Bugatti Roadster, page #15

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Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

In case you forgot, the Dubai Police supercar fleet is the coolest

Ever wonder why the Dubai Police have a fleet of vehicles worth millions and millions and millions of dollars? Why it has a Bugatti Veyron and a Bentley Continental and a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG with sirens and light bars? Well, here's the reason. This video shows the fleet on display on the Emirate's roads and highways, while also reaching out to the people the police are meant to protect. It's an impressive display of machinery, to be sure. Alongside the Bentley, Bugatti and Mercedes, we spy a Ferrari FF, a Brabus G-Wagen, a BMW M6, a Nissan GT-R, an Audi R8 and a McLaren MP4-12C (although the latest Dubai Police car, the Lexus RC F, is absent). The video even has a very cinematic look and feel to it, which works well with the night scenes and the blues-and-twos of the exotics cruisers. News Source: Dubai Police via YouTube Audi Bentley BMW Bugatti Ferrari McLaren Mercedes-Benz Nissan Luxury Performance Videos dubai ferrari ff mclaren 12c

The very last Bugatti Veyron will be shown in Geneva

Inside of a lengthy interview with Auto, Motor und Sport that dealt mostly with future Bentley products, Bentley and Bugatti chief Wolfgang Durheimer said the 450th Bugatti Veyron will be at next month's Geneva Motor Show. That's a special number, seeing as it means the end of Veyron production after ten years, 300 coupes, and 150 open-air variants. Six weeks ago the Molsheim company had space for eight more Veyron commissions, but it's a good bet that all the stock down to this last car has been sold. Durheimer wouldn't say, but the hypothesis is that Veyron number 450 will be a Grand Sport Vitesse, the extra-go-fast targa with 1,183-horsepower erupting from its 16-cylinder engine. The boss also tempered expectations as to when the Veyron's successor will be shown, saying "it takes time to create a work of art" when asked if we'd see it in 2016. Durheimer did say that it would be "even better," which means it will probably travel even faster than the rumors around it, the last batch of hearsay bespeaking of something lighter than the Veyron, with 1,500 horsepower from a hybrid powertrain, and a top speed of 286 miles per hour. And that would be quite the start on the way to "even better," as well as too much of a burden for any tires currently available on Earth. Featured Gallery Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse "Jean Bugatti": Frankfurt 2013 View 18 Photos News Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Motor AuthorityImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Geneva Motor Show Bugatti Convertible Luxury Performance Supercars wolfgang durheimer bugatti veyron grand sport vitesse

These are the 'Greenest' and 'Meanest' cars in 2015

As has become tradition, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has come up with a ranking of what it refers to as the "greenest" cars of 2015, and, by way of contrast, a list of the so-called "meanest" cars, so those who value eco-friendliness over all else can choose which vehicles they should or should not consider buying. As you may expect, electric cars make up the majority of the greenest cars on the list, but, perhaps surprisingly to many, the Tesla Model S didn't make the cut. It's worth noting, too, that where the electricity an owner uses to charge their electric vehicle has a big impact on its overall environmental impact. "A car that is charged using electricity generated from natural gas or renewables is going to have significantly less impact on the environment than one charged on a coal-heavy grid," says ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan. The ACEEE's list for 2015 looks very different than it did in 2014. It's an interesting collection, though – and we're sure this goes without saying, really – we'd recommend doing a bit more research into each vehicle and how it might fit into your daily life before making any purchase decisions. Click here to see the ACEEE's list of the Greenest and Meanest vehicles sold in the United States in 2015. Green Bugatti Chevrolet Fiat GM GMC Mercedes-Benz Nissan RAM smart Toyota greenest greenest cars

Bugatti has just eight Veyrons left to sell

Hard as it may be to believe, it has now been nearly a decade since Bugatti first introduced the Veyron back in 2005. And in the ten years since, the Alsatian marque has sold 442 of the seven-figure hypercars, leaving just eight roadsters still left up for grabs before one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the history of the automobile roars off into the sunset. Production of the Veyron was initially pegged at 300 coupes, but its life was extended by another 150 roadsters with the introduction of the Grand Sport in 2008. The last of the Veyron coupes (including the more powerful Super Sport model that followed) came to a close in September 2011, but production of the remaining Grand Sport and Vitesse roadsters has soldiered on since – and will continue until those final eight units have left the factory in Molsheim. If it's taken Bugatti over nine years to build the first 442 examples at a rate of about one per week, it should take about another two months to complete those final eight examples – that is, once production of outstanding orders are completed, and orders for the remaining examples are placed. Considering it's taken nearly five months to sell the previous seven examples, Bugatti might have to do what Bugatti does and roll out some special farewell edition to move those last few examples off the line. The bigger question, though, is What comes next? With development of the succeeding Chiron reportedly pushed back, there's been talk of one last hurrah for the outgoing Veyron in the form of an even more extreme speedster of sorts. But as Car magazine reports, after speaking to Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Durheimer at the launch of the company's merchandise boutique in London, the company will soon need to get down to the business of putting together the pre-production prototypes for the Chiron with its anticipated 1,500 horsepower and even more impressive performance. One way or another, we're not expecting a lot of down time at the French workshop in between production runs. Featured Gallery Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Wei Long 2012 News Source: CarImage Credit: Bugatti Plants/Manufacturing Bugatti Car Buying Supercars Bugatti Chiron

