Bugatti Veyron Review
March 17, 2008 by Anthony Crawford
I truly wish that every car enthusiast in the world could have just one run in the Veyron, as it’s impossible to describe how fast this car accelerates without resorting to a barrage of hard core expletives and even then, it wouldn’t be accurate.
We need to get some car-to-car footage, so Julius returns to the passenger seat and Alborz along with Paul and Karl, set things up in our chase car – the Peugeot 307 diesel powered wagon.
We are heading up into the mountains behind Molshiem and pass through a beautiful little Alsatian town complete with cobblestones and age-old cottages.
The Veyron, with Xenon’s blazing is a site to behold. School kids and adults alike, are firing off their digital cameras like no tomorrow. It’s a pity I can’t see their faces but peddling this thing through one thousand year old streets just wide enough for a horse and cart, requires razor sharp focus.
Finally, we break through onto some twisty mountain roads as we head towards a small ski village. Paul is doing a commendable job with the 307 as Karl attempts to shoot the Veyron with a view to showing speed through the bends.
The sophisticated all-wheel-drive system is making light work of wet roads and thankfully my heart rate has dropped significantly, as I settle into gearshifts via paddles.
The roads are still narrow and while I’m trying to stay on my side of the bitumen, I have no intention of dropping one of these 10,000-euro wheels (remember, that’s each corner) off the edge.
At these more civilised speeds the driving is effortless and luxury car comfortable. Volkswagen and the supremely talented Bugatti engineers at Mosheim, who build these cars, have achieved nothing less than the automotive Holy Grail.
Things must have gone well enough for Car Advice today, as we near the Bugatti gates, Julius asks me to pull over and hand my driver’s seat over to one of the other guys. Everyone is going to get a steer in the world’s fastest car and the world has just become a better place!
Tags: Bugatti Reviews, Bugatti Veyron
Excellent review, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
So are all you guys going to retire now? It’s not like there is anywhere to go from here?
I think you guys just lost your underdog status…and I am green with envy.
Great review can’t wait for the video :D
Nice write up..thanks
If I sold my farm and all my investments, I’d be right until the first service.Great write up looking forward to the video.
Excellent review. I was riveted!
Great read – I’m lost for words! Awesome stuff guys.
Brilliant! You lucky fella’s. Is Bugatti open to the public for viewing the factory? Does anyonre know? Look forward to the full video.
awesome work guys.
too bad Drive.com.au didn’t actually _drive_ the car in their little video!!
I’m seriously envious. Good write up. Thanks
one word- awsome
i hope one day i will be lucky enough…since this has just given me supreme motivation to do well in my exams and become a doctor
cant wait for the vid guys
keep up the good work
that is the JESUS car… so so so glad you guys got to drive it and not the Ass from drive.. or glen roberts from carpoint. jealous… oh yeah… yes.. VERY.. at least i got to see it at the motorshow…. just LOOKING at it .. its a better thrill than driving an FPV or HSV… hats of lads.. thats a propper car
cookie
I’m extremelly jealous …
Excellent write up guys and Excellent photos, looking forward to the video.
$2.7 million
$20 per 5-minute drive.
I think i could make serious coin with this vehicle :-)
Still, its far to expensive,i recon i could easily make a car that could spank it for $250k if not less [Ultima 720 GTR anybody!]
Cheers
F-0
Frugal One, I will have to strongly disagree, this car is the ultimate in luxury and performance, sure there are many cars that might be able to go quicker around a track, but they are purpose built for that reason.
I felt the same before driving the thing, but after I did a few 0-300km/h runs, I graciously ate my own hat.
Really enjoyed reading that article, man you guys had the time of your lives!
Ahaha…maybe one day I’ll drive one
ALB -
I take your word for it & stand corrected! :-)
Love that “few 0-300kmh runs!!” nice
Cheers
F-0
So, what was the fuel economy like? ;-P
Seriously though. A very thorough and personable write-up in keeping with CarAdvice’s casual style. A very enjoyable and enviable read.
we already know cars are quicker.. and faster.. ultima GTR…..the the SSC aero…… but what ever.. they are simpletons compared to this technoligcal jugernaught that is this car.
and if i had the coin. withouth a 2nd thought id buy one “now that australia has a dealer. we can!! :)”….. iTS NEVER GONA GO DOWN IN VALUE! imagin how much one of the pur-sangs or hermies editions will be worth in 50 years.. just an absolute crazy amount of cash…. and besides all that. its just beautiful
nothing else on earth compares. you guys have experienced what for many of us is the ultimate fantasy.
question (at the mundane level) does it have a spare wheel?
just curious.
