The Bugatti 16C Galibier is a luxury 5-door fastback concept car. Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. debuted the 16C Galibier at an invitation-only show held at the Molsheim, France assembly salon on September 12, 2009. The 16C Galibier uses a front-mounted, 8.0 L twin-supercharged W16 enginethat delivers power via permanent all-wheel drive. A production version of the 16C Galibier concept, named the Royale, is expected to reach the market in 2014- 2015.

Manufacturer	Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Class	Concept car
Body style	5-door fastback
Layout	Front-engine, all-wheel drive
Engine	8.0L, twin-supercharged, W16

Name origin

The 16C Galibier name is a reference to the Bugatti Type 57 Galibier. Bugatti traditionally gave Type 57 variants names that referred to mountain passes. Galibier refers to France's Col du Galibier. The "16C" refers to the engine's 16 cylinders.

Design

The 16C Galibier features a hood which opens in two parts along a central hinge. The 16C Galibier features the longitudinal rib also seen on the previous EB118 and EB218 concepts that references the longitudinal body seam of the Type 57SC Atlantic. The Gabilier will be most likely one of if not the most luxurious cars in the world, with interior features such as an analog timepiece which can be mounted in the dash as a clock or on a wristband as a watch.

Debut

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. debuted the Bugatti 16C Galibier 5-door fastback concept at an invitation-only show held at the Molsheim, France assembly salon on September 12, 2009. The 16C Galibier was first shown to the general public at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Powertrain

The 16C Galibier uses a front-mounted, 8.0 L twin-supercharged W16 engine that delivers power via permanent four-wheel drive. The engine is derived from the quad-turbocharged unit used in theBugatti Veyron. It will also incorporate an option for a hybrid powertrain, primarily to reduce pollution in urbanised environments. Performance figures have not been specified, but it has a power output in excess of 1,000 bhp (750 kW) while surpassing speeds of 235 mph (378 km/h).

Production

A production version of the 16C Galibier concept, expected to be named the Royale, was originally scheduled to reach the market in 2013. In 2011, Bugatti postponed the release of the Royale to 2015 or later to refine the vehicle's design. Bugatti expects to produce 3000 units of the Galibier compared to 300 of the Veyron, and is expanding its factory in Molsheim to cope with the production volume. It is also expected to cost more than £1 million.

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Last updated on 29 April 2013 at 10:26.

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The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engined supercar, designed and developed by the Volkswagen Group and manufactured in Molsheim, France, by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.

The original version had a top speed of 407.12 km/h (252.97 mph). It was named Car of the Decade (2000–2009) by the BBC television programme Top Gear. The standard Bugatti Veyron also won Top Gear's Best Car Driven All Year award in 2005.

The current Super Sport version of the Veyron is recognized by Guiness World Records as the fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph), and the roadster Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse version is the fastest roadster in the world, reaching an averaged top speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph) in a test in 6 April 2013.

The Veyron's chief designer was Hartmut Warkuss, and the exterior was designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen, with much of the engineering work being conducted under the guidance of engineering chief Wolfgang Schreiber.

Several special variants have been produced. In December 2010, Bugatti began offering prospective buyers the ability to customize exterior and interiors colours by using the Veyron 16.4 Configurator application on the marque's official website.

Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4
Overview
Manufacturer	Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Production	2005–2011 (Veyron 16.4) 2009–present (Grand Sport) 2010–present (Super Sport)
Assembly	Molsheim, Alsace, France
Designer	Jozef Kaban
Body and chassis
Class	Supercar
Body style	2-door coupé (16.4, Super Sport) 2-door targa top (Grand Sport, Grand Sport Vitesse)
Layout	Longitudinal mid-engine, permanent all-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Engine	Standard (Coupe), Grand Sport (Roadster): 8.0 L (488 cu in) W16 quad-turbocharged 1,001 PS (736 kW; 987 bhp) Super Sport (Coupe), Grand Sport Vitesse (Roadster): 1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)
Transmission	7-speed DSG sequential
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,710 mm (106.7 in)
Length	4,462 mm (175.7 in)
Width	1,998 mm (78.7 in)
Height	1,159 mm (45.6 in)
Curb weight	1,888 kg (4,162 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Bugatti EB110

Origin of the car

In 1998, the Volkswagen Group purchased the trademark rights on the former car manufacturer Bugatti in order to revive the brand. Starting with the Bugatti EB118, they presented at various international auto shows a total of four 18-cylinder concept cars. At the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, the first study of the Veyron was presented. At the time, the name of the concept car was "Bugatti Veyron EB 18.4," and it was equipped with a 3-bank W18 engine engine instead of the 2-bank W16 engine engine of the production version. While the three previous prototypes had been styled by Giugiaro, the Veyron was designed by the Volkswagen stylists.

