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Bugatti 16C Galibier concept wallpapers

George Skentzos — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:12:29 +0000

While officially the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept remains as merely a design study, this hasn’t stopped the marquee from releasing a fresh batch of photos of the ultra-luxury model.

Planned to be the most exclusive, elegant, and powerful four-door automobile in the world, Bugatti has said that the initial feedback received from customers and opinion formers on it had been very positive.

With brands like Aston Martin and Porsche producing exclusive four-door coupes of their own, the likelihood of seeing the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept grows ever more imminent.

It is powered by an 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder engine lifted from the Bugatti Veyron, although substitutes the quad-turbochargers for a far more refined two-stage supercharging system.

With the typical Bugatti radiator grille, unusual round LED headlights and the characteristic centre spine running the length of the vehicle the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept is the perfect evolution of classic Bugatti DNA.

Bugatti Veyron is the “Car of the Decade”

Anthony Crawford — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:28:40 +0000

When CarAdvice speed tested the legendary Bugatti Veyron in France back in 2008, at near enough to 300km/h, we had trouble in communicating just how extraordinary this car really was (it can out accelerate a 2010 F1 car from 0-100km/h), so we shot a 10 minute video on the Veyron to do just that.

It is so ridiculously fast, that the first time you flatten the throttle and attempt to hold it down (and you can’t), you will be very lucky if you retain what you have eaten for breakfast, such is the indescribable acceleration of the Veyron 16.4 and its effect on your gastro region.

The Holy Grail (the authentic stone cup used in the last supper) is said to reside in the Cathedral of Valencia, Spain.

For anyone privileged enough to have properly driven the Veyron on its home soil, the Holy Grail of all things automotive comes to mind. The Jesus car, if you will.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Clarkson and his band of merry men from the UK’s Top Gear series, who awarded the Veyron the title of “the Top Gear Car of the Decade”.

More recently, US luxury magazine the Robb Report showered similar praise on the open top version of the Veyron. the Grand Sport, when they named it their “Car of the Decade”.

For those readers not yet in the know when it comes to Bugatti, the Veyron has a top speed of 407km/h and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 2.5 seconds. The price is just over AUD$2 million.

The Grand Sport has the same top speed as its hard top sibling, but needs 2.7 seconds to travel from 0-100km/h and costs another AUD$350,000 before duties and taxes etc.

But you do get a lot for your money. That’s 16 cylinders, 4 turbochargers and 12 radiators, not to mention some of the world’s most sophisticated aerodynamic aids.

CarAdvice hopes to be able to bring you a video review of the Grand Sport later this year.

Can’t afford a Veyron? How about this nice Bugatti pen

Matt Brogan — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:52:12 +0000

So you’d like to own something with a Bugatti nameplate, but the Veyron is just a little out of reach?

Well, fear no longer! Bugatti has commissioned Italy’s Ferrari da Varese (no, the company has no ties with the rival supercar company from Maranello) to create this stunning bespoke pen, yours for the bargain price of AUD$16,232.00

The pen will join Bugatti’s prestigious $100,000 watch collection but unfortunately will be limited to 499 units to ensure exclusivity.

The bespoke Bugatti Type A pen is constructed from aluminum and plated in nickel, then sterling silver, then palladium and finally platinum. Other details include a rhodium-coated 18kt gold tip, a sapphire glass window and a black embossed Bugatti logo.

Bugatti Veyron was one of two original designs

Matt Brogan — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:53:51 +0000

As the Bugatti Veyron nears the end of its lifecycle, original images of the supercar’s design have surfaced in Quattroruote Magazine showing what could have been if the 1999 design was adhered to.

Following Volkswagen’s purchase of the Bugatti nameplate in 1998, VW boss Ferdinand Piëch decided the first VW-made Bugatti needed to be a peerless supercar, asking SEAT design head Walter de’Silva and VW design chief Hartmut Warkuss to design two concepts.

Being too reserved in some aspects, and too over-the-top in others, Piëch ultimately chose Warkuss’ design over de’Silva’s.

With Quattroruote Magazine & Leftlane News

Bugatti Veyron lagoon crash aftermath gallery

George Skentzos — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:42:13 +0000

With the crash and recovery efforts both captured on film, it was only a matter of time before the aftermath of the Veyron plunging into the lagoon found its way onto the web.

