Starting with the Bugatti EB118, they presented at various international auto shows a total of four 18-cylinder concept cars. At the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, the first study of the Veyron was presented. At the time, the name of the concept car was "Bugatti Veyron EB 18.4," and it was equipped with a 3-bank W 18-cylinder engine instead of the 2-bank W 16-cylinder engine of the production version. While the three previous prototypes had been styled by Giugiaro, the Veyron was designed by the Volkswagen stylists.

The decision to start production of the car was taken by the Volkswagen Group in 2001. The first roadworthy prototype was completed in August 2003. It is identical except for a few details to the later series variant. In the development to series production, however, considerable technical problems had to be addressed, so that the start of production was delayed repeatedly, until September 2005.

Name origin

The Veyron EB 16.4 is named in honour of Pierre Veyron, a Bugatti development engineer, test driver and company race driver who, with co-driver Jean-Pierre Wimille, won the 1939 24 hours of Le Mans while driving a Bugatti. The "EB" refers to Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti and the "16.4" refers to the engine's 16 cylinders and four turbochargers.

World record controversy

At the beginning of April 2013, driving.co.uk (also known as Sunday Times Driving) began an investigation following claims from US car maker Hennessey that its 928 kW (1,244 bhp) Hennessey Venom GT was the new world’s fastest production car, taking the crown from the Guinness World Record-holding Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. With a recorded speed of 427.6 km/h (265.7 mph) the Hennessey was 3.4 km/h (2.1 mph) slower than the Veyron but Hennessey dismissed Bugatti’s official record saying that the Veyron Super Sport was restricted to 415 km/h (258 mph) in production form and that for it to achieve its record top speed of 431.0 km/h (267.8 mph), the car used was in a state of tune not available to customers. Hennessey said its Venom GT, on the other hand, was road-ready and unmodified and was therefore a production car in the strict sense of the term.

Driving.co.uk requested clarification from Guinness World Records, which investigated this claim and found that indeed the modification was against the official guidelines of the record. Upon finding this, Guinness World Records voided the Super Sport's record and announced it was "reviewing this category with expert external consultants to ensure our records fairly reflect achievements in this field."

After further review, SSC, the producers of the Ultimate Aero TT, said that they had reclaimed the record. However Guinness World Records later said they had reinstated the Super Sport's record, after coming to the conclusion that "a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

Bugatti Veyron (2005–2011)

Specifications and performance

The Veyron's quad-turbocharged W16 engine

The Veyron features an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 cylinder engine, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the VR8 configuration of each bank allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cubic centimetres (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 by 86 mm (3.39 by 3.39 in) bore and stroke.

First U.S. Bugatti Veyron on display in April 2006

The transmission is a dual-clutch direct-shift gearbox computer-controlled automatic with seven gear ratios, with magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds, built by Ricardo of England rather than Borg-Warner, who designed the six speed DSG used in the mainstream Volkswagen Group marques. The Veyron can be driven in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode. A replacement transmission for the Veyron costs just over US$120,000. It also has permanent all-wheel drive using the Haldex Traction system. It uses special Michelin PAX run-flat tyres, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron's top speed, and cost US$25,000 per set. The tyres can be mounted on the rims only in France, a service which costs US$70,000. Kerb weight is 1,888 kilograms (4,162 lb). This gives the car a power-to-weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group's figures, of 530 PS (390 kW; 523 bhp) per ton.

The car's wheelbase is 2,710 mm (106.7 in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7 in) which gives 1,752.6 mm (69.0 in) of overhang. The width is 1,998 mm (78.7 in) and height 1,204 mm (47.4 in). The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators:

• 3 heat exchangers for the air-to-liquid intercoolers.
• 3 engine radiators.
• 1 for the air conditioning system.
• 1 transmission oil radiator.
• 1 differential oil radiator.
• 1 engine oil radiator

It has a drag coefficient of 0.41 (normal condition) and 0.36 (after lowering to the ground), and a frontal area of 2.07 m² (22.3 sq ft). This gives it a drag area – the product of drag coefficient and frontal area, represented as C_dA – of 0.74 m² (8.0 sq ft).