The decision to start production of the car was taken by the Volkswagen Group in 2001. The first roadworthy prototype was completed in August 2003. It is identical except for a few details to the later series variant. In the development to series production considerable technical problems had to be addressed, so that the start of production was delayed repeatedly, until September 2005.

Name origin

The Veyron EB 16.4 is named in honour of Pierre Veyron, a Bugatti development engineer, test driver and company race driver who, with co-driver Jean-Pierre Wimille, won the 1939 24 hours of Le Mans while driving a Bugatti. The "EB" refers to Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti and the "16.4" refers to the engine's 16 cylinders and four turbochargers.

World record controversy

At the beginning of April 2013, driving.co.uk (also known as Sunday Times Driving) began an investigation following claims from US car maker Hennessey that its 928 kW (1,244 bhp) Hennessey Venom GTwas the new world’s fastest production car, taking the crown from the Guinness World Record-holding Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. With a recorded speed of 427.6 km/h (265.7 mph) the Hennessey was 3.4 km/h (2.1 mph) slower than the Veyron but Hennessey dismissed Bugatti’s official record saying that the Veyron Super Sport was restricted to 415 km/h (258 mph) in production form and that for it to achieve its record top speed of 431.0 km/h (267.8 mph), the car used was in a state of tune not available to customers. Hennessey said its Venom GT was road-ready and unmodified and was therefore a production car in the strict sense of the term.

Driving.co.uk requested clarification from Guinness World Records, which investigated this claim and found that the modification was against the official guidelines of the record. Upon finding this, Guinness World Records voided the Super Sport's record and announced it was "reviewing this category with expert external consultants to ensure our records fairly reflect achievements in this field."

After further review, Shelby SuperCars, the producers of the Ultimate Aero TT, said that they had reclaimed the record, however Guinness reinstated the Super Sport's record after coming to the conclusion that "a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

Bugatti Veyron (2005–2011)

Specifications and performance

The Veyron's quad-turbocharged W16 engine

The Veyron features an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 cylinder engine, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines bolted together. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the VR8 configuration of each bank 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 by 86 mm (3.39 by 3.39 in) bore and stroke.

First U.S. Bugatti Veyron on display in April 2006

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, built by Ricardo of England rather than Borg-Warner, who designed the six speed DSG used in the mainstream Volkswagen Group marques. The Veyron can be driven in either semi-automatic or fully automatic mode. A replacement transmission for the Veyron costs just over US$120,000. It also has permanent all-wheel drive using the Haldex Traction system. It uses special Michelin PAX run-flat tyres, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron's top speed, and cost US$25,000 per set. The tyres can be mounted on the rims only in France, a service which costs US$70,000. Kerb weight is 1,888 kilograms (4,162 lb). This gives the car a power-to-weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group's figures, of 530 PS (390 kW; 523 bhp) per ton.

The car's wheelbase is 2,710 mm (106.7 in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7 in) which gives 1,752.6 mm (69.0 in) of overhang. The width is 1,998 mm (78.7 in) and height 1,204 mm (47.4 in). The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators:

• 3 heat exchangers for the air-to-liquid intercoolers.
• 3 engine radiators.
• 1 for the air conditioning system.
• 1 transmission oil radiator.
• 1 differential oil radiator.
• 1 engine oil radiator

It has a drag coefficient of Cd=0.41 (normal condition) and Cd=0.36 (after lowering to the ground), and a frontal area of 2.07 m² (22.3 sq ft). This gives it a drag area, the product of drag coefficient and frontal area, of CdA=0.74 m² (8.0 sq ft).

Engine output

According to Volkswagen Group and certified by TÜV Süddeutschland, the final production Veyron engine produces 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) of motive power, and generates 1,250 Nm (922 lbft) of torque. The nominal figure has been stated by Bugatti officials to be conservative, with the real total being 1,020 metric horsepower (750 kW; 1,006 bhp) at 6,000 rpm.

Top speed

German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of the original version of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) during test sessions on the Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005.

This top speed was equalled by James May on Top Gear in November 2006, at Volkswagen Group's private Ehra-Lessien test track. May noted that at top speed the engine consumes 45,000 litres (9,900 imp gal) of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days). Back in the Top Gear studio, co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson commented that most supercars felt like they were shaking apart at their top speed, and asked May if that was the case with the Veyron at 407 km/h (253 mph). May responded that the Veyron was very controlled, and only wobbled slightly when the air brake deployed.

