The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is the most recent version of a mid-engined full-sized grand tourer developed by the German car-manufacturer Volkswagen and produced by the Volkswagen-brand Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their headquarters in Château St. Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France), and whose production and development is often credited to Ferdinand Karl Piech. It is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company. It was named "Car Of The Decade" by the BBC television programme Top Gear.
Two hundred and twenty Veyrons are known to have been built and delivered since production began in 2005 and ended in late 2008. Special variants of the Veyron include the Pur Sang, the Fbg Par Hermes, the Sang Noir, the Targa, the Vincero, and the Bleu Centenaire. It will be replaced with the Grand Sport, which is essentially a Veyron convertible.
Special editions
[edit] Pur Sang
A Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang
On 11 September 2007, a special version of the Veyron called the "Pur Sang"[2] (French for "thoroughbred", literally "pure blood") was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The only difference from the standard Veyron is the body finishing: the Pur Sang has none, revealing the Veyron's pure aluminium-carbon fibre body, with just a clear coat protection. Production of the Pur Sang will be limited to five cars, which will have high-gloss aluminium roadwheels with a diamond cut finish.[3]. All 5 vehicles were sold on the day of release.
[edit] Fbg par Hermès
A Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès
The Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermès[4][5] is named after the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the street at which number 24 contains Hermès' headquarters. The car features numerous changes to both the interior and exterior of the car. The front end of the car has been modified slightly, and the Hermès monogram has been added to the front grille. The roadwheels also feature a single H in the centre, and the fuel filler door is engraved with "Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermès". The interior is done in Hermès leather and features new internal door handles reminiscent of handles used on Hermès trunks, there is also a Hermès wallet which is designed to fit inside the centre console, and a Hermès suitcase designed to fit inside the trunk is also included. The car is only available in a unique combination of ebony and étoupe colors with a beige interior with black seats.
[edit] Sang Noir
The Sang Noir pays homage to the original Bugatti Atlantique 57S of the 1930s. Exterior styling combines an all-black colour palette — Sang Noir means "black blood" — with raw carbon fibre panels, blacked-out headlamps, and aluminium trim for the grille surround and side mirrors. The production run was 15 vehicles. The interior is exclusively finished in bright orange.[6]
[edit] Grand Sport
Bugatti announced the production of a targa top version, called Grand Sport. The car was unveiled at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance[7] on 15 August 2008, with production that began in spring 2009. The Grand Sport comes with small tweaks to the windshield and running lights, and two removable tops. The second is a temporary roof fashioned after an umbrella and inspired by pictures of classic Bugatti racers with umbrellas in hand. The Grand Sport can reach 406 km/h with the hardtop in place, the same top speed as the coupé version. With no roof, the top speed is limited to 369 km/h, and to 130 km/h with the temporary soft roof. The Grand Sport has extensive reinforcement beyond the standard Veyron, including carbon fiber doors, hoops, intake faces; carbon fibre enclosed transmission tunnel.[8]
The first Grand Sport (code named: Chassis 001) was sold at the 2008 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction with a winning bid price of $2.9 million. Approximately $900,000 of the auction price went to charity.[9]
[edit] Bleu Centenaire
This version was a new edition created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bugatti brand. The entire body was painted blue, rather than the standard two-tone scheme. Instead, a combination of matte and gloss "Bugatti Blue" paint was used.[10] The mid-section between the two wings on the hood was expanded, and a chrome strip up the middle was added. The car is also more expensive than the standard Veyron, costing in excess of £1,000,000.
The car was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.[11]
[edit] Mansory Linea Vincero
German car tuner, Mansory, decided to tune up the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. What was born was the Vincero, meaning 'I will win' in Italian. The front part gets a comprehensive face-lift including modified wings, a shorter hood and a striking front apron. The LED daytime running lights integrated in the front mount and the implemented stylised “V” as a special tribute to the name “Vincerò” draw even more attention to the car. The newly developed side skirts are the visual and aerodynamic connection between the axles. Larger air outlets at the sides and at the back render optimal engine cooling and in combination with the new diffuser, they underline the powerful car design. Mansory transforms the car using an ultra light and high strength carbon giving it a light look (and drive). The car costs about a million above that of the stock Bugatti..
[edit] Grand Sport Sang Bleu
Bugatti unveiled the Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu, an exclusive, one-off Grand Sport, honoring the marques precious heritage. Instead of applying two paint colours or paint and material to highlight the two tone design the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu exclusively concentrates on materials, particularly carbon fibre and aluminum.
The colour combination commissioned for the Pebble Beach car is blue carbon fibre with polished aluminum. The visual carbon fibre is tinted in royal blue to emphasize the refined volumes and surfaces of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. The rear airscoops are tinted in the same nightblue to fluidly integrate into the overall design philosophy of this unique model.
The rims are inspired by the Grand Sport Roadster and are highlighted in a Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut two tone finish. The interior is trimmed in a newly developed Gaucho leather, which blends with exterior materials to better create a harmonious overall appearance.
