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.
Wonder what his dedcutible is?
Would the lagoon have to be a navigable water to apply?
What kind of car is that, I am a true car hater, but this is a cool looking car.
I was the paparazzi who ran you off the road so I could get wet shots of Brinkley.
Sorry about that.
Actually, I believe that in top speed (250MPH) mode, the full [high] spoiler is NOT deployed as it is in the picture. But you are correct that to get to HS mode, you have to stop the car, and use the ignition key to put it into that mode, and it does lower the car. But the rear spoiler actually goes smaller.
Hardly. One is free to spend their money however they please.
And unlike a lot of people with iphones, a playstation, Xbox, and Wii, big screen TV, along with 23 inch rims on their cars that cost more than the car, I strongly suspect this guy isn't getting a government check every week or demanding I pay for his health care.
A simple flat repair on that car is a $20k effort; don't even want to imagine what it would cost to recondition after than expedition.
Bet his insurance rates go up LOL.
Leni
Leni
Got it backwards.. thanks..
http://www.shelbysupercars.com/
I may be in error of the price that I stated earlier. I was going by a price listed about a year ago but there is an flyer on the above website that says 1.5 million so I might be tad off. :)
There, I fixed it.
I smell an insurance scam....
That’s fine. I was worried it was a vintage Bugatti.
Dude, I can fix it. My dad is a t.v. repairman - he has an awesome set of tools.
Meh.
Derivative of just about every other “supercar” out there, while the Bugatti has truly distinctive styling.
It’s the other way around. Top speed mode requires a second key, and it actually lowers the spoiler to lower drag. The spoiler normally deploys in “normal” mode (where it only goes, eh, 200 mph or so) for downforce. In top speed mode, you’re on your own to keep it straight, as the spoiler lowers flush to the deck and the suspension drops a couple inches.
}:-)4
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