The car's everyday top speed is listed at 343 km/h (213 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. In this handling mode, the wing provides 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road.

For top speed mode the driver must, while stationary, toggle a special top speed key to the left of the driver's seat. A checklist then establishes whether the car and its driver are ready to attempt to reach 407 km/h (253 mph). If so, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers shut, and normal 12.5 cm (4.9 in) ground clearance drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).

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 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.

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° angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing an additional 0.68 g (6.66 m/s²) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback). Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400 km/h (250 mph) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds, though distance covered in this time will be half a kilometre (third of a mile).

Specifications

Basic Specifications
Layout and body style	Mid-engine, four-wheel drive, two-door coupé/targa top	Base price	€1,225,000 (GB£1,065,000/US$1,700,000) Super Sport: €1,912,500 (GB£1,665,000/US$2,700,000)
Internal combustion engine	8.0 litre W16, 64v 2xDOHC quad-turbocharged petrol engine	Engine displacement and max. power	7,993 cc (487.8 cu in) 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) Super Sport: 1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)

Performance
Top speed	408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) (average) Super Sport: 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) (average)
0–100 km/h (0.0–62.1 mph)	2.46 seconds	0–240 km/h (0.0–149.1 mph)	9.8 seconds
0–300 km/h (0.0–186.4 mph)	16.7 seconds Super Sport: 14.6 seconds	0–400 km/h (0.0–248.5 mph)	55 seconds
Standing quarter-mile (402 m)		10.2 seconds (standard), 9.9 seconds
Braking		31.4 m (from 100 km/h to 0)

Fuel economy
EPA city driving	8 miles per U.S. gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg-imp)	EPA highway driving	14 miles per U.S. gallon (17 L/100 km; 17 mpg-imp)
Top speed fuel economy		3 miles per U.S. gallon (78 L/100 km; 3.6 mpg-imp), or 1.4 U.S. gal (5.3 L; 1.2 imp gal) per minute

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (2009-)

It is a limited (150 units, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers) targa top version of Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4. The model has extensive reinforcements to compensate for the lack of standard roof, and small changes to the windshield and running lights. There are two removable tops, the second a temporary roof fashioned after an umbrella. The top speed with the hardtop in place is the same as the standard coupé version, but with the roof down is limited to 369 km/h (229 mph)—and to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the temporary soft roof.

The vehicle was unveiled at 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, followed by Qatar Motor Show 2012 (with a horizontal colour split with a bright yellow body framed in visible black carbon (including black-tinted wheels), seats in yellow-coloured leather upholstery with black stitching, middle console in black carbon, dashboard, steering wheel and gearshift made of black leather with yellow stitching).

Production began in the second quarter of 2009.

The standard version costs €1.4 million (excluding taxes and delivery), while the Qatar Motor Show 2012 car costs €1.58 million.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

Special versions

Sang Bleu (2010)

Blue carbon-fibre with polished aluminium, wheels inspired by the Grand Sport Roadster, highlighted in a Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut two-tone finish.

Side view	Interior
Rear end	Front

Soleil de Nuit (2010)

The Soleil de Nuit was first shown at the 2009 Dubai Motor Show. It combines polished aluminium accents with metallic blue/black paint. It also features a burnt orange interior. It was sold for US$2.27 million.

Grey Carbon (2010)

The Grey Carbon was first shown to the public at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The exterior features exposed carbon-fibre with metallic dark grey aluminum body panels, and lower portion in polished aluminium. Only one Grand Sport Grey Carbon edition was made.

Royal Dark Blue (2010)

Like the Grey Carbon, the Royal Dark Blue was a show car at Geneva 2010. It features a carbonfibre monocoque and the bonnet and rear section finished in Royal Dark Blue, hence the name. The rest of the car is painted Arctic White. It sold for €1.75 million.

Sang Blanc (2010)

This car was designed at the request of a client from the UK. It is finished in a matte pearlescent white with black front grille, exhaust and engine cover, as well as a black interior. In 2011, the Sang Blanc was sold with 448 miles on the odometer for GB£1.25 million.

Matte White (2011)

First shown at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show, the Matte White, as its name suggests, features a matte white paint finish, with the lower section of the car finished in blue carbon fibre. The interior is also blue. It was sold soon after it was put on display.

L'Or Blanc (2011)

The one-off Veyron "L'Or Blanc" ("white gold") uses porcelain produced by Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur to distinguish its body and interior with a blue and white pattern.

