Bugatti CHIRON, page #13

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Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo shows post-Veyron future

The wonderful thing about the ever-growing series of Vision Gran Turismo concepts is that designers are free to imagine anything for the virtual world. For Bugatti's stab at the idea, the hypercar company is gunning for absolute speed by imagining a model as quick as an LMP1 racer around Le Mans. Bringing the look back to reality, the brand has a carbon-fiber one-off on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show. "Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo is the first stage on a new journey that Bugatti is embarking on following the successful completion of its Veyron chapter, and which will culminate in the unveiling of the next Bugatti super sports car in the not too distant future," said company president Wolfgang Durheimer, in the vehicle's announcement. Take a good look at the cues Bugatti's stylists play with on the Vision Gran Turismo because the vehicle previews the brand's future design language. While inspired by the automaker's success at Le Mans in the 1920s and '30s, the only retro touches are the blue paint of the era's French racecars and the number in the horseshoe grille. The real result is a ground-scraping racecar that evolves the look of the Veyron. The nose is similar but sports eight LED headlights, and massive NACA ducts in the roof feed cool air to the W16 engine. A high fin runs down the back and leads to a mammoth rear wing. The company's engineers think the result of this all-out approach to speed would result in a racer capable of hitting over 250 miles per hour in four sections at Le Mans. Anyone with a copy of Gran Turismo should get to test that challenge fairly soon.

Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo brings racing past into the future

Bugatti is bringing a racing-inspired coupe to the Frankfurt Motor Show called the Vision Gran Turismo. It's the latest in a long series of concepts for the PlayStation game, but unlike many of them, this one is real and will be on display in Frankfurt later this month. The Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo's shape is clearly a play on the swoopy look of the Veyron, but it's heavily modified to be a superstar on the track. The front end gets an angry look with eight LED headlights recessed intro the grille. The small fin in the center carries through the design to eventually grow much larger at the back. Massive ducts in the roof feed cool air to the engine, and four exhaust pipes poke menacingly out the rear. The two-tone blue color is meant to harken back to the brand's winner at the 1937 24 Hours of Le Mans. The interior mixes a racecar aesthetic with Bugatti's high-end upholstery. "This is for the fans: Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo" – Show car coming to Frankfurt Motor Show as world premiere Bugatti releases the first design renderings of the virtual project for PlayStation® video racing franchise Gran Turismo® The car's design celebrates Bugatti's racing history and is based on state- of-the-art motor sport technology A tribute to the Bugatti victories in Le Mans in 1937 and 1939 Molsheim, 2 September 2015. Bugatti fans, petrol heads and gamers have reason to look forward to the 66th International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. Specifically for the motor show, Bugatti has transformed a virtual project into tangible reality. For the French super sports car brand will be presenting its virtual concept Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo, which it developed in cooperation with Polyphony Digital Inc., creator of the Gran Turismo video game franchise, as a real show car. Now Bugatti has published the first digital renderings of the car. The design of the virtual race car is celebrating Bugatti's racing history and is based on state-of-the-art motor sport technology. The project is the brand's tribute to its great racing tradition of the 1920s and 1930s and its victories in Le Mans 24-hour races. "The Bugatti design team normally works only for the exclusive and very distinguished circle of the brand's customers. Now Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo has given us the opportunity, for the first time, to do something special for our fans as well," explained Achim Anscheidt, the head of Bugatti Design.

Bugatti Chiron to cost $2.5 million

Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said the mission of the coming Chiron is to outdo the Veyron "in all dimensions." Durheimer also said that "the price/prestige axis is one of the fundamental axes at Bugatti," which explains why Car magazine's sources say the Chiron will cost 2.2 million euros. At the present exchange rate that's $2.471 million, but more importantly, in Car's home currency it's a 650,000-pound premium over the Veyron – an extra million dollars. The price premium is misleading, though, since Bugatti hasn't sold a Veyron with an MSRP of 'just' $1.5 million in a few years. The standard Grand Sport Vitesse listed at $2.5 million, and that was before the end-of-run Grand Sport Vitesse special editions began rolling out, any of which could have been called the Bugatti Blank Check Edition. So when prospective buyers were told they could get the Chiron's 1,480 horsepower, 0-to-62 mph time of 2.3 seconds, upgraded technology, better gas mileage, 288-mph top speed, and more comfortable ride and handling for about the same price as the old car, their first question might have been, "So what's the catch?" Car says Bugatti intends to build 500 Chirons, 50 more examples than the Veyron got. We could see it as soon as next year's Geneva Motor Show.