Hate to brag but I own one of these. It is the most astonishing car I have ever driven. I bought this car after hearing someone say something that really put things into perspective – There won’t be other cars like this again because everybodies thinking fuel economy and low co2 these days so there won’t be too many more things like this. I didn’t want to risk never owning a car like this so I had to buy one and I would recommend anyone else who could afford one to buy one aswell. It was either a Bentley Azure, a Boxter S and a Golf R32 or this and a mini Cooper S and I had to go for the Latter.
PS – The Mini Cooper S isn’t bad either!
i was also thinking about buying one and charging $50 for 0-300km/h “hot straights” instead of hot laps… i’d only have to do it 54,000 times before i pay off the initial cost, plus services, plus interest … and then somewhere in there i’ll fit in some profit!
HA AW. you are a tosser.
I live around an area were people have the bentlys, Ferrari’s ect…
And no one I have ever meet has that mentality. And if you do have the cars. Post a picture with you and the Bugatti with one hand in the air, the other with a thumbs down.
Seriously why come one and make up shit like that?
I got more out of that than anything top gear have said. Absolutely Awsome..
Dream on AW – sorry but I can’t take you seriously.
Excellent review!!!
haha hard to believe its faster than a BMW Sauber F1 car in a straight line!!! but im sure it would be faster than Nelson Piquet’s Renault ;) But seriously though if it does 0-100 in 2.5 seconds, what could it possibly run down the quarter mile? 10’s 11’s??
btw does anyone even own one in Australia yet?
Lol AW, seriously, you lost the plot when you put Golf R32 and Cooper into the list of choices lol. Was it a hard choice when you bought your multimil catamaran over the 2 stroker dingy?
Vyron is an absolute weapon in class and performance. As it stands for a 2.7mil dollar car… youd Expect the BEST!
Envy u guys!!!, closest ive been to one would be in the recent Melb motorshow…
He was only joking, there is no way anybody would think about taking that comment seriously? AW was obviously being sarcastic… get real guys
Great review guys. Good to see you lot enjoyed yourselves. There is nothing like hitting 300km/h. I can only imagine the acceleration would have been brutal but smooth. I know 300 on a bike is something similar if not for the acceleration, for the fact that you have nothing around you but a couple of mills of leather.
Cheers
SteveC
With the abolition of Traction control and Launch Control F1 cars are a tad slower to 100 this year, so yes i do believe the Veyron could do it quicker.
Although if designers were let loose on an F1 car imagine the possibilities…
Anyway back to the topic, there isn’t anything that compares to this car, except maybe 1001 of the worlds most beautiful women, but even that would be a hard decision.
Doh, no it doesn’t have a spare wheel. It’s sitting on bespoke Michelin run-flat tyres, hence, no need for a spare.
You sick bastards!!!! I hope you guys realise just how lucky you are….great review!! Alborz you had me in stitches at the round about.
Bloody hell – run flats a 400kmh. noooo way.
Nathaniel – Id post a picture if I knew how. And I know I am a tosser – If I wasn’t I wouldn’t have posted a message like that or bought a veyron. And also the R32 and Cooper S are because I live the city and don’t want the veyron there. And the bentley was only on the list because Ive always wanted one but it was too subdued compared to the veyron. An lastly – If Nathaniel and No Name owned one – would people believe them? Think what you want but youll never really know.
i would’nt have annything else but run flats if it can do 400 imagine a blowout with conventional tyres @ that speed????? hold this is gonna hurt !!! Ive had it happen to me @ 280 k’s main straight Eastern Ck on my R1 scary stuff
AW, email the guys at CA so they can post a picture of you with the veyron.
Why does anybody care if AW owns a veyron? If he does then good for him but hes still a self righteous little pri*k.
[pedant]Being France the jets were probably Rafales not Eurofighters[/pedant]
If AW does happen to own one that is OK.
Good luck to anyone who has the finances to maintain & look after such a machine.It takes deep pockets,forget the millionaires BMW MB OR RR market this is a different level.
Choices are made that may not be a priority to others.
The point is made so called lesser more practical cars such as the Mini,within reach of many is not such a bad place to be.
How this equates to being a tosser or self righteous is beyond me.
Lucky buggers!!!! You get to drive the best and fastest car ever built in the world! I wish i was there!
And i bet you had great fun! too! The best time in your life, was it?
Ross, you are so right. Those two jets were in fact dassault Rafales. I’ll amend ASAP.
Thanks
I heard that if you actually have the money and wanted to buy one of these, then Bugatti will fly you to their assembly plant, give you an expensive set course lunch and let you enjoy the environment while choosing the colour and interior material of the car.
True luxury experience, even before you drive it. I’d buy one just for that…when I hit the 30million lotto jackpot.
Too bad the guys reviewing this car didn’t mention about this…perhaps too excited about the 0-300km/h runs…I don’t blaim you…hahah
Great Review!!
Cracking yarn lads.
