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Bugatti surprises with Vitesse 1 of 1 edition
Fri, 22 Aug 2014Bugatti had plenty to showcase at Pebble Beach this year, unveiling not only the final Legend edition but also bringing the entire series together for one big happy family reunion at the same location where, one year ago, it presented the first such special edition. But those weren't the only special edition Veyrons on hand in Monterey this week.
When we first saw this yellow and black Veyron driving around Alsace last month and figured at the time that it must have been the final Legend edition in tribute to Elisabeth Junek. It turned out to be neither when the series closed out with the Ettore Bugatti edition with a decidedly different color scheme, which left us scratching our heads as to what the Bumblebee treatment was all about, but now we know.
In addition to the Ettore Bugatti edition, the most exotic French automaker also arrived at Pebble Beach this year with the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse 1 of 1 edition. Commissioned by a customer in Singapore, this one-of-a-kind Vitesse roadster revives a favorite color scheme of the Bugatti family that adorned many of its vehicles from the company's heyday, including a Type 41 Royale, a Type 55 and a Type 44 like the one beside which it was presented, furnished for the occasion by the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, CA.
All six Bugatti Veyron Legend Editions gather at the Quail
Sat, 16 Aug 2014Walk through the entrance to the Quail, make a right, and you'll be greeted by $18 million worth of car. Sure, that's not an unusual sight during Monterey Car Week, where classics are being auctioned off for well beyond that, but we're talking about $18 million of brand new car. We're talking about all six of the Bugatti Veyron Legend Editions.
One year after the first Legend Veyron made its debut in Monterey, Bugatti has completed the limited-run series of six. All of these cars are unique creations that celebrate the automaker's history - the sextet includes the Jean-Pierre Wimille, Jean Bugatti, Meo Costantini, Rembrandt Bugatti, Black Bess and Ettore Bugatti editions. Only three examples of each special edition will be made, all priced at 2.35 million euro ($3.14 million, based on today's rates).
It's super rare to see multiple Veyrons in one place at one time, and this might be the only time in history where all six Legends cars are displayed together at once. Have a look at all of 'em for yourself in the gallery above.
Will Bugatti's Veyron successor be too fast to test?
Thu, 07 Aug 2014As one of the fastest cars in the world, the Bugatti Veyron is an icon in its own time, but people are fickle and always want to know what's next. Bugatti needs to sell just 15 more examples before the Veyron reaches its 450-car cap. With the end finally in sight, a blindly fast successor may be streaking towards us on the horizon.
It's rumored to be packing 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS) from a modified, hybrid version of the current 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16
Autocar claims that it's in touch with unnamed insiders within Bugatti, and the site is making some very big promises about the future hyper car. First, what we all want to know: the car is rumored to be packing 1,479 horsepower (1,500 PS) from a modified, hybrid version of the current 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. According to the sources, the upgrades potentially include direct injection and electrically powered turbos (maybe like the forthcoming Audi SQ7), but it seems certain that an additional electric motor is being added, as well. That matches previous rumors and dovetails nicely with the suspicious-looking Veyrons spotted lapping the Nürburgring with wider bodies and weird contraptions on their backs.
Only 15 Bugatti Veyrons left to be sold
Thu, 07 Aug 2014Have you been putting off your chance to buy a Bugatti Veyron? Better get your deposit in quick - like, Veyron quick - as production has almost run out.
According to Autocar, Bugatti has to date built and delivered 405 Veyrons to customers around the world, out of the total allotment of 450 examples it set out to build - 300 coupes and 150 additional roadsters. Subtract from that total another 30 which have already been ordered, and the number of Grand Sport and Vitesse roadsters left up for grabs (the coupes having sold out three years ago) rests at just 15 units - down from the 50 that were still left in December.
Of those 15 units, three will be taken up by the last series of Legend editions, set to be unveiled shortly at Pebble Beach, and will surely sell out right away. We wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of final farewell edition before all is said and done, either.
Watch a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport hit 246 mph during road rally
Tue, 29 Jul 2014The Bugatti Veyron might be getting on in years, but it's still an engineering marvel capable of truly insane velocity. There are tons of videos of the Veyron doing its super-high-speed trick of reaching 200 miles per hour with seemingly no effort. But do you know how much ground the coupe is actually covering at full chat? Let's just say it's mighty impressive.
According to the YouTube description, this video was shot at the 2014 Sun Valley Road Rally in Idaho. The event shut down a portion of highway and allowed cars to hurtle down that stretch at ludicrous speeds, and a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport with 1,200 horsepower on hand showed the crowd what fast really looked like. Thankfully, the organizers monitored the vehicles' speed, confirming that this supercar managed a massive 246.4 miles per hour.
The way that the Veyron reaches that momentum is just as impressive, though. At first, all you see is a fast-moving white spec, but it doesn't sound like a car. It has more of the constant note of a jet but with a little audible grumble as it streaks by. Scroll down to see what nearly 250 mph looks like on a deserted stretch of highway.
