Auto blog
Bugatti opens two new US showrooms with no new cars to sell
Tue, Nov 10 2015Bugatti has opened two new dealerships in the United States. With dealers opening and closing all over the States each and every day, what makes these interesting? Well, the marque sold the last of its Veyron models and has yet to introduce the new Chiron that's expected to replace it. What that means, in short, is that Bugatti and these dealerships are in a holding pattern. But what a glamorous holding pattern it is. The dealerships in question are Bugatti Manhattan and Bugatti Miami. They both form part of larger multi-brand dealerships: Manhattan Motorcars and Braman Motors, respectively. And they are the first to feature the new showroom design penned in Molsheim for Bugatti dealers around the world. The dedicated showrooms promise to offer customers the chance to see a car up close, steep themselves in the lore and history of the brand, and customize their own like they would at the factory in Alsace. Following the New York and Florida dealers, the design is already set to proliferate to new showrooms in Munich, Monaco, and Tokyo in the coming months. The marque currently has 27 dealers in 13 countries around the world. In the case of Manhattan Motorcars, the Bugatti showroom forms just one part of its new location at the corner of 51st Street and 11th Avenue in the neighborhood known as Hell's Kitchen. The area also features dedicated showrooms for Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche – other high-end auto brands which, like Bugatti, fall under the Volkswagen Group umbrella. The dealer, which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary, also handles Rolls-Royce, Koenigsegg, and Lotus. The new five-story complex offers 150,000 square feet of showroom space, of which the Bugatti section takes up less than 1,000. Little wonder, since it has at most one model to display – and currently has none. Related Video: BUGATTI OPENS SHOWROOMS IN MANHATTAN AND MIAMI WITH NEW BRAND DESIGN - The two US dealers are the first in the world to have French super sports car manufacturer's new showroom design - New York dealer also moves to new address in Manhattan - Other global showroom locations with the new brand design are to follow - Bugatti Board of Management Member Stefan Brungs: "The new showroom concept is a fundamental investment in the future of our brand." Molsheim/New York City/Miami, November 6, 2015.
Bugatti Chiron spied on video in tight spot
Thu, Nov 5 2015Pictures are good. Video is better. That's especially true when we're talking about something like the successor to the Bugatti Veyron. Rumored to be called the Chiron, the new vehicle looks to share a lot of its styling with the French company's Vision Gran Turismo car. In this video, captured by our friends at Germany's Auto Bild, you can see a pair of Chiron prototypes. The first gives us a good look at the ultra-hypercar's tail, which doesn't even try to hide its aerodynamic aids, unlike the far cleaner lines of the Veyron. There's a huge diffuser and a prominent rear wing, although neither item is as extreme as the Vision GT car. The taillights also look to be far more conventional, unlike the thin, vehicle-spanning strip shown on the concept. After this quick peek at the rear of the new Bug, the camera pans over to a second prototype exiting an extremely tight situation, as it sneaks between a stone wall and a lumber hauler. It's a small enough gap that the Chiron requires a spotter to get through unscathed, and the slow speed required to safely get through gives us an extra-long look at the new coupe. We can also clearly see the horseshoe-shaped traditional Bugatti grille and slim, menacing headlights with LED running lights. You can also see elements of the Vision Gran Turismo's hood, which still comes to a point around the grille. It's less aggressive – no shock there – but it still gives a purposeful look to the front fascia. Unfortunately, the video ends before we can get a look at the sides of the new Bugatti. Check out the short, 13-second video at the top of the page. News Source: Auto Bild TV via YouTube Spy Photos Bugatti Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance Videos Bugatti Chiron bugatti veyron successor
Bugatti shows how its Vision Gran Turismo became reality
Wed, Oct 7 2015Plenty of automakers have taken part in the Vision Gran Turismo program. But few have foretold the future quite as clearly or as enticingly as Bugatti's. And now it's showing us what went into the process of creating the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo. Unveiled last month at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Molsheim's creation isn't just a stand-alone design that exists only in cyber-space. Even if it isn't actually drivable, the Alsatian automaker is one of just a handful of participating automakers that actually built its design into a full-scale mockup, all curves, sinew, aggressive aero, and purposeful intent done up in French Racing Blue. The concept shows us what the successor to the legendary Veyron could look like. Picture it without all the racetrack-specific appendages - from the proliferate winglets to the various decals - and this could be what the hypercar tipped to be called Chiron will look like. And it looks a lot meaner than the rounded-off Veyron ever did. Related Video:
Matthias Muller officially named VW Group CEO