Aside from sustaining heavy water damage, the black-on-silver Veyron appears to have come off relatively unscathed with only minor panel damage.

Although the quad-turbocharged W16 engine may be a write-off, with earlier reports suggesting it burbled like an outboard motor before finally spluttering to a halt 15 minutes later.

Via: Jalopnik

Video: Bugatti Veyron plunges into lagoon in the US

George Skentzos — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:34:11 +0000

With 1001hp at its disposal and a price tag well into the millions of dollars, the Bugatti Veyron certainly demands attention wherever it goes.

Unfortunately for one Veyron owner in the United States, this meant his most disastrous moment was caught on tape as his hypercar plunged into two feet of saltwater.

Earlier reports stated that the driver was startled by a low-flying pelican whilst talking on his mobile phone, although this latest video shows the Veyron casually leaving the road without prior incident.

No doubt this new evidence of the events leading up to the crash will wreak havoc on his insurance claim, resulting in one very expensive public service announcement about the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Review

Mark Hacking — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:10:09 +0000

Bugatti have managed to create an incredibly powerful car and the means with which to harness that power.

Model Tested:

2010 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport; 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder, petrol; seven-speed DSG; coupe – USD$2,000,000

By Mark Hacking, USA.

Fair warning: This could well be the lamest review of a supercar in the history of supercar reviews. Of course, I know all about the test the blokes at CarAdvice Australia conducted of the original Bugatti Veyron last year. I marveled at the tales of driving over 300 km/h along the back roads near Molsheim, France—roads with a posted speed limit of just one-fifth that figure.

This particular review will be vastly different. Reason being, I had just one hour with the new Grand Sport—and that one hour was during rush hour. To make matters worse, we were experiencing an absurdly early blast of winter—no snow, but not far from it—so I had to drive the Veyron with the soft-top in place, removing me further from the visceral pleasure of hearing the 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder, 1001-horsepower engine bellowing just over my right shoulder.

The situation was this: I received a note that the supercar would be making a whirlwind tour of Toronto, Canada—one day only, no second chances, no option to book a more preferred drive time. For a moment, I actually toyed with the idea of turning down the chance to experience the Grand Sport.

Now, keep in mind that this is a ridiculously exclusive car set to be offered in very limited numbers—150 examples for the entire world, to be exact. The soft-top Veyron also happens to be significantly more expensive than the hard-top—to the tune of some $280,000 (US) more for a grand (no pun intended) total of some $2 million (US).

On the other side of the ledger was the incredible frustration I was certain to feel from driving a car that’s capable of going 400 km/h at about one-fifth that figure. You see, the Bugatti test drive would start and finish in one of the busiest areas of the city, an area that rivaled Los Angeles for traffic congestion at the end of the workday.

Arrrggghhh. I buckled like a belt and accepted the offer.

The drive started off with a briefing session courtesy of race driver Butch Leitzinger. A three-time winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Le Mans racer with Bugatti corporate cousin Bentley from 2001-02, Leitzinger is just the kind of steady hand needed to showcase a radical supercar like the Grand Sport.

As he guided the car around the block, I gathered first impressions from the passenger seat. The interior was a spectacular mix of metal and leather, but I was most struck by how few switches and controls were on display. Many cars, particularly those in the entry-level luxury category, attempt to dazzle with technology overkill. Not so with the Veyron; the gleaming metal centre console houses an analog clock, air vents, hazard switch, start button, seat heaters, launch control, gearshift, a few buttons to cue the audio system and a few others to turn on the climate control. That’s it—simple yet stunning.

The cockpit continues the theme: a fantastic three-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifters, no buttons to operate cell phones, CDs, cruise control or the like. Beyond the wheel, there are three simple analog gauges: a large tachometer, a small horsepower output indicator to the left and a small speedometer to the right. C’est tout.

After showing me the basic controls, I took over the reins and immediately sent the Veyron Grand Sport blasting past the 300-km/h mark. Sorry, scratch that—this was the part of the test drive that took place in my mind. In reality, I eased the Bugatti into the middle of the expected traffic jam and struggled a bit in getting accustomed to its significant width.