Bugatti Veyron hybrid successor rumors surface anew
Sat, 12 Jul 2014If you had told us when the Bugatti Veyron debuted nine years ago that its successor would be a hybrid, we would have responded that you were out to lunch. In fact, we didn't quite believe it two years ago when the rumor first surfaced. But that was all before Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari proved that hybrids could not only be quick, but entertaining drives, as well. And when we say "quick," we mean Nürburgring-conqueringly, 0-60 in under three seconds quick. Today, the idea of a hybrid hypercar doesn't seem far-fetched at all. And so we bring you new reports that the next Veyron - whether it carries the same name or not - will pack an electric assist.
This according to Reuters, which notes that Bugatti's old-is-new-again CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer is keen on hybrid propulsion as evidence that the Alsatian marque is likely to pursue such a powertrain for the Veyron's replacement. The system wouldn't help curb the Veyron's portly weight, of course, but it would likely help cut down its prodigious fuel consumption. The current car, by the way, would run dry after 12 minutes at its 250+ mph top speed (by which point the special Michelin tires would have melted anyway). More importantly - and more likely - the hybrid assist will make the new car even punchier at low revs.
Of course, even assuming Reuters is correct, there's no telling to what internal-combustion engine the electric motor in the next Veyron will be paired with. However, considering the massive sums of cash Volkswagen spent on developing the unique 6.0-liter quad-turbo W-16, we'd bet it'll use some form of the same - just with an extra jolt of electric power thrown in for good measure.
The legend lives on in Bugatti Black Bess promo clip
Wed, 11 Jun 2014To this year's Beijing Motor Show, Bugatti showed up with a special Veyron called Black Bess. It's the fifth in a series of six Legend editions that pay homage to a figure from the Alsatian marque's considerable history - in this case legendary French aviator Roland Garros. Now it's released a promo video showing off the stunning (if mechanically unaltered) black Vitesse roadster.
Not that Bugatti will need any help selling the Black Bess edition, of which only three will be made. Despite their $3 million price tags, Bugatti has sold every one of the previous four Legend runs, helping it move those last examples of the legendary Veyron before it can move on to the next chapter in its history.
Like any other Vitesse, the Black Bess edition packs a 6.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 engine driving 1,184 horsepower to all four wheels. What sets this special edition apart is the lustrous black paint, 24-carat gold accents and uniquely decorated cream leather interior with historic story-boards of classic Bugatti T18 and airplanes on the door panels. All of which may strike you as rather silly, but makes for a rather stunning vehicle highlighted in the video below.
Enjoy a look at the World's Fastest Police Fleet in Dubai
Fri, Jun 6 2014Last year, it seemed like nearly every month there was news of an additional hypercar joining the fleet of the Dubai Police. It was shocking enough when the force showed off its Lamborghini Aventador, but the armada kept growing to include even more exotic vehicles like an Aston Martin One-77 and eventually even a Bugatti Veyron. To understand the point of building this assortment of supercars, the crew from Vocativ went behind the scenes with the Dubai Police and into the immaculate warehouse where the cars are kept. The Veyron and Aventador are just the headline-grabbers. When their Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R are getting short shrift, you know it must have a wild collection. The video is a fascinating look inside the force and gets some insight into why the Dubai Police would spend around $6.5 million to build this collection. It certainly isn't to catch speeders... Scroll down to learn what it's all about. News Source: Vocativ via YouTube Bugatti Lamborghini Police/Emergency Videos dubai dubai police
Dubai Police Drive The World's Fastest Police Car
Thu, Jun 5 2014For Dubai Police, going from 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds is just another day at the office. The news site Vocative scored a sneak peak inside the Dubai Police force's stable. Even in a city known for its outrageous wealth and opulence, the fleet is jaw-dropping. Tucked in among $6 million dollars worth of extreme machines is the crown jewel of the police's garage, a Bugatti Veyron. The Veyron is one of the worlds fastest and, at $1.6 million, the most expensive production car on the market. With a staggering 1,001 horsepower engine that can run the Veyron up to 267 mph, the Dubai police could catch any criminal they set their sights on. Instead, they use the Veyron, along with its Audi, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley and other luxury automobiles, for marketing and outreach purposes. Seem like a waste of some serious power? At least the Dubai police actually drive their supercars. The Los Angeles Police Department received a donated Lamborghini Gallardo for its fleet. Their Lambo will be displayed at charity events only. Bugatti Police/Emergency Supercars
Bugatti Veyron Legends Edition Black Bess isn't exactly subtle
Mon, 21 Apr 2014The Bugatti Veyron Legend editions may do nothing to alter the Grand Sport Vitesse's already prodigious performance, but buyers appear to love them. Four special models have been unveiled so far, and Bugatti has sold out of all of them. At the 2014 Beijing Motor Show, the automaker has introduced the fifth Legend - the Black Bess.
Unlike the previous models, this Legend is inspired by a specific car, rather than a person. Black Bess was the name of a Bugatti Type 18 owned by famous French aviator Roland Garros. With seven examples built from 1912 to 1914, the 18 was a supercar in its time. It sported a 99-horspower, 5.0-liter four-cylinder engine and could reach 100 miles per hour. While paltry today, it was amazing performance by contemporary standards.
The modern Black Bess packs the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse's 1,184-hp, quad-turbo W16 engine, and it wears rich, black paint with 24-carat gold accents. The interior has a combination of beige, brown and red leather, but its real showpieces are the hand-painted leather door panels that depict the Type 18 and Roland Garros' plane.