Fri, Sep 25 2015While the vast number of rumors made it seem like a foregone conclusion, Porsche boss Matthias Muller has officially been named Volkswagen Group CEO to replace the recently resigned Martin Winterkorn. His contract runs through the end of February 2020, and until a replacement is found, Muller also gets to hang onto his old job as chairman of Porsche. At the same time, the VW Group Supervisory Board is announcing a massive structural reorganization across the entire company, with the new management model in place by the beginning of 2016. Contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. The board wants a greater emphasis on brands and regions going forward, and the scale of this shift can be seen in the US. On November 1, VW Group business in the US, Mexico, and Canada is being combined under the leadership of current Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. However contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. Other brands are also seeing some significant changes mechanically. Porsche, Bentley, and Bugatti now fall under the Group's "sportscar and mid-engine toolkit." This means that the brands will start sharing standardized technical parts. A Chief Technical Officer across all of the company's brands will also start working toward future innovations. The new brand-centric view means the end of a group-wide production department. "Going forward, the brands and regions will also have greater independence with regard to production. So it follows that they should also hold the responsibility for these activities," Berthold Huber, interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said in the announcement. In a statement with the press release about his promotion, Muller promised to turn the company around after such an international crisis. He said: "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry." Matthias Muller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group Muller remains Chairman of Porsche AG until a successor has been found Matthias Muller (62) has been appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect.
Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo is the future, now [w/video]
Tue, Sep 15 2015As a gamer, the addition of the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo to the Gran Turismo 6 lineup is fun, but pretty forgettable. The be-winged Bug joins a roster of spectacularly fast virtual metal, for a title that – much as it pains me personally to say this – is more out of date than ever. But the fact that Bugatti built the concept in more than just pixels is the interesting part. That "completion of the Veyron chapter" business indicates that the Vision car might have some bearing on the company's future ultracar plans. From a design perspective, this concept is clearly over the top, though there are elements that would seem reasonable as extrapolated to a production car. The ovoid aperture that encircles each door seems thematically correct, relative to the Veyron, as, of course, does the now-more-pointed horseshoe grille. Bugatti has evoked a kind of Formula One nose with the rest of the fascia, but the aggressively wide and raked light pods may make their way to a future face. As for the Batmobile-meets-Le Mans rear end? Well, some things are better left for the video game. That said, the single-strip rear taillight would be an awfully cool nighttime signature for one of the world's most famous sports cars. Pick out the elements you'd like to see on a Bugatti production car, and tell us about them, in Comments.
Watch VW Group Night kick off the Frankfurt festivities
Mon, Sep 14 2015The Frankfurt Motor Show is Volkswagen's home affair. As a result, the whole of the automaker group makes a big splash, even before the show doors open. We'll be live from the Frankfurt floor starting early tomorrow morning, but tonight we're posted up in the stands at the always-entertaining Volkswagen Group Night. To give you a taste of what it's like to be there, we're going to be shooting some man-on-the-scenes video as the night progresses. Below you'll find videos of all the best that VW Group brands – Audi, Lamborghini, VW, the lot – have to offer, as quick as we can upload them. So, enjoy the Short Cut Videos you see here. And stay tuned as we add more to the tally, below. And, of course, be sure to check in on Autoblog early and often tomorrow, when we bring you official debuts of new production vehicles and concept cars, a ton of new video content, live image galleries, and lots more.Seat Leon Cross Sport Bentley Bentayga Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder Volkswagen Multivan PanAmerican Edition Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept Audi A4 Ducati Monster 1200 R Volkswagen Tiguan Skoda Superb Combi Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe and Cabrio Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Porsche Mission E Concept Volkswagen Group Night Finale Green Frankfurt Motor Show Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Volkswagen SEAT Skoda Videos Original Video Frankfurt 2015
Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo shows post-Veyron future
Mon, Sep 14 2015The 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
Wed, Sep 2 2015Bugatti 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
Mon, Aug 31 2015Bugatti 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
Wed, Aug 26 2015The 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.