Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4
Overview
Manufacturer	Bugatti Automobiles SAS
Production	2005-present (approx. 300 to be produced)
Assembly	Molsheim, Alsace, France
Designer	Hartmut Warkuss, and Jozef Kabaň
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door coupe
Layout	mid-engine, all-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	8.0 L quad-turbocharged W16
Transmission	7-speed DSG sequential manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2710 mm (106.69 in)
Length	4462 mm (175.67 in)
Width	1998 mm (78.66 in)
Height	1204 mm (45.63 in) at normal position
Curb weight	1888 kg (4162.33 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Bugatti EB110

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is a mid-engine sports car produced by Volkswagen AG subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS. It is the quickest accelerating and decelerating street-legal production car in the world, and it was the world's fastest car until it was beaten by the SSC Ultimate Aero TT.

Powered by a Template:Auto PS W16 engine , it is able to achieve an average top speed of Template:Auto km/h . The car reached full production in September 2005, and is handcrafted in a factory Volkswagen built near the former Bugatti headquarters in Château St Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France). It is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm.

History

Development of this vehicle began with the 1999 EB 18.4 "Veyron" concept car. Introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show, it was similar in design and appearance to the final Veyron production car. One major difference was the EB 18.4's use of a W18 engine with three banks of six cylinders. The Veyron's head designer was Hartmut Warkuss with exterior designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen rather than Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign who had handled the three prior Bugatti concepts too.

Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch announced the production Veyron at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show. It was promised to be the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car in history. Instead of the W18, the production model would use a VR6/WR8-style W16 engine. First seen in the 1999 Bentley Hunaudieres concept car, the W16 would get four turbochargers, producing a quoted 1001 horsepower (see engine section for details on the power output). Top speed was promised at Template:Auto kmh, and pricing was announced at €1 million.

Development continued throughout 2001 and the EB 16/4 Veyron was promoted to "advanced concept" status. In late 2001, Bugatti announced that the car, officially called the "Bugatti Veyron 16.4", would go into production in 2003. The car, however, experienced significant problems during development. Achieving the required high-speed stability was difficult - one prototype was destroyed in a crash and another spun out during a public demonstration at the Monterey Historics event in Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Production of the Veyron was delayed pending resolution of these and other issues.

A silver and black pre-production Veyron on display at the 2004 Paris Motor Show.

Piëch retired that year as chairman of the Volkswagen Group and was replaced by Bernd Pischetsrieder. The new chairman promptly sent the Veyron back to the drawing board for major revisions. Neumann was replaced as Bugatti president by Thomas Bscher in December 2003, and substantial modifications were made to the Veyron under the guidance of former VW engineer, Bugatti Engineering head Wolfgang Schreiber.

Each Veyron is being sold for €1,100,000 (net price without taxes), prices vary by exchange rates and local taxes (like value added taxes). Prices for the UK or the US are about over £800,000, or 1.2 million American dollars (net). The production costs of the car are approximately £4 million per vehicle.

As Bugatti and, therefore, Volkswagen are taking such a loss, it has been compared by automotive journalist Jeremy Clarkson to the supersonic jetliner Concorde in that both were huge engineering achievements, but the car will probably, like the plane before it, be discontinued after proving to be an economic failure.

It will be several years before Volkswagen will be able to see if their investment in developing ground-breaking technology has paid off. One key measure is how much (if any) of the technology developed for the Veyron finds use in mass-produced cars.

Official unveiling

A production Veyron at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show where it was unveiled.

The production Veyron was shown for the first time on October 19, 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The official United States launch for the production version occurred at the 2006 Los Angeles International Auto Show in January.

Visual differences between the prototype and production Veyrons are slight, but noticeable marks include the addition of marker lights or reflectors on the front fenders and a more pronounced "dorsal spine" on the hood (reminiscent of the Bugatti Atlantic), especially near the windshield.

Six Veyrons were sold at the 2005 Dubai Motor Show in December, reportedly including the demonstration models used on the stands there. These would be the first reported private sales of the car.

Sales and service

Bugatti originally planned to build 300 Veyrons over five years. In March 2006, Bugatti president Bscher claimed to have 70 firm orders, selling out 14 months of production. The company is reportedly speeding up production in response, with all 70 cars expected to be built in 2006. The December, 2007 issue of Road & Track magazine reports that over 165 of the 300 cars to be produced have been sold and 90 have been delivered to customers.

Potential buyers based in and around the London area can expect VIP treatment, one buyer (a freelance writer Arash Farboud) wrote in a column for Lusso Magazine: "Dominic Lancaster, the head of Jack Barclay Bugatti in London, arranged for a private jet to take my wife and I over to the factory at Molsheim, in the top right hand corner of France."

Maintenance will be possible at Bugatti dealerships but repair service will require a flown-in mechanic, who the company promises will be available 24 hours a day.

Pur Sang special edition

On 10 September 2007 a special version of the Veyron called the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron "Pur Sang" was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The difference from a standard Veyron is the body finishing: the Pur Sang has none. Instead it reveals the Veyrons pure aluminium-carbon fibre body. Pur Sang is French, meaning thoroughbred or pure blood (literally). Production will be limited to 5 cars. The car will be included with high-gloss aluminum wheels with a diamond cut finish.

Specifications

The quad-turbocharged W16 engine used by the Veyron.