Watch Chris Harris fall in love with a Bugatti EB110 SS

The poor Bugatti EB110 SS gets no love. Like the overachiever who's rapidly outshined by his younger brother, enthusiasts flock to the 1,000-horsepower Veyron, while the older Bug isn't viewed with quite the same reverence as its contemporaries, the Ferrari F40, McLaren F1, and Lamborghini Diablo. It's sort of like a deep cut versus a chart-topping hit, and that's just plain wrong. Fortunately, Chris Harris has a big appreciation for the Veyron's predecessor, and is all too happy to explain why, in his latest video. Here, the drift-happy Brit tests the most exotic version of the EB110, the ultra-high-performance SuperSport model. Like the Veyron that succeeded it, the EB110's engine was assisted by four turbochargers, although it was short four cylinders. In SS guise, the quad-turbocharged, mid-mounted, 3.5-liter V12 pumped out a now-modest 603 horsepower. But, and unlike the tank that is the Veyron, the older model is a bit of a featherweight, considering it was a comfortable, V12-powered, all-wheel-drive hypercar. That means it can hit 62 in 3.2 seconds and accelerate to 216 miles per hour with only half the output of the Veyron SS that everyone goes gaga over. Check out Harris as he samples a particularly yellow example of the EB110 SS, which will be crossing the block at RM Auctions' London event next month.

Bugatti hints at upcoming Vision Gran Turismo design

This is a NACA duct. You used to see them on supercars left, right, and center – including the Bugatti EB110. You don't see them as much as you used to, but if this teaser is anything to go by, they could be making a comeback to the blanks and surfaces of the next Bugatti hypercar. Strictly speaking, the component rendering previews Bugatti's upcoming Vision Gran Turismo design – taking the Alsatian marque into the virtual world to let its fans drive a Bugatti on PlayStation. Which is all well and fine, of course, and we're looking forward to seeing it unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. But the bigger development is that the Vision Gran Turismo concept is set to preview the brand's new design language that will be embodied in the metal of the upcoming replacement for the Veyron. Expected to be called the Chiron, the new Bugatti supercar promises to surpass even its illustrious predecessor. Look for a revised version of the Veyron's mammoth 6.0-liter W16 engine to adopt some manner of electrical assist – likely in the form of electric turbochargers – to produce even more power while returning better fuel economy. Of course the solitary image of the NACA duct released together with the announcement isn't much to go on. But we're looking forward to seeing what the Volkswagen Group's most illustrious brand has cooked up for the Frankfurt show – and the video game console – next month. Related Video: "This is for our fans" – Bugatti creates its first vehicle for "Vision Gran Turismo" - Virtual concept car coming exclusively to PlayStation's Gran Turismo video game series - President Wolfgang Durheimer: "This will make Bugatti accessible for our countless fans throughout the world." - "Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo" gives an outlook of the brand's new design language - Bugatti to showcase virtual project at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) Molsheim, August 19, 2015. Following the sale of the 450th and final Veyron this spring, Bugatti is embarking on a new chapter in its corporate history which is to reach its climax with the presentation of the next Bugatti super sports car. The first stage in the process will be a virtual project developed by the luxury super sports car brand in cooperation with Polyphony Digital Inc., creators of the Gran Turismo video game franchise. For the first time, Bugatti will be represented in the "Vision Gran Turismo" category.

Bugatti teases something new on the horizon

Bugatti isn't keeping a secret that development on a follow-up to the Veyron is advancing, but the brand continues to be very cagey about what is coming. In a new teaser video, the company is at least giving us something to think about with a narrator asking viewers to "imagine the impossible." Sadly, the clip never shows an actual vehicle, but you can hear a growling engine at the end. While Bugatti isn't talking officially, rumors are heaping up about the future vehicle, reportedly called the Chiron. Spy shots show a design that so far is largely similar to the Veyron, but the 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 reportedly is pushed to 1,500 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet. The extra oomph comes thanks to the fitment of electric turbochargers to compliment the standard ones, and some reports even suggest a hybrid setup. During the unveiling of the final Veyron, company president Wolfgang Durheimer admitted, "Our challenge is to make the best even better." It's interesting to see Bugatti teasing something now because a previous report suggests a launch in 2016. Here's hoping, we get a glimpse sooner than that.

