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New limited-edition Bugatti rumored for Pebble Beach

The Supercar Blog has heard from its VIP sources that Bugatti has a new special-edition offering planned for debut at Pebble Beach. The Molsheim brand enjoys playing to its deep-pocketed crowd at the annual Northern California fest, having introduced the special edition $5.8M Divo there last year, and regularly hosting Grand Tour driving events around the concours. TSB didn't get details on the coming model, but it was told that part of its production run has already been sold. In 2017, ex-Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said the identity of a Chiron successor would need to be answered by this year, after spending 2018 exploring different ideas. Current brand CEO Stephan Winkelmann has spoken broadly about his intention for the automaker and vaguely about what kinds of models could come. He's repeatedly nixed the idea of a Bugatti SUV and said sedans constitute "a segment that is losing momentum," so a four-door wouldn't be worthwhile. And although he has said the brand "still [has] a lot of plans" for the W16 engine, he most recently mentioned a more affordable, electric daily-driver, perhaps something that would sit on a brand new platform. Whatever gets the green light as a second model, its primary task is to increase Bugatti's volume. If a report in Automobile from last September is accurate, we should expect three Chiron-based trims to show before the production run ends: a go-faster SS, a Superleggera, and a targa Aperta. Winkelmann has also said he doesn't want to do an Aperta version of the Chiron; still, we're left with nearly every option open for the rumored debut at Pebble. TSB says Bugatti is working to unveil two new cars per year. The La Voiture Noire was one, the Pebble Beach car could be the second, and there's another rumor of a third car to come at the Grand Tour drive. Just two months away from the event, it's likely we'll start getting glimpses before a reveal on the lawn.

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).

Trial of man whose Bugatti Veyron went in the drink mysteriously delayed [w/video]

The mysterious case of the drowned Bugatti Veyron has taken another turn toward the strange.
Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's bring you up to speed: Andy House, who owns an exotic car repair shop called Performance Auto Sales, crashed his Veyron into a lagoon in Texas after allegedly being distracted by a low-flying pelican... or something. Naturally, House turned a claim into his insurance company for the totaled supercar to the tune of $2.2 million, which is likely more than the car is actually worth.
Shortly thereafter, video surfaced of the crash, with nary a distraction in sight. The next makes-you-go-hmm moment occured when reports surfaced of a new Veyron, along with a pair of Lamborghini coupes and a Porsche 911 GT3, landing in House's garage. The estimated cost of these supercars, according to Jalopnik, is $2.2 million. All of this made Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company's insurance fraud lawsuit in 2011 - two years after the incident - come as little surprise.