Engine output

According to Volkswagen Group and certified by TÜV Süddeutschland, the final production Veyron engine produces 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) of motive power, and generates 1,250 newton-metres (922 lbf⋅ft) of torque. The nominal figure has been stated by Bugatti officials to be conservative, with the real total being 1,020 metric horsepower (750 kW; 1,006 bhp).

Top speed

German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of the original version of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) during test sessions on the Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005.

This top speed was verified by James May on Top Gear in November 2006, again at Volkswagen Group's private Ehra-Lessien test track. May noted that at top speed the engine consumes 45,000 litres (9,900 imp gal) of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days). The Veyron at the time had the highest top speed of any street legal production car. Back in the Top Gear studio, co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson commented that most supercars felt like they were shaking apart at their top speed, and asked May if that was the case with the Veyron at 407 km/h (253 mph). May responded that no, the Veyron was very controlled, and only wobbled a tiny bit when the air brake deployed.

The car's everyday top speed is listed at 343 km/h (213 mph). When the car reaches 220 km/h (140 mph), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 9 cm (3.5 in). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. In this handling mode, the wing provides 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road.

For top speed mode the driver must, while stationary, toggle a special top speed key to the left of the driver's seat. A checklist then establishes whether the car and its driver are ready to attempt to reach 407 km/h (253 mph). If so, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers shut, and normal 12.5 cm (4.9 in) ground clearance drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).

Braking

The Veyron's brakes use cross drilled, radially vented carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite discs, manufactured by SGL Carbon, which have a much greater resistance to brake fade when compared with conventional cast iron discs. The lightweight aluminium alloy monobloc brake calipers are made by AP Racing; the fronts have eight titanium pistons and the rear calipers have six pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 g on road tyres. As an added safety feature, in the event of brake failure, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) has also been installed on the handbrake.

Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 g braking from 312 km/h (194 mph) to 80 km/h (50 mph) without fade. With the car's acceleration from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 312 km/h (194 mph), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 200 km/h (120 mph), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55° angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing an additional 0.68 g (6.66 m/s²) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback). Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400 km/h (250 mph) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds, though distance covered in this time will be half a kilometre (third of a mile).

Specifications

Basic Specifications
Layout and body style	Mid-engine, four-wheel drive, two-door coupé/targa top	Base price	€1,225,000 (£1,065,000/US$1,700,000) Super Sport: €1,912,500 (£1,665,000/US$2,700,000)
Internal combustion engine	8.0 litre W16, 64v 2xDOHC quad-turbocharged petrol engine	Engine displacement and max. power	7,993 cc (487.8 cu in) 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) Super Sport: 1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)

Performance
Top speed	408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) (average) Super Sport: 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) (average)
0–100 km/h (0.0–62.1 mph)	2.46 seconds	0–240 km/h (0.0–149.1 mph)	9.8 seconds
0–300 km/h (0.0–186.4 mph)	16.7 seconds Super Sport: 14.6 seconds	0–400 km/h (0.0–248.5 mph)	55 seconds
Standing quarter-mile (402 m)		10.2 seconds (standard), 9.9 seconds
Braking		31.4 m (from 100 km/h to 0)

Fuel economy
EPA city driving	8 miles per U.S. gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg‑imp)	EPA highway driving	14 miles per U.S. gallon (17 L/100 km; 17 mpg‑imp)
Top speed fuel economy		3 miles per U.S. gallon (78 L/100 km; 3.6 mpg‑imp), or 1.4 U.S. gal (5.3 L; 1.2 imp gal) per minute

Special versions

Pur Sang (2007)

Launched on 11 September 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show the "Pur Sang" (literally Pure Blood, but more accurately translated as Thoroughbred) is a limited run of five cars. They have high-gloss bronze roadwheels with a diamond-cut glass-like finish and a clear body finish revealing the Veyron's silver oxide finish carbon fibre body, but are otherwise standard.

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Pegaso (2007)

This special edition Veyron was made for a rich Ukrainian living in Dubai. Some reports say that the Pegaso had its power increased from 1,001 PS (736 kW; 987 bhp) to 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,200 bhp), making it as powerful as a Super Sport. The Pegaso name comes from a Spanish coachbuilder that used to build luxury cars, such as the Pegaso Z-102.

Fbg Par Hermès (2008)

A Hermès-themed model: Hermès monogram on the front grille, roadwheels with a single H in the centre, and fuel filler door engraved with Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermès. The interior is done in Hermès leather with internal door handles reminiscent of handles used on Hermès trunks – and a Hermès wallet and Hermès suitcase is included.