I also marveled at the fact that this $2 million car doesn’t have a power-operated roof, steering wheel or seats—now that’s ballsy! The Grand Sport comes with a polycarbonate transparent hardtop and a durable cloth soft-top that’s held in place with an umbrella-like frame—again, everything requires manual labour to put into place.

In order to compensate for the loss of a fixed roof, the Grand Sport has been strengthened through the use of carbon fibre supports around the side skirts, B-pillars and transmission tunnel. These measures have made the Veyron less susceptible to torsional flexing than any other roadster on the market, according to the manufacturer.

For the true speed demons out there, it’s worth noting that the top speed of the Bugatti is listed at 407 km/h, but with no roof in place, this drops to 360 km/h and with the soft-top installed, rippling begins somewhere around 160 km/h. (Too low, wouldn’t you agree?)

As you may have gathered by this point, I’m not about to go on and on about how I pushed this extreme supercar to its limits, terrorized the general public and fueled a high-speed police chase throughout the greater Toronto area. I can’t even bear testament as to whether the real-world performance of the Veyron lives up to the specification sheet.

Here’s what I did accomplish while ducking in and around the city traffic: From a standing start, I managed to make the horsepower needle go past 350, cause the traction control lights to flicker on the instrument panel and take the GS up to 135 km/h from a standing start on a 60 km/h road. Victory!

During this brief blast of power, here’s what occurred to me: The Veyron is certainly the fastest road car I’ve ever driven. I’m not sure if it’s quicker than the late-1990s Arrows F1 car I drove a few years back—but if not it’s definitely an extremely close second. I’m almost certain that the carbon fibre brakes on the F1 were more powerful than the carbon/ceramic numbers on the Bugatti, but again, it’s a close call.

What’s most impressive about the Veyron Grand Sport is that I’m attempting to compare its performance to that of a purpose-built race car. Or perhaps it’s the fact that Bugatti have managed to create an incredibly powerful car and the means with which to harness that power.

Armed with permanent all-wheel drive, acceleration isn’t so much a matter of damage control (as it is with other high-output cars), it’s simply a case of keeping the front wheels pointed straight and then hanging on for dear life.

The seven-speed DSG transmission is similarly impressive. I can’t say for sure whether the Bugatti shifts more quickly than other dual-clutch transmissions on the market—I’m still awestruck by the Ferrari California—but this car is so fast, the limiting factor will be how quickly the driver can take the next gear and not how quickly the gearbox reacts.

It’s also a significant accomplishment to build a transmission capable of handling all that torque; Audi had similar challenges with their R10 TDI Le Mans racecar and their solution was a beefed-up five-speed manual gearbox, a decidedly low-tech solution compared to the Veyron’s DSG.

In the final analysis, my brief and low-speed test of the 2010 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was, indeed, a fairly frustrating experience. I longed for the autobahn or a racetrack with at least one long straightaway, but neither was within shouting distance. But I like to consider myself a glass-half-full kind of guy, so I’m going to file the Veyron experience in the positive column.

F1-plated Bugatti Veyron headlines MPH Show in UK

George Skentzos — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:31:41 +0000

A rare pure white example of the Bugatti Veyron, complete with exclusive F1 number plates, will be the main attraction at this year’s MPH Show featuring Top Gear Live in the UK.

Owned by Afzal Kahn, the man behind bespoke tuning house Project Kahn, this Veyron is strictly a case of ‘if you need to ask the price, you can’t afford it’.

The ultra exclusive F1 number plates were purchased at auction by Mr Kahn for the princely sum of $721,743 which was headline news in itself.

Mr Kahn insists that despite headlining the MPH Show the car is not for sale, although he is hoping it would be the perfect car for newly crowned Formula One champion Jenson Button since it features the most expensive number plate sold in the UK.

Alongside the F1 Veyron at the MPH Show will be the radical GTbyCITROËN Concept, as well as scorching examples from Pagani and Koenigsegg.

The Ferrari FXX, Lamborghini GT600 and Pagani Zonda R are also rumoured to be making an appearance at the Prestige and Performance Motor Show.