Karl …Dave here from Wheels ……
A true friend would have invited me along. Oh well, think of me when I’m champagning it up at Raffles in Singers next year in the paddock with Bernie and Ron and Webbo..and….oh who the hell am I kidding …. Bloody Good stuff mate ….. You and the lads? Legends. Well done.
Honestly, I am rapt to see you over there doing something a guy like yourself should be doing.
Oh, it’s Ok to gloat …. send an email to all your old mates in Sydney and gloat gloat and gloat somemore …
Karl? I loved it.
Kindest Regards
Dave Jones.
Karl …Dave here from Wheels ……
A true friend would have invited me along. Oh well, think of me when I\’m champagning it up at Raffles in Singers next year in the paddock with Bernie and Ron and Webbo..and….oh who the hell am I kidding …. Bloody Good stuff mate ….. You and the lads? Legends. Well done.
Honestly, I am rapt to see you over there doing something a guy like yourself should be doing.
Oh, it’s Ok to gloat …. send an email to all your old mates in Sydney and gloat gloat and gloat somemore …
Karl? I loved it.
Kindest Regards
Dave Jones.
Yep great review. Fantastic to get a real feel for what it looks like and does.
A note to AW. Someone in Aus owns one! What city? I would consider getting there just to see/sit/and be taken for a ride in it just once!
After that I will post the pictures!
Hmmm… Maybe this will just remain as dreaming… Oh well.
As we have continued to say around our office, the staggering thing about this car is it just that, still a regular car that has A/C CD player etc and packs a huge punch!
Happy dreaming as I will.
I don’t live in Australia Bazza. Did I write something that said that? I used to live there though.
Frugal One, It’s more like $350 per 5mins. Profit man!
wonderful review. I can understand after the drive, you would feel bad about the rest of us missing out.
stunning pictures too.
I believe that it’s luxurious like a Maybach and the automated seven-speed makes possible everyone to drive it. In a world full of expensive caprices you may have a wild dream with Bugatti Veyron 16.4.
Those photos are amazing. thank you for them. I had never seen the veyron so close in some places, like the back of the bucket or the pedals, and i had searched a lot. thank you
Good onya boys! :) Nice website you’ve got here…so how do you think the Merc SL 55 driver (that wanted to take on the Veyron) must’av felt when VW spooled up and boosted into the next country?
Now, any chance of a ‘Veyron Title Battle’ :)
vs
CaparoT1
Quote=”You can sit in peak hour traffic or travel between countries faster than France’s TGV (very fast train) listening to…”
Regarding the TGV it set the train speed record at 515km/h some years ago. It has since broken it’s own record, but regularly travels between 300 and 400km/h. The Veyron drinks the whole tank in less than 20mins on speed runs, but I take your point. ;-) It’s damn fast and is just as happy dawdling down to the corner shop.
I’d be over the moon for a “ride” in a Lambo let alone driving a Veyron. Lucky buggers and thanks for the great review.
Fascinating article and a truely peerless car. It’s close to perfection with the letdown being the interior. Not so much retro as dated. Why make a modern technological wonder and give it a 50s look inside??!
its a god dam looking car and a fast beuty
Who is this other AW. WTH using my username.
I will never EVER be able to describe how much I love that car.
I am willing to have my life cut short for 3 years just to get a taste of this damn thing!!!
Hello my good guys,
I think about how would you feel and write if you could drive my Bugatti Linea Vincero Mansory. Your review is ok, thanks for normal people that you can give them that idea of feelings. Good night my dear fellow, good night…
thank’s for any information
I think other than sheer fascination with this thing, I hope that one day Australia with our own imagination, can build a machine like this. Once we get over our John Simpleton mindset and lack of motivation to succed as a country not just as individuals then we will be on the right path, we do not have the capability now but we do have the capability to gain that capability. Most of us also dont have the capability to start a car company but those who do in this country also just cant be bothered it seems, this is the naive, take-it-for-granted mindset that we can just continue this western way of life without making a meainingful contribution to sustaining and improving it, other than silly little under-done efforts. To start with we should actually get a few Veyrons into Australia.
Is this the only car to have gotten six starts by CA
Simon Cowell used to own one – does he still? I can’t imaging what that car would feel like. It sure sounded cool to drive. Great write up by the way….
Ford Falcon FG FPV Typhoon 310kW with 8psi extra boost, twin inter-coolers, gearbox heat diffuser, 2.4″ lowered with 275mm rear rubber can match this piece of overrated over expensive unreachable to normal hard working public piece of crap of a car!
why are these overrated cars so expensive?
why are they???, why ? , this clearly shows how seperated we are as the world , there is only two categories now ….. rich and poor, nothing in the middle.
i will still say that a twin turbocharged 7.0L W427 HSV will destroy this rubbish “high tech rubbish” ,and give it a run for its money.