Red Edition (2011)

Shown at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, this version is totally (body, interior and wheels) painted red. It is thought Bugatti brought this car to Frankfurt to speed up purchases of the Grand Sport, as the sales figure was disappointingly low.

Middle East Editions (2011)

Three different ‘Middle East Edition’ cars were shown at the 2011 Dubai Motor Show. The first car combines a bright yellow exterior and interior with black carbon fibre inserts and black wheels. The second has a blue carbon framed exterior with polished aluminium and an orange interior. The final edition features a green carbon finish, once again framed with polished aluminium. The yellow model sold for €1.58 million, while the other two were sold for €1.74 million.

Wei Long (2012)

First shown at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, the Wei Long was built by Bugatti at the occasion the Chinese year of the Dragon. As in the case of the Veyron L'Or Blanc, Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur provided several porcelain motifs. Most of the pieces depict a dragon and are featured on the body and in the cabin. The car has a pearl white exterior with contrasting carmine red interior and dragons in various places. It was sold for €1.58 million.

Bernar Venet (2012)

In 2012, Bugatti invited Bernar Venet to create an artwork to be applied to a Veyron Grand Sport. The finished work, described as "the fastest artwork ever", features an interpretation of Venet's trademark mathematical equations and was revealed at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach.

Production

The chassis 001 of the 2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was sold at the 58th annual Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company for US$2.9 million (US$3.19 million after buy premium), benefiting the Pebble Beach Company Foundation.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, World Record Edition (2010-)

A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition - the fastest road legal production car reaching 431 km/h (268 mph)

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is a limited (30 units) version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 with increased engine power of 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,200 bhp) and torque of 1,500 Nm (1,100 lbft), a revised aerodynamic package. It has a 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) top speed, making it the fastest production road car in production although it is electronically limited to 415 km/h (258 mph) to protect the tyres from disintegrating.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition is a limited (5 units) of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport with special black exposed carbon body and orange body colour.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2010 The Quail, followed by 2010 Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca, 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The Super Sport is valued at GB£1.7 million.

Special versions

Sang Noir (2011)

Introduced for customers who did not like the look of the ‘World Record Edition’, the Sang Noir was a show car at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The car is finished entirely in black, except for the interior, which is bright tangerine orange. The car costs a very high US$3.4 million, US$1 million more than a standard Super Sport.

Motorsports

On 4 July 2010 James May, a television presenter on BBC 2's television show Top Gear, drove the Veyron Super Sport at 417 km/h (259 mph). Later that day, Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel drove the Super Sport version of the Veyron on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien (near Wolfsburg, Germany) high-speed test track to establish the car's top speed. With representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) on hand, Raphanel made passes around the big oval in both directions achieving an average maximum speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph), thus taking back the title from the SSC Ultimate Aero TT as the fastest production vehicle of all time.[5] The 431.072 km/h mark was reached by averaging the Super Sport's two test runs, the first reaching 427.93 km/h (265.90 mph) and the second 434.20 km/h (269.80 mph).

On 9 April 2013 the Title of "Fastest Production Car in the World" was revoked due to the deactivation of the electronic speed limiter which makes the car non stock, going against the rules of the title. Later, Bugatti’s speed record has been restored. "Following a thorough review conducted with a number of external experts, Guinness World Records is pleased to announce the confirmation of Bugatti’s record of Fastest production car achieved by the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The focus of the review was with respect to what may constitute a modification to a car’s standard specification. Having evaluated all the necessary information, Guinness World Records is now satisfied that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine."

Grand Sport Vitesse (2012-)

Grand Sport Vitesse side view

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is a version of the Grand Sport with a Super Sport engine. It produces a maximum output of 1,200 PS (880 kW; 1,200 bhp) @ 6,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,500 Nm (1,100 lbft) @ 3,000-5,000 rpm. These figures allow the car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from standing in 2.6 seconds. On normal roads, the Vitesse is electronically limited to 375 km/h (233 mph).

The vehicle was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and later appeared at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show and the São Paulo Motor Show 2012.

Base price of the Vitesse costs €1.69 million (without tax and transportation), with the 2012 Geneva Motor Show car costs €1.79 million, São Paulo Motor Show 2012 car costs €1.9 million.

Special editions

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse SE, photographed in Tampere, Finland June 2013

A number of special editions of the Vitesse were made. The Vitesse SE, inspired by Bugatti Type 37A, was unveiled in 2012 and sold for €1.74 million (US$2.2 million). The The World Record Car (WRC) Edition was limited to 8 units, debuted in 2013, and went on sale for €1.99 million.