Bugatti 16 C Galibier Concept hints at Veyron stablemate

George Skentzos — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:08:55 +0000

As the climax of its centenary celebrations, Bugatti has unveiled its first concept vehicle which could set the course for the future of the ultra-luxury and ultra-performance marque.

Intended to be the most exclusive, elegant and powerful four door vehicle in the world, the Bugatti 16 C Galibier Concept is one of several concept studies with which the company is considering for the future of the brand.

With this new four-door concept, Bugatti has used a concoction of exotic materials, with the body constructed from handmade carbon fibre parts coloured dark blue so that the mesh shimmers vibrantly in the light.

The wings and doors are formed from polished aluminium with the basic architecture picking up on the torpedo-like character of the Type 35, which has already been revived for the Veyron.

With the trademark Bugatti radiator grille, large LED headlights and clamshell running the length of the vehicle, this car yet again transports classic Bugatti genes into the modern world.

Under the bonnet, which folds back from both sides, is a 16-cylinder 8.0-litre engine using twostage supercharging which has been tuned as a flex-fuel engine to run on ethanol.

To translate the no-doubt sizeable power figures to forward momentum, the 16 C Galibier Concept feature all-wheel-drive, specially developed ceramic brakes and a new suspension design.

Inside, the dash has been reduced to the essential, two centrally located main instruments displaying speed and previous performance – similar to the Veyron.

Parmigiani, the Swiss maker of fine watches, created the removable Reverso Tourbillon clock for the Galibier, which may be worn on the wrist thanks to a cleverly designed leather strap.

Volkswagen ponders Porsche Panamera platform

Matt Brogan — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:12:58 +0000

While the board of Volkswagen AG may have already voted to axe the Panamera from the Porsche line-up post merger, a report published by Edmunds today has said the four-door coupe’s platform will be used by at least one of the company’s other premium brands.

With so little clarification available we’re left wondering as to what the future may hold for a platform with a lifespan still some eight years long.

In the short term at least the answer is unclear and looking through the VW retinue of brands it’s hard to find an answer.

Audi already has a number of similar vehicles in production, or in the pipeline, and it seems very unlikely it would get the nod.

Then there’s Bentley, which could use the platform in its next Continental GT, but rumour has it this job will be filled by an aluminium platform from Audi in a bid to save weight.

Bugatti is also considering a four-door sports coupe, but with a final decision already close to production it also seems highly unlikely the Panamera platform will be used here either.

That leaves Lamborghini which has already stated that its Estoque will not use the Porsche platform either.

So, as far as we see it and unless VW itself is going to do something less prosaic, the Panamera platform could be shelved, at least for the next few years.

That begs the question; will this ensure that the Panamera becomes Porsche’s ultimate modern-day collector’s item?

Video: Capturing the Bugatti Veyron for Forza 3

George Skentzos — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:53:40 +0000

Yesterday we brought you news that the V8 Supercars were featured in the highly anticipated Xbox 360 racing sim, Forza 3, and now the developers have also confirmed the addition of the Bugatti Veyron.

The announcement video goes beyond the game, illustrating in detail just what it takes to shrink a life-size Veyron to suit a virtual race track and the challenges faced by developers to convey the driving experience of the Veyron as accurately as possible.

Radical SR3 RS & SR8 track day supercars

Anthony Crawford — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 16:51:18 +0000

I’m all for safe driving, but our maximum legal speed limit in Australia is considered dangerously slow in many sections of Germany’s high-speed autobahn system.

By Anthony Crawford

And no, I’m not trying to be funny either we have absolute proof of how dangerous these so-called safe speeds of ours can be over there.

It’s 2007, and the CarAdvice team is on its way to Australia’s first proper test drive and video of the world’s fastest car, the Bugatti Veyron.

Our rental car was a diesel powered Ford Mondeo TDCi, and we were cruising along nicely in the middle lane at a comfortable 200km/h, when we notice the car is pulling slightly to the right.

You see, we had tried the left lane, but were too slow for those cars travelling at 240km/h plus, and there were plenty of those.

The culprit was the left rear tyre, which evidently had a puncture, but the only spare was an 80km/h rated emergency wheel and tyre package, which we promptly fitted and headed towards Molsheim in France.