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Sang Noir (2008)

A limited run of 15 cars with an all-black exterior colour palette and a bright orange interior. In 2012 Gemballa Racing unveiled their Sang Noir wrapped in Gemballa blue with glow-in-the-dark lightning flashes to be used as a promotional vehicle for Gemballa Racing.

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Bleu Centenaire (2009)

A celebratory model unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show for the 100th anniversary of the Bugatti brand. The entire body is painted in a combination of matte and gloss "Bugatti Blue", the midsection between the two wings on the hood is expanded, and a chrome strip up the middle added.

L'Edition Centenaire (2009)

The Bugatti Centenaire Villa d’Este Limited Edition is an homage to the golden age of motorsport in the first half of the last century. As such, it is reminiscent of the historic Bugatti Type 35 thoroughbred racing car. Each of the four finishes available symbolises one of the great European racing nations of the 1920s. Only 4 cars were made and the four cars have different colours.

The drivers from which the L’Edition Centenaire was inspired are:

• Jean-Pierre Wimille from France: two tone blue and silver colour
• Achille Varzi from Italy: two tone Red and silver colour
• Malcolm Campbell from UK: two tone Green and Silver colour
• Prince Hermann Zu Leiningen from Germany: two tone Beige and silver colour

Sang d’Argent (2010)

First shown at the 2009 Dubai Motor Show, this one-off is finished in matte silver and polished aluminium. It was inspired by the two tone finish of the Centenary Villa d’Este cars and the previous Pur Sang edition. The car was sold for US$2.1 million.

Nocturne (2010)

Also at the 2009 Dubai Motor Show, the car was unique because of its galvanised side windows. This Veyron is distinguished by its polished aluminum line that starts at the front of the vehicle and finishes with the wide rear arches. The rest of the vehicle is coated in uniblack. Inside, it has a dark magnesium dashboard and a galvanized Platinum center console. Just five were produced, exclusively for the Middle East, for an even higher price of US$2.4 million. As the standard Veyron 16.4 sold out in 2011, this was the last special edition for the "normal" Veyrons.

Sales

	Units sold
2005	5
2006	44
2007	81
2008	71
2009	50
2010	40
2011	381
2012	31
2013
Total	360

1. ^ The last Veyron, N^o. 300 was sold September 2011.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (2009–)

It is a limited (150 units, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers) targa top version of Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4. The model has extensive reinforcements to compensate for the lack of standard roof, and small changes to the windshield and running lights. There are two removable tops, the second a temporary roof fashioned after an umbrella. The top speed with the hardtop in place is the same as the standard coupé version, but with the roof down is limited to 369 km/h (229 mph)—and to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the temporary soft roof.

The vehicle was unveiled at 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, followed by Qatar Motor Show 2012 (with a horizontal colour split with a bright yellow body framed in visible black carbon (including black-tinted wheels), seats in yellow-colored leather upholstery with black stitching, middle console in black carbon, dashboard, steering wheel and gearshift made of black leather with yellow stitching).

Production began in the second quarter of 2009.

The standard version costs €1.4 million (excluding taxes and delivery), while the Qatar Motor Show 2012 car costs €1.58 million.

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Special versions

Sang Bleu (2010)

Blue carbon-fibre with polished aluminium, wheels inspired by the Grand Sport Roadster, highlighted in a Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut two-tone finish.

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Soleil de Nuit (2010)

Exclusively for the Middle East, the Soleil de Nuit was unveiled at the 2009 Dubai Motor Show. It combines polished aluminium accents with metallic blue/black paint. It also features a burnt orange interior. It was sold for US$2.27 million.

Grey Carbon (2010)

The Grey Carbon was first shown to the public at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The exterior features exposed carbon-fibre with metallic dark grey aluminum body panels, and lower portion in polished aluminium. Only one Grand Sport Grey Carbon edition was made.

Royal Dark Blue (2010)

Like the Grey Carbon, the Royal Dark Blue was a show car at Geneva 2010. It features a carbonfibre monocoque and the bonnet and rear section finished in Royal Dark Blue, hence the name. The rest of the car is painted Arctic White. It sold for €1.75 million.