Xcar weighs in on the five best-sounding modern cars

Getting behind the wheel of a well-balanced vehicle can be a wonderfully visceral experience, thanks to the combined feeling of things like the weight of the steering, the bite of the brakes, and, of course, the roar of the engine. Unfortunately, many of the sensations of driving require actually being in the driver's seat to understand them, but thankfully the intoxicating noise of a beautifully tuned internal combustion engine can be shared with everyone. In a new video, Xcar shares their opinion on the five best-sounding modern performance cars. The list is a symphony of horsepower. As opposed to keeping all of the vehicles brand new, Xcar actually picks a few that are recently off the market. They're all definitely champs, though. While the list itself is well stocked, you might be able to argue with the specific order, and it would be nice to hear a few participants from outside of Europe for a collection like this one, too. No matter. Every listener is sure to find something they like in the bunch, though. Turn up the volume and enjoy.

Volkswagen building budget car family planned for China in 2018

Volkswagen has publicly pondered a low-cost car for China, something akin to Nissan's Datsun revival in Southeast Asia, for at least three years. In 2013 it tapped Chinese partner FAW to help develop an entire budget brand, with plans to have something on the market in 2016 in the 6,000- to 8,000-euro range. About a year ago, VW said it couldn't figure out how to engineer an inexpensive car that didn't run counter to the brand's values, then three weeks later said it had overcome the issues. Reuters now reports that VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, "We will bring a budget-car family to market in 2018, with an SUV, saloon and hatchback." Winterkorn didn't offer any other details like who VW would work with to build it - VW has partnerships with both FAW and SAIC, but the announcement will be welcomed by the brand's Chinese outpost. When this adventure started, VW said it was working to create a model that would cost 6,000 to 8,000 euro. That estimate has increased. Winterkorn is now saying the 2018 offerings will come in between 8,000 and 11,000 euro. In a straight euro-to-yuan conversion, that would equate to Chinese pricing of 56,000 to 77,000 yuan. For comparison, the New Polo with a 1.4-liter engine and a manual transmission starts at 85,900 yuan. Perhaps with an eye on the success of the Nissan-Renault sub-brand Dacia in Europe and emerging markets, Winterkorn told Bild, "We will see if this is something of interest for other markets as well." On the opposite end of the price/performance spectrum, Winterkorn also said that VW is working on two new models for Bugatti, one powered by a traditional gasoline engine and another with some sort of hybrid setup. The latter model would reportedly be the higher-performing of the two, though it's not clear whether there would be two vehicle lines or two versions of the same vehicle. As ever, as soon as we know more, so will you.

VW Group to split brands under four holding companies

The Volkswagen Group is planning a tremendous shift in its internal structure that will decentralize operations by splitting its 12 brands into four different holding companies. Here's the breakdown. Things will be split logically, considering the inter-sharing of parts, platforms, and engines. The Volkswagen brand, Seat, and Skoda make up a passenger vehicle division led by former BMW man Herbert Diess. Audi, which is tightly intertwined with Lamborghini and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, will be managed by current Audi exec Rupert Stadler. Porsche and Bentley, which are already quite close, will be joined by Bugatti and run by Matthias Mueller. Finally, a commercial vehicles division will include Volkswagen Commercial, Scania, and Man. Former Daimler exec Andreas Renschler will take care of the big vehicles. The massive move, according to Automotive News Europe, is part of an internal VAG effort to move away from the structure established by ousted Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who favored a compact, but highly centralized, management structure to oversee the independent actions of the company's brands. Criticism of Piech's arrangement stemmed from the company's slow responses to changes in the market, ANE reports. The new structure should make for a more efficient, streamlined company that's better able to make crucial decisions. What are your thoughts? Should VAG decentralize, or did Piech have the right idea? Have your say in Comments.

Petrolicious turns a masterful lens on Bugatti specialists Garage Novo

Petrolicious is known for the fantastic cinematography of its videos, but the latest clip featuring Bugatti specialists Garage Novo in France and a Bugatti Type 38 is a visual masterpiece. Combining lingering shots of the car's mechanicals at work, a roadster sliding around narrow roads with the sun low in the sky and a fascinating family story, this is an absolute must-see. Garage Novo was founded due to one man's love of Bugattis, and the shop has been in the business of repairing and restoring the cars for three generations now. In the family's personal collection is the Type 38, covering a claimed 125,000 miles over the Novo's decades of ownership. Giving away much more would ruin this charming story, but be sure to experience this video because it's a treat for the eyes.