Posted on 05/14/2005 4:26:09 PM PDT by aculeus
Legendary sports car maker Bugatti is to produce the world's fastest road car after a prototype last week exceeded 400kmh on a German test track, silencing critics who predicted the car would never achieve its ambitious goal.
The multi million-dollar Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - its name refers to the 16-cylinder, quad-turbocharged engine that has more power than a Formula One car - achieved the feat on a Volkswagen test track.
The German car giant bought the famous French Bugatti brand in 1998 and has been working on re-establishing its supercar credentials ever since.
Bugatti says the 750kW test car, one of 11 prototypes developed leading up to the planned launch of the two-seater vehicle, achieved the speed "several times".
From that speed (and assuming its brakes retard the car at a similar level to other supercars), the Veyron would take 750 metres to stop.
As well as the seemingly ludicrous top speed, the all-wheel-drive Veyron can reach 100kmh in just 2.9 seconds.
Such performance raises questions about the safety implications of a car capable of travelling at four times the legal speed limit, although - just as Ferraris almost never reach their potential on public roads - Bugatti says such daring will most likely be left to race tracks or private roads to which well-heeled owners would have access.
Reaching the 400kmh milestone was a relief for Bugatti, which delayed the Veyron project more than two years due to development setbacks.
Customer deliveries of the Veyron were originally slated for 2003 but overheating problems, concerns about high-speed stability and stringent quality standards set by Volkswagen made the project run late. The first cars are now expected to be delivered to customers by the end of this year, according to Bugatti president Dr Thomas Bscher.
Bugatti says it will cost 1 million euros ($1.65 million) to buy a Veyron. Only 300 will be built over six years. Add GST, import duty and luxury car tax and the price of owning a Veyron would be about $3 million, depending on the exchange rate. Which, along with the fact the Veyron will only be built as a left-hand- drive, may explain why no Australians have dipped into their savings just yet.
It's baaad looking.
Course after rear ending an SUV it won't look like much.
The throwback Bugatti grille on the front of this monster looks crazy and a bit out of place.
The throwback Bugatti grille on the front of this monster looks crazy and a bit out of place.
If they're only making 300, I better put my order in today.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
LMAO! So true!
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Shoot. This certainly beats the 175 mph I can do in my vette.
my poorman Bugatti :)
I thought the same thing looking at the picture in this month's Road and Track. The horseshoe grill just doesn't look right. The pictures on this thread look better than the one in the magazine.
I'm a little sketical of the engine. I think it's a W-16 so it uses a narrow angle block like the w-12 VW engine does.
For me a v-12 needs to be either 60 degrees or 65 like Ferraris not that funky looking thing of VW's. Of course if you want to give it to me, I'l take it.
Quad-Turbo? Dang.
Does it come with its own refueling tanker?
widening the angle would help in the torque depatment, but introduce harmonic distortions as well, making it perform more like a big block than a higher reving small block.
i believe this is the current record holder... 
plumbing nightmare!
most of the guys I know that have twin turbos can't keep'em from leaking...
Does it come with its own refueling tanker?
Great question!
Yep, and the 140mph I can do on two wheels. But you know what? That's plenty enough of a rush for me.
One thing I hate about Euro hot rod articles is the metric power rating. Kilowatts are what your electric meter on your house registers, not what an engine puts out. What is 750kW in horsepower?
I believe it is about 999 HP (heck, call it an even 1,000).
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