Sang Blanc (2010)

This car was designed at the request of a client from the UK. It is finished in a matte pearlescent white with black front grille, exhaust and engine cover, as well as a black interior. In 2011, Derbyshire-based exotic car dealer Tom Hartley sold the Sang Blanc, with 448 miles on the odometer, for £1.25 million. On 25 August 2012, the Sang Blanc was involved in a crash near to Mandelieu-la-Napoule, France. The front right fender and the right headlight sustained some damage.

Bijan Pakzad Edition (2011)

Bijan Pakzad Edition photographed outside the House of Bijan boutique in Beverly Hills, California.

Just before unexpectedly passing away due to a stroke, the Iranian born fashion designer Bijan Pakzad collaborated with Bugatti to design this one-off Veyron. The car features a unique yellow and black colour scheme. It also features a lot of decals, like the handwritten-look ‘Bijan’ logo on the underside of the rear wing. It is currently parked outside of the "House of Bijan" boutique on Rodeo Drive.

Matte White (2011)

First shown at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, the Matte White, as its name suggests, features a matte white paint finish, with the lower section of the car finished in blue carbon fibre. The interior is also blue. It was sold soon after it was put on display.

L'Or Blanc (2011)

Teaming up with Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, Bugatti created the one-off Veyron "L'Or Blanc". Its name means "white gold", and the special Grand Sport uses porcelain to distinguish its body and interior with a blue and white pattern.

Red Edition (2011)

Shown at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, this special edition features the whole car (body and interior) painted red. Even the wheels were painted red. It is thought Bugatti brought this car to Frankfurt to speed up purchases of the Grand Sport, as the sales figure was disappointingly low.

Middle East Editions (2011)

Three different ‘Middle East Edition’ cars were unveiled at the 2011 Dubai Motor Show. The first car combines a bright yellow exterior and interior with black carbon fibre inserts and black wheels. The second has a blue carbon framed exterior with polished aluminium and an orange interior. The final edition features a green carbon finish, once again framed with polished aluminium. The yellow model sold for €1.58 million, while the other two were sold for €1.74 million.

Wei Long (2012)

First shown at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, the Wei Long was built by Bugatti to commemorate the Chinese year of the Dragon. It was developed alongside Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur, the same firm responsible for the Veyron L'Or Blanc, who fitted several high-quality porcelain motifs. Most of the pieces depict a dragon and are featured on the body and in the cabin, endowing the car with deep Chinese cultural heritage. Some locations include on the surface of the oil and fuel filler cap. Other details include a pearl white exterior with contrasting carmine red interior, headrests embroidered with the Chinese “Dragon” character, and hand-crafted pure silk floor mats embossed with more dragon logos. It was sold for €1.58 million.

Bernar Venet (2012)

In 2012, Bugatti invited Bernar Venet to create a one-off artwork to be applied to a Veyron Grand Sport. The finished work, described as "the fastest artwork ever", features an interpretation of Venet's trademark mathematical equations and was revealed at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Production

The chassis 001 of the 2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was sold at the 58th annual Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company for US$2.9 million (US$3.19 million after buy premium), benefiting the Pebble Beach Company Foundation.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, World Record Edition (2010–)

A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition - the fastest road legal production car reaching 431 km/h

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is a limited (30 units) version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 with increased engine power of 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,200 bhp) and torque of 1,500 N⋅m (1,100 lbf⋅ft), a revised aerodynamic package. It has a 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) top speed, making it the fastest production road car in production although it is electronically limited to 415 km/h (258 mph) to protect the tyres from disintegrating.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition is a limited (5 units) of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport with special black exposed carbon body and orange body colour.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2010 The Quail, followed by 2010 Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca, 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The Super Sport is valued at £1.7 million.

Special versions

Sang Noir (2011)

Introduced for customers who did not like the look of the ‘World Record Edition’, the Sang Noir was a show car at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The car is finished entirely in black, except for the interior, which is bright tangerine orange. The car costs a very high US$3.4 million, US$1 million more than a standard Super Sport.

Black Carbon (2011)

First shown at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, the Black Carbon was built for a customer in China. This car is finished in a black clear-coat, revealing the carbon fibre body. The black exterior is combined with "Snow Beige" and "Beluga Black."

