Bugatti

There just aren't enough superlatives to adequately describe the exploits of Ettore Bugatti and the remarkable history of his marque, let alone its resurrection as a world-beating performance car manufacturer. The 882 kW (1,200 PS) Bugatti Super Sport reclaimed the title of the fastest production car in the world last year and it has now been joined at the top of the heap by its sibling, the 736 kW (1,001 PS) Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport which is now the fastest and most powerful convertible in the world. It has an electronically limited top speed of 407 km/h (252.9 mph) with the roof on, and will best 360 km/h (223.7 mph) sans lid. Special editions of both cars greeted the throngs at Auto Shanghai this week.  Read More

Whether it be the world’s fastest car or the world’s strongest beer, the old maxim that “competition improves the breed” seems to hold true. Volkswagen spent an extraordinary amount of money, time and effort creating the 408 km/h (254 mph), 1001bhp Bugatti Veyron in 2005 – it knocked off the 387.37 km/h (240.7 mph) record set by Koenigsegg’s CCR to become the fastest, most powerful and most expensive car ever built. Then SSC came along with the Ultimate Aero TT to set a new world mark of 412.28 km/h (256.18 mph). Now Bugatti’s new 1200 bhp, completely re-engineered Veyron Super Sport has pushed the record to 431 km/h ... an identical top speed to the world's fastest production train.  Read More

After five years in production, the Bugatti Veyron still remains the epitome of the modern supercar – an incredible engineering feat that's both ridiculously fast and ridiculously expensive. In that time we've seen a number of mouth-watering versions of the supercar including the open-top Grand Sport and the paint-less Pur Sang. Now the team at Racer X Design has drawn on the Veyron platform to produce a luxurious 2 + 2 Bugatti concept design with ample luggage space that not only looks beautiful but borders on being practical... well, almost.  Read More

The emerging sport of One Mile Racing has a new champion – Ray Hofman's 2006 Ford GT runs a twin-turbo motor with a reputed 1900 rear wheel horsepower. A fortnight ago, Hofman piloted his Heffner Performance modified Ford GT over the measured mile with a terminal velocity of 266.9 mph, beating out the other two logical contenders for the title of the world's fastest street car. Just for the record, a Bugatti Veyron exits the standing mile at just over 200 mph. Hofman is now aiming for 280 mph. Is this the world's fastest road car?  Read More

Authorities around the world have long puzzled how to effectively deter those who would endanger innocent lives by driving recklessly on public roads. Car confiscation laws are now in place in many jurisdictions within America, Canada, Australia, Holland, Israel, South Africa and Poland, and in Iran you can have your car confiscated if it is carrying a pet or an inadequately covered female or playing loud music – indeed, in Iran, you can even be imprisoned and flogged for driving offences. Maybe that would be preferable for some, compared to what happened to this guy.  Read More

The Bugatti marque has an array of the most exclusive, indeed totally unique brand values ever assembled. Ettore Bugatti came from a family of famous designers, sculptors, painters and architects. Though he chose a different path, it was Ettore who gave the family name its global renown, producing machines that set world speed records for planes, boats, trains and cars, the most successful racing car in history and the most expensive automobile in history. VW purchased the name a few years ago and created the fastest, most powerful, most expensive Veyron, and in so doing, the exclusive brand name was successfully resurrected. Now Bugatti will produce a Tourbillon wristwatch by Parmigiani which doubles as the clock on the dashboard of its latest car and hence will be worn only by those who purchase the US$1,470,000 16C Galibier, which will be, predictably, the fastest, most exclusive and most powerful four door automobile available.  Read More

Imagine a sports car show held not in an exhibition center, but at the safest racetrack in the world, so the cars can be appreciated in their natural surroundings, without speed limits. The first “International GT & Supercar Show” will be held at Circuit Paul Ricard in the South of France on September 26 and 27. Exhibitors include Ferrari, Gumpert, Koenigsegg, Ad Tramontana, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, F&M, Morgan, Audi Wiesmann, Spyker, Mosler, Pagani, Porsche, Saleen, TVR, Yes, Venturi, Alfa Romeo Zagato, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Castagna Milano, Maserati, Lotus, Lightning and Tesla.  Read More

The automotive world held its breath when Bugatti's turn came during the Geneva Auto Show press conference merry-go-round last week. Here was the world's most over-the-top brand name addressing the assembled global automobile industry in its centenary year. Highly credible sources such as respected German magazine Auto Motor und Sport were suggesting during the lead up to the conference that Bugatti was to gazump all the contenders for the world's fastest production car with a 1007 kw (1375 bhp) Veyron derivative with a top speed of 273 mph. The rumors even got the name right - the Centenaire.  Read More

A new Bugatti goes on sale this week, and like every other automobile to ever bear the revered name, it's so over-the-top you can't help but admire the audacious spirit which permeates all aspects of its engineering. The limited edition open-top Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be the world's fastest open top car, capable of travelling at 360 km/h with the roof off, and 407 km/h with it closed. Just 150 will be made of the EUR 1.4 million Grand Sport with the first 40 reserved for existing Bugatti customers. The usual cut-no-corners approach has seen the original Veyron virtually reengineered to accommodate the lack of the roof as a structural component.  Read More