[edit] Specifications and performance
The Veyron's quad-turbocharged W16 engine
The Veyron features an 8.0 litre W16 engine — 16 cylinders in two banks of eight cylinders, or the equivalent of two narrow-angle V8 engines mated in a "W" configuration. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the narrow staggered 8 configuration allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cubic centimetres (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 mm by 86 mm (3.4 in × 3.4 in) bore and stroke.
Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport
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Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang
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The transmission is a dual-clutch Direct-Shift Gearbox computer-controlled automatic with seven gear ratios, with magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds. This is designed and manufactured by Ricardo of England (and not Borg-Warner who designed the six-speed DSG used in the mainstream marques of the Volkswagen Group). The Veyron can be driven in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode. A replacement transmission for the Veyron costs just over $120,000. It also features full-time permanent four-wheel drive, using the Haldex Traction system. It uses special Michelin PAX run-flat tyres, designed specifically for the Veyron to accommodate its top speed, which reportedly cost $25,000 US per set.[12] The tires can only be removed from the rims in France, a service which reportedly costs $70,000. Kerb weight is 2,034.8 kilograms (4,486 lb).[12] This gives the car a power to weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group's 736 kilowatts (1,001 PS; 987 bhp) figures, of 446.3 bhp per ton.
The car's wheelbase is 2,710 mm (106.7 in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7 in), width 1,998 mm (78.7 in) and height 1,204 mm (47.4 in).
The Veyron's hydraulic rear spoiler in the extended position
The Bugatti Veyron has a total of 10 radiators.[13]
* 4 radiators for the engine cooling system.
* 1 heat exchanger for the air-to-liquid intercoolers.
* 2 for the air conditioning system.
* 1 transmission oil radiator.
* 1 differential oil radiator.
* 1 engine oil radiator.
It has a drag coefficient of 0.41 (normal condition) and 0.36 (after lowering to the ground),[14] and a frontal area of 2.07 square metres (22.3 sq ft).[15] This gives it a CdA ft² value of 8.02.
[edit] Engine output
According to Volkswagen Group, the DIN rated motive power output, approved by TÜV Süddeutschland, of the final production Veyron engine produces 736 kilowatts (1,001 PS; 987 bhp), and generates 1,250 newton metres (922 ft·lbf) of torque.[16] The figure has been confirmed by Bugatti officials to actually be conservative, with the real total being 1020 bhp or more.[17]
[edit] Top speed
The top speed was verified by James May on Top Gear for the November 2006 issue, again at Volkswagen Group's private Ehra-Lessien test track, where the final-production car hit 407.9 km/h (253.5 mph), which equated to almost one-third of the speed of sound at sea level. As the Bugatti Veyron approached the top speed during the test, May said that "the tyres will only last for about fifteen minutes, but it's okay because the fuel runs out in twelve minutes". He also gave an indication of the power requirements: at a constant 155 mph, the Veyron is using approximately 270 of its 1001 horsepower; the next 100 mph requires 730 additional horsepower. Jeremy Clarkson, driving a Veyron from Italy to London, noted that at top speed, the engine consumes 10,000 gallons of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days). With a 0 to 60 time of 2.5 seconds, the Veyron was the fastest legal street car between the years 2005 and 2007. Once back in the Top Gear studio, James was asked by co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson what the Veyron felt like to drive at 407 km/h (253 mph), James replied that it was "totally undramatic", and very stable at speed.[18]
German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph)[19] during test sessions on the Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005. The Bugatti website still refers to the Veyron as the fastest production vehicle of all time even though this title has since been taken by the SSC Ultimate Aero TT.
The car's everyday top speed is listed at 350 km/h (220 mph). When the car reaches 220 km/h (140 mph), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 9 cm (3.5 in.). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. This is the "handling mode", in which the wing helps provide 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road, and helping the Bugatti Veyron perform 1.34 g forces on a 300 foot skidpad.[13] The driver must, using a special key (the "Top Speed Key"), toggle the lock to the left of his seat in order to attain the maximum (average) speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). The key functions only when the vehicle is at a stop, when a checklist then establishes whether the car—and its driver—are ready to enable 'top speed' mode. If all systems are go, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers shut and the ground clearance, normally 12.5 cm (4.9 in), drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
[edit] Fuel consumption
The Veyron consumes more fuel than nearly any larger car (not including buses or heavy trucks), using 40.4 litres per 100 kilometres (6.99 mpg-imp; 5.82 mpg-US) in city driving and 24.1 litres per 100 kilometres (11.7 mpg-imp; 9.76 mpg-US) in combined cycle.[citation needed] At full throttle, it uses more than 115 litres per 100 kilometres (2.46 mpg-imp; 2.05 mpg-US), which would empty its 100 litres (22.0 imp gal; 26.4 US gal) fuel tank in just 12 minutes.[18]
[edit] Braking
The Veyron's brakes use cross-drilled, radially-vented carbon fibre-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite discs, manufactured by SGL Carbon, which have a much greater resistance to brake fade when compared with conventional cast iron discs. The lightweight aluminium alloy monobloc brake calipers are made by AP Racing; the fronts have eight[13] titanium pistons and the rear calipers have six pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 G on road tyres. As an added safety feature, in the event of brake failure, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) has also been installed on the handbrake. Super sticky tires help the Veyron stop much faster.
Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 G braking from 312 km/h (194 mph) to 80 km/h (50 mph) without fade. With the car's acceleration from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 312 km/h (194 mph), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 200 km/h (120 mph), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55-degree angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing an additional 0.68 G (4.9 m/s²) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback).[13] Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400 km/h (250 mph) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds.[13]
[edit] Specifications and statistics
[20]
Basic stats
Layout & Body style Mid-engine, four-wheel drive 2-door coupé/Targa top Base price €1,100,000 (£840,000/$1,550,000)
Internal combustion engine 8.0 litre W16, 64v DOHC quad-turbocharged petrol engine Engine displacement
& max. power 7,993 cc (487.8 cu in)
736 kW (1,001 PS; 987 bhp)
Performance
Top speed 408.5 km/h (253.8 mph) (average) 0–100 km/h (0.0–62.1 mph) 2.5 seconds[21]
0–160 km/h (0.0–99.4 mph) 5.5 seconds 0–240 km/h (0.0–149.1 mph) 9.8 seconds
0–300 km/h (0.0–186.4 mph)[22] 16.7 seconds 0–400 km/h (0.0–248.5 mph)[23][24] 50 seconds
Standing quarter-mile (402 m)[24] 10.2 seconds at 230 km/h (142.9 mph)
Fuel economy[25]
EPA city driving 8 miles per US gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg-imp) EPA highway driving 13 miles per US gallon (18 L/100 km; 16 mpg-imp)
Top speed fuel economy 3 miles per US gallon (78 L/100 km; 3.6 mpg-imp) 1.4 US gallons per minute
[edit] Sales figures
* 2005: 5 [26]
* 2006: 44 [27]
* 2007: 83 [27]
* 2008: 68
* total: 200
[edit] Criticisms and comments
[edit] Reviews
Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 (which for many years was the fastest production car ever built) said the following about the Bugatti Veyron in UK auto magazine evo during its development period:
“ The most pointless exercise on the planet has got to be this four-wheel-drive 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) Bugatti. I think it's incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element—top speed, standing kilometre or 0–60. It's about as narrow minded as you can get as a car designer to pick on one element. It's like saying we're going to beat the original Mini because we're going to make a car 10 mph (16 km/h) faster on its top speed—but it's two feet longer and 200 kilos heavier. That's not car designing—that just reeks of a company who are paranoid... ”
However, Murray was impressed with the Veyron after he test drove one although still apprehensive about it in an article he wrote for Road and Track magazine.[28]
[edit] Top Gear
On Top Gear the car has received considerable praise from all 3 presenters. Jeremy Clarkson declared the Veyron "the greatest piece of engineering ever. No, I'm sorry, this is the greatest car ever made and the greatest car we will ever see in our lifetime." James May proclaimed that the Veyron is "our Concorde moment". To review the car, Clarkson drove from Alba, northern Italy to London whilst racing James May and Richard Hammond who were travelling in a Cessna 182 aeroplane. During the race Clarkson attempted to get an insurance quote on the car, but the company he tried did not know what the car was. During the second episode of the 13th season, Richard Hammond raced the Veyron against the McLaren F1 driven by The Stig in a one mile drag race in Abu Dhabi, commenting on the pinnacle of Bugatti's "amazing technical achievement" versus the "non-gizmo" racing purity of the F1. While the F1 was quicker off the line and remained ahead until both cars were going roughly 200 kilometers per hour, the Bugatti then overtook its competitor during the climb from 200 to 300 km/h, and emerged the victor. Hammond has stated that he did not use the Veyron's launch control in order to make the race more interesting. The Veyron also won the award for "Car of the decade" in Top Gear's end of 2009 award show. Jeremy Clarkson commented "It was a car that just re-wrote the rulebook really, an amazing piece of engineering, a genuine Concorde moment"
[edit] In popular culture
The Bugatti Veyron was featured on 20 January 2010 during an episode of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien in which it was dressed as a mouse with ears on its roof and whiskers on its grill. This segment was used to try to create the most expensive segment possible. Along with The Rolling Stones song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", O'Brien said it cost NBC 1.5 Million Dollars. It was later revealed that the car was on loan from the Petersen Automotive Museum and most of the cost was from the song. [29] Also later revealed by ABC News and New York-based entertainment lawyer Steve Gordon that existing agreements between NBC and music licensing companies would allow the Tonight Show to play "Satisfaction" at no additional cost for a live or time-delayed performance.[30] Revealing it to be a joke - O'Brien did not really spend that much money on the skit.
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