Edition Merveilleux (2011)

Unveiled in December 2011, the Edition Merveilleux was presented by Bugatti to a car collector from China known only as "Simon", commemorating the 40th birthday of the buyer. In a video released by Bugatti, featuring a number of Bugatti’s top execs including CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer, they wish Simon a happy 40th birthday. The Edition Merveilleux features an un-painted carbon fibre exterior with matching blacked-out alloy wheels and a bright blue interior. It is the first Super Sport in the Chinese market.

Le Saphir Bleu (2012)

In early September 2012, a Super Sport with the same exterior design as the L'or Blanc was seen driving around Molsheim. It is believed to be called "Le Saphir Bleu" (The Blue Sapphire).

Pur Blanc (2012)

In late September 2012, a Pur Blanc Super Sport was built for a customer in Boston, Massachusetts. The Pur Blanc edition takes its name from the French for "pure white" but actually has a fair bit of exposed black carbon fiber thrown in for good measure.

Motorsports

On 4 July 2010 James May, a television presenter on BBC 2's television show Top Gear, drove the Veyron Super Sport at 417 km/h (259 mph). Later that day, Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel drove the Super Sport version of the Veyron on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien (near Wolfsburg, Germany) high-speed test track to establish the car's top speed. With representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) on hand, Raphanel made passes around the big oval in both directions achieving an average maximum speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph), thus taking back the title from the SSC Ultimate Aero TT as the fastest production vehicle of all time. The 431.072 km/h mark was reached by averaging the Super Sport's two test runs, the first reaching 427.93 km/h (265.90 mph) and the second 434.20 km/h (269.80 mph).

On 9 April 2013 the Title of "Fastest Production Car in the World" was revoked due to the deactivation of the electronic speed limiter which makes the car non stock, going against the rules of the title. Later, Bugatti’s speed record has been restored. "Following a thorough review conducted with a number of external experts, Guinness World Records is pleased to announce the confirmation of Bugatti’s record of Fastest production car achieved by the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The focus of the review was with respect to what may constitute a modification to a car’s standard specification. Having evaluated all the necessary information, Guinness World Records is now satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

Grand Sport Vitesse (2012-)

Grand Sport Vitesse side view

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is a version of the Grand Sport with a Super Sport engine. It produces a maximum output of 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,200 bhp) @ 6,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,500 N⋅m (1,100 lb⋅ft) @ 3,000-5,000 rpm. These figures allow the car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from standing in 2.6 seconds. On normal roads, the Vitesse is electronically limited to 375 km/h (233 mph).

The vehicle was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show (with carbon parts in new colour "Brown" (lids, rear end, front spoiler and side skirting) shimmer in an almost bronze shade depending on how the light falls, side parts right up to the rear air intakes made from polished aluminium, Gaucho coloured interior leather upholstery with dark stitching (colour "Coffee")) followed by 2012 Beijing Auto Show (with black and Italian Red body colours, polished wheels in Italian Red with Diamond Cut design), São Paulo Motor Show 2012 (with upper area of the body in light "Gris Rafale" colour, roof area, air scoops, air brake and some parts of the back in blue visible carbon; lake blue leather seats and a stitching in light grey).

Base price of the Vitesse costs €1.69 million (without tax and transportation), with the 2012 Geneva Motor Show car costs €1.79 million, São Paulo Motor Show 2012 car costs €1.9 million.

Special Edition Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse (2012-)

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse SE, photographed in Tampere, Finland June 2013

It is a version of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse inspired by Bugatti Type 37A, with upper area of the body in "Bianco" colour (including the roof area and the air scoops), lower body panels (side skirting, front spoiler, radiator grille frame and rear apron with diffusor), inner surfaces of the wheel rims, the underside of the automatically extending rear spoiler in "New Light Blue"; a noble Cognac leather interior upholstery, contrasting New Light Blue stitching, blue accents in the door handles and map pockets.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2012 The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, and was sold for €1.74 million (US$2.2 million).

Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Car Edition (2013-)

The World Record Car (WRC) Edition is a limited (8 units) version of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, with dual-colour scheme in black and orange, including orange vinyls around the headlights and grille, orange rims and interior.

The vehicle was unveiled in Shanghai Motor Show 2013, and went on sale for €1.99 million.