There was no safe way we were going to sit on the prescribed 80km/h limit on a German autobahn, even in the so-called slow right lane. Drivers behind us were already highly agitated and had started to flash lights at us, in the slow lane!

Even at 110km/h we were being harassed, as the slow lane in Germany means a minimum of 130km/h, just to be safe.

So what’s this rant of mine have to do with such an extreme brand of car as the Radical has proven to be? Everything and more if you’re addicted to speed and reside anywhere in this vast continent of ours.

If you’re not a professional race driver, but want to drive a car at speeds that will give you a quicker lap time than a V8 Supercar, buy a Radical SR3 RS and get to a racetrack as fast as you possibly can, without exceeding the legal speed limit of course.

Your looking at the world’s fastest production sports car, which recently smashed its own lap record with a mind-blowing lap time of 6min:48sec at the infamous Nurburgring Nordshleife circuit in where else, but Germany.

Gumpert had already claimed the prize with its Gumpert Apollo Sport but had dismissed the English built Radical due its heavy skew towards the track.

But just to prove the point, the SR8 Supersport was driven all the way from the Peterborough factory in England to Germany and onto the track, all quite legal of course.

And its not quite as small an operation as you may think either. Radical produces around 150 cars per year, generating annual revenues just north of $20 million.

So successful is this bespoke track car manufacturer, that there are now distributors in 16 countries including Australia, as Radical fever takes hold amongst the world’s motoring enthusiasts.

CarAdvice is planning to shoot a full blown track test of the super quick Radical SR3 RS and possibly the jet-like SR8 Supersport later this year, and was invited to Eastern Creek Raceway to sample the cars.

Powered by an upgraded version of Suzuki’s 1349cc engine from the ridiculously fast Hayabusa motorcycle, the SR3 RS will rev to 10,500rpm and hit 260km/h down the main straight at Eastern creek, no problem.

But here’s the thing, normally at these speeds coming into turn one off the straight you might tap the brakes or at least back off the throttle.

No need to do either in the 490kg Radical with a few laps under your belt, just hold the throttle down and blast through to turn two, pulling over 2.5gs.

This is a car that will make you feel like you could take on Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button in the same race, and it’s not a difficult car to drive after some tuition and a generous number of practice laps.

In true racecar form, your SR3 RS comes standard with a six-speed sequential gearbox, which is easy enough, but my pick would be the optional Pneumatic, paddle-shift system with auto-blipper.

Inside the car is mostly carbon-composite, while the seats are moulded composite with manually adjustable mounts.

Best if you climb into the Radical with the quick-release steering wheel removed, and slide your feet forward into the foot well before sitting.

The instrument panel consists of an LCD display unit with a large digital gear indicator, and that’s all you need in this car.

And when you get bored of clocking up lap times that would shame a Porsche GT3, you might want to graduate up to the wickedly quick Radical SR8 Supersport.

Think two Hayabusa engines which have been fused as one V8, and you get the picture.

With more than 283kW from the 2.6-litre engine this thing will make your eyes water, as it is considerably quicker down the straight than the SR3 RS although, cornering speeds are similar.

But if you wanted to go all out and get the best track day car money can buy and thus eliminating all known competition, the 2.8 litre SR8LM is the car for that job.

Power jumps to a colossal 343kW with overall weight remaining at a super light 650 kilograms.

Remember, this is the car, which Michael Vergers drove during Radical’s annihilation of the Nurburgring lap time on road-legal tyres.

The most popular Radical, the SR3 RS, can be yours for just on $100,000 including GST, with various options to choose from on top of that price.

If you want a close up inspection of the Radical, go to the Classic Throttle Shop in North Sydney, and speak with Sascha Henrichs.

Alternatively, there are plenty of Radical track days, where you can hire a car for a day, with excellent in-car tuition, complete with helmet-to-helmet communication, which are more than affordable.

World’s fastest car show, no speed limits!

Anthony Crawford — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:12:31 +0000

It does seem strange doesn’t it, that each year, millions of people around the world flock to car shows of static displays of their favourite four-wheel objects, specifically designed to move us from one place to another.

It’s hardly what you would call the ideal environment to evaluate what is functionally, a moving object.

And the whole event is even more ludicrous when it comes to fast moving supercars, which more often than not, sound as good as they look.

