Posted on 11/12/2009 11:15:04 AM PST by Elderberry
LA MARQUE The owner of one of the worlds fastest production automobiles accidentally drove his fine-tuned, French-built car into a saltwater lagoon Wednesday.
The man, who police said was from Lufkin, was uninjured after escaping the partially submerged Bugatti Veyron as it came to rest in about 2 feet of saltwater.
The two-seater, with 16 cylinders and four turbo chargers, can reach speeds of more than 250 mph. New models sell for about $2 million.
The man, who refused to give his name, was looking at real estate in Galveston.
About 3 p.m. a low-flying pelican distracted him as he traveled north on Interstate 45 just south of the hurricane levee near Omega Bay.
The man jerked the wheel, dropped his cell phone, and the cars front tire left the frontage road and entered a muddy patch, which foiled his attempt to maneuver away from the lagoon.
The Veyrons powerful engine gurgled like an outboard motor for about 15 minutes before it died.
Police and firefighters blocked the frontage road until MCH Towing employee Gilbert Harrison carefully wenched the car away from riprap and onto the soft, muddy bank.
Its the rarest car in the world, not something you can just replace, the man said.
An Associated Press story in October mentioned a 2006 model Veyron for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., with an asking price of $1.25 million.
One of the prospective buyers was from Texas.
That Bugatti Veyron was one of only 200 made and one of only about 15 in the United States, the AP reported.
You could immerse the car into a pool full of CorrosionX.
It could work, Huh?
While yapping on his cellphone.
Faster? Than a clocked top speed (with a non-professional driver, no less—Top Gear’s “Captain Slow” James May) of 407 km/h (254 mph)? Don’t think so.
}:-)4
Its the rarest car in the world, not something you can just replace, the man said.
For Pete's sake, it's HARDLY the rarest car in the world. Even the deservedly famous Bugatti Royale isn't, and there were only six built of those.
SSC Ultimate Aero does in fact hold the production car record, but the record car was something of a stripper with no ac, radio etc.
Koenigsegg, SSC and others periodically vie for "worlds fastest car" title, but still lack the refinement of more developed supercars like the Veyron, McClaren SLR, S7 etc.
They're really kind of project cars, like TT Vipers - time will tell if SSC can win buyers in the supercar category. To me, the design is totally uninspiring.
I don’t think he’s covered bt traditional car insurance. He most likely has a policy with a yacht/ aircraft company or has a 250,000 escrow account to cover himself.
How fortunate that duct tape now comes in many colors. It adds that special touch to even the most exquisite model. I'm especially partial to the shiny black.
“Maroon Maroons Saloon in Lagoon”
- JP
We call that Chrome in Indiana.
Not guilty.
This will probably show up on the CarFax Report.
I would think a police report would be filed and his name a matter of public record.
This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the reason Obama said that forcing you to buy Health Care Coverage is the same as forcing you to buy Auto Insurance. If the owner of the car doesn’t have Insurance, he should be locked up for five years. Nancy Pelosi will see him on Conjugal Visit day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.