Bugatti Legend "Jean-Pierre Wimille" (2013-)

It is a limited (3 units) version of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse inspired by 1937 blue Bugatti 57G Tank co-piloted by Robert Benoist, with blue clear-coated carbon fibre body and a light Wimille Bleu paintwork finish.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2013 Monterey Auto Week, followed by 2013 The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Jean Bugatti Vitesse Legend Edition (2013-)

It is a limited (3 units) version of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse inspired by Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, with jet black, clear-coated carbon fibre body; Arctic grey signature of Jean Bugatti asered onto the petrol and oil cap, beige and brown leather upholstery from Type 57SC Atlantic, seats, instrument panel, steering wheel, dash panel, centre console, door trim panels and windscreen crossmember in chocolate brown; leather upholstery in a light beige silk colour across the extended centre console, footwell, the outer door trim panels and the handle recesses; 'Type 57SC' embroidery on the doors and the cover of the rear storage compartment with beige silk thread stitching, EB logo styled in gleaming platinum, selector lever in rosewood, a leather insert embossed with the lettering "Les Légendes de Bugatti" in the extended section of the centre console, and door sill plate displaying the likeness and signature of Jean Bugatti.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Lang Lang's Veyron Vitesse (2013)

It is a version of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse built for concert pianist Lang Lang, inspired by a piano keyboard. It included black and white body colours, white leather embroidered with black stitching to mimic sheet music, gold plating on the steering wheel, wheel hubs and fuel cap; Lang Lang's signature at the center console with a gold marker.

The vehicle was unveiled at Chateau St. Jean.

Vitesse Legend "Meo Costantini" (2013-)

It is a limited (3 units) version of Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse dedicated to Meo Costantini, with body primarily constructed of carbon fiber, wings, doors, the parts behind the doors, the "medaillons" (French) and corners of the front bumper in hand-polished aluminium with clear lacquer; Bugatti Dark Blue Sport body colour (from Bugatti Type 35) on the carbon fiber parts, silhouette of the Targa Florio race course on the underside of the rear wing (air-brake) in Bugatti Dark Blue Sport, Meo Costantini's signature laser-engraved into the aluminium tank and oil caps and painted in silver, leather interior upholstery, roof, footwell, center sections of the seats and rear in the color "Gaucho" (cognac); seat's side cushions, arm rests, extended center console, door panels, dash panel, instrument panel and steering wheel trimmed in dark blue leather in the "Lake Blue" color; decorative stitching in contrasting light blue (Bugatti Light Blue Sport), head restraints embroidered with Meo Costantini's signature in Bugatti Light Blue Sport, cover of the rear center box with silhouette of the Targa Florio race route in a milled and polished aluminium relief attached directly below the EB logo on the cover, with EB logo made from from dark blue clear-coated carbon fiber; racing scenes illustrating Meo Costantini's racing career in 1920s and vintage car motifs laser-engraved into the leather trim on the doors, interior trim of the door pockets and door handle recesses in Bugatti Light Blue Sport, inlay in the extended section of the center console in clear-coated carbon fiber with the Legend logo and Bugatti elephant, door sill strips displaying the likeness and signature of Meo Costantini.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2013 Dubai International Motor Show.

Motorsports

A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse driven by the Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu at Volkswagen Group's proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien became the fastest open-top production sports car, with speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph). The vehicle was unveiled in Shanghai Motor Show 2013.

After the world record attempt, Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S, said “When we introduced the Vitesse, we established the top speed for open-top driving to be 375 km/h. Still, we could not let go of the idea of reaching the 400 km/h mark with this car as well. The fact that we have succeeded in reaching 408.84 km/h is a thrill for me, and it reaffirms once again that Bugatti is the leader when it comes to technology in the international automotive industry." The driver, Anthony Liu, claimed "Even at such high speeds it remained incredibly comfortable and stable. With an open top, you can really experience the sound of the engine and yet even at higher speeds I did not get compromised by the wind at all.”

Future development

In 2008, Bugatti then-CEO Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen confirmed that the Veyron would be replaced by another high-end model by 2012. In 2011, the new CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer revealed that the company was planning to produce two models in the future — one a sports car-successor to the Veyron, the other a limousine known as the Galibier.