What if there was a sports car show where you could drive the world’s fastest cars on the world’s safest racetrack with no speed limits. Sounds too good to be true I know, but that’s exactly what the first “International GT & Supercar Show” is all about.

The home base for this extraordinary event is La Castellet, the race circuit built by the billionaire spirit maker and motorsport fan, Paul Ricard, after he retired from making his aniseed liqueurs, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis.

“Paul Ricard” as the racetrack is more commonly referred to, was not only one of the best circuits in the world, but was also considered the safest. Not surprisingly, the French Formula One Grand Prix was held there from 1971 to 1990 before moving to Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.

This is a fast circuit, and the Mistral Straight, which was an 1800 metre gunbarrell section, recorded some of the highest speeds on any track in the world.

Now owned by F1 maestro Bernie Ecclestone, the circuit has just undergone a massive upgrade, including some of the most sophisticated safety aids on any race track, which could see it once again hosting the Formula One race.

Now known as the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track (Paul Ricard HTTT), due to a host of technical upgrades it is widely favoured by F1 teams for testing as it is once again the safest racetrack in the world, it is also the perfect venue for the word’s fastest car show.

What better place to try out a Bugatti Veyron, Gumpert Apollo, Koenigsegg CCXR or even the Tesla. In fact, looking at the list of exhibitors, it reads like the who’s who of supercar manufacturers.

And for those with enough cash to be looking at supercars in this current economic climate, don’t bother driving; just grab a jet direct to the Paul Ricard airstrip.

Bugatti Bordeaux one of three models possible

Matt Brogan — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:32:21 +0000

Only a week back we brought you news of Bugatti’s four-door coupe concept, the Bordeaux (pictured below), and while the concept is still under consideration, a report today from Autocar says this is only one of three possible models the brand will use as a replacement for its Veyron supercar.

Although the Bordeaux is still the car most likely to be previewed at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Bugatti’s top brass have reportedly said it is still uncertain as to whether or not this car will ever hit the show circuit – let alone production.

Whatever the case, Bugatti did say the next Bugatti model will not be based on the recently unveiled Bentley Mulsanne.

“A Bugatti saloon will have different dimensions and be a completely different concept. In fact it’s hard to find any similarities at all (with the new Bentley),” said Bugatti boss Dr. Franz-Josef Pfaegen. “A Bugatti is designed and developed for a total volume of not more than 150, so that allows completely different materials and technology.”

One thing’s for sure no matter which form the next Bugatti takes, it will carry a seven-figure price tag to ensure the Bugatti brand is kept as the auto world’s ultimate.

2013 Bugatti Bordeaux – spy pics

Matt Brogan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:33:02 +0000

A few weeks back we brought you pics of Bugatti’s new four-door, the Bordeaux, and we promised we would bring more to you as soon as they became available.

So when our graphic artists sent us a couple of glossy teaser pics this afternoon, we thought we’d post them immediately.

As discussed in an earlier post, the four-seater hyper-car will be properly unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and will feature a front mounted engine, expected to be a detuned version of the Veyron’s 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16, that will produce 735kW and 1250Nm.

CarAdvice will keep you posted on any developments as they come to hand.

Video: Nissan GT-R against Bugatti Veyron

George Skentzos — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:45:33 +0000

Almost a decade ago, Top Gear showed us the difference between a really fast car, and the McLaren F1 –now Evo has paid homage to this film by pitting the Nissan GT-R against the Bugatti Veyron.

With the Nissan GT-R boasting perhaps the most explosive take-off of any car in the world, for just how long will it stay ahead of the Veyron?

Bugatti releases first Bordeaux image

Matt Brogan — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:10:32 +0000

While it might be a rather grainy picture of what’s yet to come from Bugatti, this image is said to be the first shot of its upcoming – and rather expensive – Bordeaux.

The four-seater hyper-car will be properly unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and will feature a shooting brake-style body with striking horse shoe-shaped tail lamps, split rear window (complete with dramatic central brake light) and prominent Bugatti badge.

Early artist’s impression of Bugatti Bordeaux

The front-engined Bordeaux is expected to share the Veyron’s 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine that will produce 735kW/1250Nm which should mean sub-four second 0-100km/h times.