Dan Neil pokes fun at the celeb cars of 2014

Look, we try really hard not to pay any attention to the Kardashians and their vapid reality TV empire. But, as troubling as that brood may be, occasionally we're impressed and/or horrified by their four-wheeled conveyances. In fact, that curiosity extends beyond talentless reality stars with rotund glutes to celebs in general. That's why we're enjoying Dan Neil's sometimes biting take on the celebrity cars of 2014. Besides paying tribute to Kim K, husband Kanye West and the adorable Lamborghini that their spawn rides about in, Neil also takes a look at LeBron James' turn as a Kia spokesman and boxer Floyd Mayweather's trio of Bugatti Veyrons. Matthew McConaughey is a focus of Neil's as well, thanks to his oft-panned advertisements for Lincoln (and the raucous parodies they inspired), before finishing on the high, with Jerry Seinfeld and his new Porsche 918 Spyder. Take a look at Neil's recap of the celebrity cars of 2014. News Source: The Wall Street Journal Celebrities Humor Bugatti Kia Lamborghini Lincoln Porsche Videos porsche 918 spyder celebrity dan neil

Bugatti Chiron to pack 1,500 electrically turbocharged horses

For a car capable of unprecedented speeds, the Bugatti Veyron sure has stuck around a long time – but it's almost gone. And that means it's time for the Alsatian marque to move on to the next thing. Fortunately, according to Automobile magazine, Bugatti has been working on the Veyron's successor for about four years now. And though Bugatti has kept pretty quiet on the details of what its next hypercar will entail, the publication's well-informed European correspondent Georg Kacher has some tasty details on the followup to one of the most famous automobiles of the modern age. For starters, the Veyron successor is expected to carry the same 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine as its predecessor – only with much more power. Where the original coupe and Grand Sport roadster produced 1,000 horsepower and the Super Sport and Vitesse packed 1,200, the followup is tipped to ratchet up the horse-count to a whopping 1,500 hp. That headline figure is being enabled by the use of direct injection and higher-pressure turbochargers – at least two of which are expected to be electrically powered for immediate response. The result is an anticipated 0-62 time of under 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 288 miles per hour – 18 miles faster even than the record-setting Super Sport. Active aero will keep it stable and carbon-ceramic brakes, operating in tandem with the rear-wing air-brake, will keep it all in check. The cabin is tipped to be more spacious and ergonomic while offering easier ingress, egress and outward visibility than the Veyron. And this time around, it'll be lighter weight and with a greater emphasis on more nimble handling. We're told to still expect Bugatti to revive the Chiron name used earlier on the concept (pictured above) that previewed the Veyron back in 1999 and which originally belonged to Louis Chiron, one of the most decorated racing drivers from the marque's hey day. Unfortunately Automobile reports that the launch of the new Chiron has been pushed off from 2015 to 2016. But rather than leave the factory in Molsheim with nothing to do, word has it that Bugatti could extend the Veyron's life by creating a Speedster to be produced in strictly limited numbers and with an even higher price tag. Related Video:

Bugatti Chiron mule caught wearing stylish camo over hybrid drivetrain

Upon first inspection, this looks to be a strangely styled Bugatti Veyron. Such a thing shouldn't be a shock. We have, after all, already seen the hypercar with a penis on the hood and painted in nearly every single hue that exists on our planet. Take a closer look, though, and we see something altogether different. That's because this isn't a Veyron - it's new, rumored to be a replacement to the Veyron and is allegedly called the Chiron.
The first identifier that we're looking at something different are the huge carbon-ceramic brakes, which dwarf the already meaty pans found on the standard Veyron Super Sport. Beyond that, the distinctive snorkel intakes of the Veyron have been replaced with simple NACA ducts, while Bugatti engineers have ditched the car's enormous adjustable rear spoiler.
That amputation has allowed our spies to peek into the back of the car, and identify what we think are the components of an electric powertrain. Considering current performance trends, we shouldn't be surprised that Bugatti (and by extension, Volkswagen) are tinkering with hybrid tech.

Bugatti Veyron gets shafted

There are no shortage of phallus jokes one can make about a car and its owners, but no amount of jesting makes spray painting an actual penis on a car okay. That's triply true when the car in question is the Bugatti Veyron.
This poor Veyron was spotted on the streets of Seattle, and while our outrage was initially piqued, it later emerged via Instagram that the owner of this spray-painted Bugatti actually allowed this to happen.
We aren't fully sure what possessed the owner of the multi-million hypercar to allow this sort of thing, but we're guessing he or she can afford it. Scroll down for a different angle of this poor Veyron's new paint job.

Bugatti evaluating a trio of Veyron successors

Bugatti is nearing the very end of its Veyron production run with only around 15 of the supercars reportedly left to be sold of the 450-car total. With so few remaining, the supremely posh automaker is already deep into development discussions of a successor, but it doesn't seem that the company has a final design in mind quite yet.
According to two unnamed insiders speaking to Bloomberg, Bugatti is evaluating at least three concepts for the Veyron's successor. They claim that the new model will be lighter than the current one with an engine capable of producing about 1,500 horsepower. Also, at least one of these prototypes is using an electric motor for additional boost.
These latest leaks lend further substantiation to the circulating rumors about Bugatti's future. One earlier report claimed that the hypercar would use a modified version of the current 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16, possibly with direct injection, electrically powered turbos and an additional electric motor to boost the top speed to around 286 miles per hour. Also, two prototypes (pictured above) were spotted testing at the Nürburgring earlier this year, and one of them wore an odd contraption on its back. Other speculation indicated the new model would reportedly be called the Chiron, a reference to a famous Bugatti racing driver and the name for one of the company's concepts that previewed the Veyron's shape.