Bugatti SuperVeyron

In 2011, Wolfgang Dürheimer stated that the company was committed to producing the world's fastest car, and would respond to any competitors that produced a faster car. In October 2012, Automobile Magazine reported rumours of a new variant called the SuperVeyron which was due to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. However, Bugatti president Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber spoke with Autoblog and announced that no such project is in development. Despite this he did state that a replacement for the Veyron model is in the works after the model reaches its end of production.

16C Galibier

Main article: Bugatti 16C Galibier

The Bugatti 16C Galibier concept is a prototype of a luxury sedan which was presented officially in September 2009 by Bugatti before the IAA 2009. A derivative of the concept vehicle is expected to reach the market in 2015. The car is a 4-door luxury sedan which shares the W16 8.0L engine of the Veyron, but with two superchargers instead of four turbochargers for improved torque. It would be produced in larger volumes than the Veyron and may incorporate a hybrid option.

In September 2013 Bugatti announced that it will be dropping the Galibier Project to focus solely on the successor to the Veyron.

Commentary

Top Gear

All three presenters of the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear have given the Veyron considerable praise. While initially skeptical that the Veyron would ever be produced, Jeremy Clarkson later declared the Veyron "the greatest car ever made and the greatest car we will ever see in our lifetime". He also pointed out that the actual production cost of a Bugatti Veyron car was 5 million British pounds, but was sold to customers for just 1 million. When asked why, he jokingly said that Volkswagen designed the car merely as a "Technical Exercise". James May described the Veyron as "our Concorde moment." Clarkson test drove the Veyron from Alba in northern Italy to London in a race against May and Richard Hammond who made the journey in a Cessna 182 aeroplane.

A few episodes later, May drove the Veyron at the VW test track and took it to its top speed of 407.16 km/h (253.00 mph). In series 10, Hammond raced the Veyron against the Eurofighter Typhoon and lost. He also raced the car in Series 13 against a McLaren F1 driven by The Stig in a one mile (1.6 km) drag race in Abu Dhabi. The commentary focused on Bugatti's "amazing technical achievement" versus the "non-gizmo" racing purity of the F1. While the F1 was quicker off the line and remained ahead until both cars were travelling at approximately 200 km/h, the Bugatti overtook its competitor from 200 to 300 km/h and emerged the victor. Hammond has stated that he did not use the Veyron's launch control in order to make the race more interesting.

The Veyron also won the award for "Car of the Decade" in Top Gear's end of 2010 award show. Clarkson commented "It was a car that just rewrote the rule book really, an amazing piece of engineering, a genuine Concorde moment". When the standard version was tested, it did not reach the top of the lap time leader board, with a time of 1:18.3, which was speculated as being due to the car's considerable weight disadvantage against the other cars towards the top. The Super Sport version - driven by The Stig - achieved the fastest ever time of 1:16.8 (later beaten by the Ariel Atom V8, the McLaren MP4-12C, and the Lamborghini Aventador), as well as being taken to a (verified) average top speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) by Raphanel on the programme, thenceforth retaking its position as the fastest production car in the world.

Martin Roach

In 2011, Martin Roach's book Bugatti Veyron: A Quest for Perfection – The Story of the Greatest Car in the World took the stance that the car had now become so famous that it is effectively a bona fide 'celebrity'. The book follows its author as he attempts to track down and drive the car, along the way interviewing chief designers, test drivers, and the president of Bugatti.

Gordon Murray

Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 (which for many years was the fastest production car ever built) said the following about the Bugatti Veyron in UK auto magazine Evo during its development period:

The most pointless exercise on the planet has got to be this four-wheel-drive thousand-horsepower Bugatti. I think it's incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element - top speed or standing kilometre or 0–60. It's about as narrow minded as you can get as a car designer to pick on one element. It's like saying we're going to beat the original Mini because we're going to make a car 10mph faster on its top speed - but it's two foot longer and 200 kilos heavier. That's not car designing - that just reeks of a company who are paranoid...

— Gordon Murray

Murray later brought up and criticized Volkswagen for "scamming" car buyers in the 1990s for buying the cheapest parts possible for the production of Jettas and Golfs, allowing Volkswagen to make a larger profit off their car sales, funding the construction of the Bugatti Veyron. However, Murray was impressed with the Veyron's engine and transmission after he test drove one for Road and Track magazine.

See also

• List of fastest production cars
• ThrustSSC, holder of the World Land Speed Record

External links

• Official website