In 2013, Bugatti produced a series of Vitesses dedicated to racing legends, including Jean-Pierre Wimille, Jean Bugatti, Meo Costantini, and Ettore Bugatti.

Motorsports

A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse driven by the Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu at Volkswagen Group's proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien became the fastest open-top production sports car, with speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph). The vehicle was unveiled in Shanghai Motor Show 2013.

After the world record attempt, Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S, said “When we introduced the Vitesse, we established the top speed for open-top driving to be 375 km/h. Still, we could not let go of the idea of reaching the 400 km/h mark with this car as well. The fact that we have succeeded in reaching 408.84 km/h is a thrill for me, and it reaffirms once again that Bugatti is the leader when it comes to technology in the international automotive industry." The driver, Anthony Liu, claimed "Even at such high speeds it remained incredibly comfortable and stable. With an open top, you can really experience the sound of the engine and yet even at higher speeds I did not get compromised by the wind at all.”

Production

As of 6 August 2014, 405 Veyrons have been produced and delivered to customers worldwide, with orders have already been placed for another 30. Bugatti was reported to produce 300 coupes and 150 roadsters up to the end of 2015.

Future development

In 2008, Bugatti then-CEO Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen confirmed that the Veyron would be replaced by another high-end model by 2012. In 2011, the new CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer revealed that the company was planning to produce two models in the future — one a sports car-successor to the Veyron, the other a limousine known as the Galibier.

In September 2013 Bugatti announced that it will be dropping the Galibier Project to focus solely on the successor to the Veyron.

In 2014 Dr Schreiber said that the next Veyron will have no more power and no higher top speed than the current model.

In July 2014, the head of VW group design revealed that the new Bugatti model will be launched in 2016.

Sales

Years	Units sold
2005	5
2006	44
2007	81
2008	71
2009	50
2010	40
2011	38
2012	31
2013	47
Total	407

Commentary

Top Gear

All three presenters of the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear have given the Veyron considerable praise. While initially skeptical that the Veyron would ever be produced, Jeremy Clarkson later declared the Veyron "the greatest car ever made and the greatest car we will ever see in our lifetime". He also pointed out that the actual production cost of a Bugatti Veyron car was 5 million British pounds, but was sold to customers for just 1 million. When asked why, he jokingly said that Volkswagen designed the car merely as a "Technical Exercise". James May described the Veyron as "our Concorde moment." Clarkson test drove the Veyron from Alba in northern Italy to London in a race against May and Richard Hammond who made the journey in a Cessna 182 aeroplane.

A few episodes later, May drove the Veyron at the VW test track and took it to its top speed of 407.16 km/h (253.00 mph). In series 10, Hammond raced the Veyron against the Eurofighter Typhoon and lost. He also raced the car in Series 13 against a McLaren F1 driven by The Stig in a one mile (1.6 km) drag race in Abu Dhabi. The commentary focused on 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 travelling at approximately 200 km/h, the Bugatti overtook its competitor 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 2010 award show. Clarkson commented "It was a car that just rewrote the rule book really, an amazing piece of engineering, a genuine Concorde moment". When the standard version was tested, it did not reach the top of the lap time leader board, with a time of 1:18.3, which was speculated as being due to the car's considerable weight disadvantage against the other cars towards the top. The Super Sport version - driven by The Stig - achieved the fastest ever time of 1:16.8 (later beaten by the Ariel Atom V8, the McLaren MP4-12C, and the Lamborghini Aventador), as well as being taken to a (verified) average top speed of 431 km/h (268 mph) by Raphanel on the programme, thenceforth retaking its position as the fastest production car in the world.

Martin Roach

In 2011, Martin Roach's book Bugatti Veyron: A Quest for Perfection – The Story of the Greatest Car in the World took the stance that the car had now become so famous that it is effectively a bona fide 'celebrity'. The book follows its author as he attempts to track down and drive the car, along the way interviewing chief designers, test drivers, and the president of Bugatti.

Gordon Murray

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 thousand-horsepower Bugatti. I think it's incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element - top speed or standing kilometer 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 10mph faster on its top speed - but it's two foot longer and 200 kilos heavier. That's not car designing - that just reeks of a company who are paranoid...

—Gordon Murray

Murray later brought up and criticized Volkswagen for "scamming" car buyers in the 1990s for buying the cheapest parts possible for the production of Jettas and Golfs, allowing Volkswagen to make a larger profit off their car sales, funding the construction of the Bugatti Veyron. However, Murray was impressed with the Veyron's engine and transmission after he test drove one for Road and Track magazine.

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Last updated on 2 October 2014 at 12:59.

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