CarAdvice will keep you posted on any developments as they come to hand.

Peskett’s Ponderings: Veyron or Nano – which is better?

Karl Peskett — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:23:21 +0000

Here’s a curly one for ya. We keep hearing about the Tata Nano being the car that’s going to revolutionise the automotive industry worldwide. The Model-T for our generation.

It’s the car that will mobilise the masses and get people who previously could not afford one into a car. At a price of around A$4000, it’s something of a four-wheeled bargain. Pretty significant, then, you could say. A genuine milestone.

The other side of this coin is the Bugatti Veyron. We’ve driven it, filmed it, photographed it and loved it. It’s an engineering masterpiece that set new records and broke barriers which people never thought possible. Also a significant car.

Which is the better car? Of course, it’s entirely subjective, because both will get you from A to B. It’s just that one will help you to arrive a whole lot sooner. So here’s the dilemma. At A$4000, the Nano represents outstanding value. At A$2.7 million, the Bugatti doesn’t seem quite so value-packed.

As motoring journalists, we have to take into account value for money when testing cars. It’s why Aussie publications always throw in an HSV or an FPV when testing the latest European product. The Tata Nano has got them all backed into a corner, though, with the dollar for movement equation.

The Bugatti has eight times as many cylinders. It has four more turbochargers. It’s top speed is four times the Nano’s. It has nearly 30 times more power. It has two less seats, and goes from 0-100km/h 12 times quicker. Yet, and here’s the kicker, it’s 675 times more expensive than the Tata Nano. Yes, 675 times.

So for all that money, is it 675 times more competent at its job as a car? Has it changed the automotive world 675 times more than the Nano? Is it 675 times better in any respect at all?

That would make the Tata a better car, then, wouldn’t it?

What I’m getting at, and it’s a long bow to draw, is does value-for-money outweigh every other deficiency, when a car is that much cheaper?

Bugatti Veyron ‘Bleu Centenaire’ 100th anniversary special

George Skentzos — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:08:49 +0000

A century has passed since Ettore Bugatti started his business in the Alsacian town of Molsheim, France in 1909.

To commemorate this fact, Bugatti has unveiled a one-off special edition Veyron – the “Bleu Centenaire” – at the Geneva Motor Show, alongside the remarkable Grand Sport.

This special model takes up the traditional Bugatti two-tone colour specification, utilising a subtle differentiation of the iconic light shaded Bugatti blue.

The two-tone effect is achieved with a unique combination of a “sprintblue matt” and “sprintblue gloss” – colours not seen since the original Bugatti’s left the production line for the last time, precisely 50 years before the Veyron was realised.

The roof-trim and exterior rear-view mirrors are finished in polished, anodised aluminium while a special wheel design has been added – enhanced by a bright red brake-calliper.

The interior is fitted with plush snowbeige leather with quilting on the seats which also covers the centre console.

Additional standard equipment includes new LED lights, Park Distance Control and a rear-view camera which will feature on all Bugatti Veyrons from this year onwards.

Unfortunately earlier speculation of added performance has not been realised, with the Centenaire still boasting the same 1,001hp from its quad-turbocharged W16 engine.

The special edition Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire will cost 1.35 Million Euro, or roughly A$2.66 Million.

Bugatti will continue to celebrate its hundredth anniversary on various occasions throughout the year, culminating in an event in Molsheim on September 12, 2009.

The Veyron has become an icon of automotive history in just three short years, with 200 cars already delivered and 250 order to date – meaning there are only 50 Veyrons to be sold until the limit of 300 units will be reached.

CarAdvice was the first Australian motoring publication to drive the Bugatti Veyron, find out what we thought about it in our written review and video review.

Bugatti to celebrate 100 years with special edition Veyron

Matt Brogan — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:34:34 +0000

As Bugatti prepares to celebrate its centenary this year, rumours abound of a special edition Veyron being readied for next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Sources close to Bugatti say the 100th anniversary model will be named, aptly, the Centenaire Edition, which promises to be the fastest Veyron yet with 1005kW enabling a top speed in excess of 419km/h.

We can also expect masses of exposed carbon fibre and a unique body kit though presently no further details are available.