Bugatti

February 27, 2008 When Jeremy Clarkson declares a car "without any doubt, the ultimate driving machine," and when that same car has a 30-year history of being banned from racing against the most expensive supercars because it routinely thrashes the pants off just about anything around a racetrack, you might suspect that car's got something going for it. So when a special edition is released with an all-new super-lightweight 500hp motor in a package that delivers more than twice the power-to-weight ratio of a Bugatti Veyron, for around a tenth of the price, it must rate as a significant moment in motoring history. Making around 1 horsepower per kilogram, rocketing to 60mph in less than 3 seconds, and yours for only UK£115,000, it's the RS Performance Caterham Levante. Read More

Bugatti Veyron owners, and indeed car owners as a group, have been looking very smug since the amazing supercar posted its awesome 250mph top speed and 1000 horsepower acceleration that not even the fastest motorcycles could match. But it seems Acabion has taken the crown back for the bike brigade, with its release of a road-ready streamliner that's capable of beating they Veyron's top speed using only 20% throttle. The Acabion GTBO is said to top out at around 340mph (close to 550kmh) if you're game enough to hold on to 50% throttle, and with engines varying from 350 to 750 horsepower, it's a very serious piece of kit... Even if it does have training wheels. Read More

September 24, 2007 Shelby Supercars (SSC) has reported a world record 257mph run in speed testing of its 1183bhp, twin-turbo V8 Ultimate Aero TT. The first pass was recorded at 257.41mph (414.31kmh) and the second pass was recorded at 254.88mph (410.24kmh) in testing on a temporarily-closed two lane stretch of public highway in the company’s home state of Washington for an average top speed of 256.15mph. Read More

September 20, 2007 Ah, the Bugatti Veyron – the supercar to end all supercars.

The one million Euro, 400 km/h (248.5 mph) machine laid claim to the title of the fastest, most powerful and most expensive street-legal production car in the world in 2005. But more than that, it’s an engineering achievement of epic proportions, a 1000-horsepower, aluminum and carbon-fiber celebration of the pinnacles of speed, power and aerodynamics that are possible when no expense is spared. The sheer genius and artistry of its construction are highlighted by the limited edition Veyron Pur Sang unveiled at Frankfurt, the first supercar ever released without a paint job. The raw beauty of the Pur Sang’s perfectly shaped materials is even more striking and inspiring than the gorgeous paint jobs on the standard production models. Read More

December 6, 2005 The 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) system developed for the 406km/h, 987 bhp Bugatti Veyron sportscar will be shown for the first time by Ricardo at the 4th International CTI-Symposium held in Berlin this week. The twin-clutch gearbox of the Bugatti Veyron combines the dynamic advantages of a manual gearbox with the convenience of an automatic to an as yet unparalleled level of perfection. One significant differentiation criteria compared to the classic automatic gearbox is that no torque converter is used as a moving-off element. Instead, the gearbox has a twin clutch that is composed of two wet-running multi-disc clutches. Read More

November 3, 2005 One very significant event to slip under the radar in recent times has been the commencement of series production of what is now unquestionably the world’s fastest, most powerful and over-the-top production automobile ever to be produced – the technical specifications are unique in automobile industry: 987 bhp – 16-cylinder engine – 1,250 Nm at 2,200 rpm – top speed 407 km/h – four turbochargers – permanent four-wheel drive. Never before has such a concentration of technical innovations and top specifications been realised in a series vehicle. Production of this super sportscar began at the home of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. in Molsheim, near Strasbourg in France, a few weeks ago. We have previously covered the Veyron, the history of the world’s fastest production cars and Ettore Bugatti’s remarkable achievements here, here and here. Read More

July 5, 2005 One of the global highlights of the automotive year is the Goodwood Festival of Speed – an event that draws the cream of the world’s auto and motorcycle racing machines and talent of yesteryear. And one of the highlights of Goodwood each year is Bonhams Festival of Speed auction where extremely rare and impeccably credentialed Grand prix machines change hands. This year the highest priced sale was a pre-war Grand Prix Bugatti which realised GBP 1.32 million (US$2.32 million). Other notable sales included a 1929 Bentley 4-litre Le Mans Sports for UKP3 97,500 and a 1911 Delage 3-litre Type X Two Seat Racer for UKP 331,500. Each of the cars has a unique story behind it, as have two very special Grand Prix winning Bugattis that will go under the hammer in September. The car pictured will sell in September - it is the winning car from the very first Monaco GP in 1929 Read More

June 2, 2005 Ettore Bugatti produced machines that set world speed records for planes, boats, trains and cars, built the most successful racing car in history and the most expensive car in history. The marque has been revived after 50 years and the new car recently exceeded 400km/h in testing. Its engine has 16 cylinders, eight camshafts, four turbochargers, 64 valves and produces 987 horsepower. When the Bugatti Veyron goes on sale later this year it will cost 1,000,000 Euros and only 300 will ever be built. It will also claim the title of the fastest production car in history, exceeding the McLaren F1’s record of 386.4 kmh (240.1mph) which stood for seven years, and the recent record established by the Koennigsegg CCR of 387.87 kmh (241.01 mph). Last month, a prototype Bugatti Veyron was officially measured at over 400 km/h (248.5 mph) at the Volkswagen Ehra–Lessien proving grounds reaching this speed several times and in both directions, as required by official measuring procedures. Read More

March 12, 2005 One of the most important pre-war racing cars to come to the market in recent years will top this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed sale on June 24. The 1933 Bugatti Type 59 3.3-litre Grand Prix Two Seater, Factory Team Car 'Voiture Moteur No. 3' is surely the quintessential French Grand Prix car of its era. Ettore Bugatti's designs set speed records in trains, boats, planes and the cars which made his name famous. Bugatti also built the most successful racing car of all time and his Royale (1927-31) remains the most expensive automobile in history - the chassis without a body was despatched to the coachbuilder of the buyer's choice, and cost around US$30,000 in 1930. Read More