Bugatti Veyron 16.4 2008 on 2040-cars

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Original Bugatti Veyron concept to be displayed for first time since 1999

With all of the special editions and differing variants of the Bugatti Veyron being produced year after year, perhaps now is a good time to reflect back on the machine that started it all. Bugatti has announced that it will put the original EB 18/4 Veyron design study on display at the Salon Rétromobile in Paris. This is the first time the concept car will be publicly shown since it debuted at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show.
Taking a new look at the images of Bugatti's seminal Veyron in concept form reminds us how closely the boutique automaker followed its initial design when crafting the 1,001-horsepower production model in 2005. Have a look for yourself in the high-res image gallery above, and feel free to compare that car's sensuous curves with the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, an updated topless model with 1,200 horsepower and a 255-mile-per-hour top speed.

Is a wrecked Bugatti worth $250k?

When a Bugatti Veyron crashed on a highway in Austria a few months ago, insurance company AXA estimated the cost of repairs at upwards of $800,000. Of course, there were worries that even after all the repairs the car may never drive quite the same. So rather than try, the insurance company evidently wrote it off and paid the owner the insured value of the car. But now it's got the wrecked Bugatti on its hands, and is looking to offload it.
This early model, built in 2008, has the original version's 987-horsepower 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16 engine, a fixed roof and a blue and black livery - unlike some more recent examples that have adopted a removable roof panel, employed a more powerful 1,184-hp engine and moved away from the original two-tone paint schemes. It's got nearly 20,000 miles on the odometer and would still require the better part of a million bucks to get it running again... at which point it could be worth more in spare parts, which surely don't come cheap from the manufacturer in Molsheim.
Alternatively, with bidding currently hovering around a quarter million, you could just get yourself a brand spankin' new Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Huracán or McLaren 650S and actually get to drive it without spending eight hundred grand on repairs. But if you were looking to pick up a Veyron on the cheap, regardless of condition, this could be your chance.

Bugatti Dynamic Driving Experience

Let's say you're rich. Filthy rich - you've got cars in garages of homes you can't remember you own, rich.
As the gap between automotive haves and have-nots continues to grow, ultraluxury automakers are exploiting fresh ways to lure the sorts of well-heeled car aficionados who would rather spend their spare time shipping exotic sleds to private tracks than sitting on a beach in the Maldives.
This rarified air presents a daunting challenge to boutique carmakers attempting to distinguish themselves, especially when they're vying for attention amidst voluptuous Paganis, Koenigseggs, and Brabus G63 AMG 6x6s. When the stakes are this high and the competition this fierce, you need a novel approach to peddle your four-wheeled wares - even if you're Bugatti.