The Veyron features a W16 engine—16 cylinders in 4 banks of 4 cylinders, or the equivalent of two narrow-angle V8 engines mated in a "W" configuration. Each cylinder has 4 valves for a total of 64, but the narrow V8 configuration allows two camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only 4 camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 8.0 L (7,993 cc/488 in³) with a square 86 by 86 mm bore and stroke.

Putting this power to the ground is a dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled manual transmission with 7 gear ratios via shifter paddles behind the steering wheel boasting an < 150 ms shift time, designed and manufactured by Ricardo of England. The Veyron can be driven by full automatic transmission. The Veyron also features full-time all-wheel drive based on the Haldex system. It uses special Michelin run-flat tires designed specifically for the Veyron to accommodate the vehicle's top speed. Curb weight is estimated at 1,888 kg (4,160 lb). This gives the car a power to weight ratio of 529 bhp/tonne.

The car's wheelbase is 2,710 mm (106.3 in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.8 in). It measures 1,998 mm (78.7 in) wide and 1,204 mm (47.5 in) tall.

The Veyron's hydraulic spoiler.

The Bugatti Veyron has a total of 10 radiators.

• 3 radiators for the engine cooling system.
• 1 heat exchanger for the air-to-liquid intercoolers.
• 2 for the air conditioning system.
• 1 transmission oil radiator.
• 1 differential oil radiator.
• 1 engine oil radiator.
• 1 hydraulic oil radiator for the spoiler

Performance

The ignition key of Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

According to Volkswagen (and approved by TÜV Süddeutschland) the final production Veyron engine produces Template:Auto kW which is equivalent to 1001 PS (German horsepower). However, the car is advertised as producing "1001 horsepower" in both the US and European markets.

Top speed was initially promised to be 406 km/h (252 mph) but test versions were unstable at that speed, forcing a redesign of the aerodynamics. In May, 2005, a prototype Veyron tested at a Volkswagen track near Wolfsburg, Germany recorded an electronically limited top speed of 400 km/h (249 mph). In October, 2005, Car and Driver magazine's editor Csaba Csere test drove the final production version of the Veyron for the November 2005 issue. This test, at Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track, reached a top speed of 407.5 km/h (253.2 mph). The top speed was verified once again by James May on Top Gear, again at Volkswagen's private test track, when the car hit 407.9 km/h. When getting close to the top speed during the test he said that "the tyres will only last for about fifteen minutes, but it's OK because the fuel runs out in twelve minutes." He also gave an indication of the power requirements, at 249 km/h (155 mph) the Veyron was using approximately 270 BHP (201 kW), but to get to its rated 407 km/h (253 mph) top speed required far more from the engine. Aerodynamic friction or drag is proportional to the square of the speed. That means to cover a a given distance at twice a given speed the engine must do four times the work to cover the the distance at the given speed. Further, by going twice as fast, the engine must do that work in half the time. Therefore, to go twice the given speed requires eight times the power required to go the given speed. German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of Template:Auto km/h during test sessions on the Ehra Lessien test track on April 17, 2007.

The car's everyday top speed is listed at Template:Auto km/h. When the car reaches Template:Auto km/h, hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 8.9 cm (3½ inches). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. This is the "handling mode", in which the wing helps provide 3425 newtons (770 pounds) of downforce, holding the car to the road. The driver must, using a special key (the "Top Speed Key"), toggle the lock to the left of his seat in order to attain the maximum (average) speed of Template:Auto km/h. The key functions only when the vehicle is at a stop when a checklist then establishes whether the car—and its driver—are ready to enable 'top speed' mode. If all systems are go, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers close and the ground clearance, normally 12.5 cm (4.9 inches), drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 inches).

The Veyron is the quickest production car to reach Template:Auto km/h with a proven time of 2.5 seconds. It reaches 60 mph in approximately 2.46 seconds. It also reaches 200 and 300 km/h (124 and 186 mph) in 7.4 and 16.7 seconds respectively. And according to the February 2007 issue of Road & Track Magazine, the Veyron accomplished the quarter mile in 10.2 seconds at a speed of 142.9 mph (230.0 km/h). Other tests, however, have the Veyron hitting 150 mph (240 km/h) in 9.8 seconds (see below), so the quarter mile time is actually faster, making the Veyron the most rapidly accelerating production car in history. It accelerates so quickly that you could let a McLaren F1 (one of the best known fastest production car record holders) reach 120 mph (190 km/h), and then start the Bugatti, and the Veyron would beat the McLaren to 200 mph (320 km/h).

It also consumes more fuel than any other production car, using 40.4 L/100 km (5.82 mpg) in city driving and 24.1 L/100 km (10 mpg) in combined cycle. At full throttle, it uses more than 125 L/100 km (2.1 mpg), which would empty its 100 L (26.4 gallon) fuel tank in just 12 minutes.

The Veyron's brakes use unique cross-drilled and turbine-vented carbon rotors which draw in cooling air to reduce fade. Each caliper has eight titanium pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 g on road tires. Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 g braking from 194 to 50 mph (312 to 80 km/h) without fade. With the car's fearsome acceleration from 50 to 194 mph (80 to 312 km/h), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 124 mph (200 km/h), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55-degree angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing 0.68 g (4.9 m/s²) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback). Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from Template:Auto km/h to a standstill in less than 10 seconds. The braking is also so evenly applied that the car will not deviate from a straight path if the driver lets go of the steering wheel, even with the brakes fully applied starting from close to top speed.

Final numbers

Statistics and specifications

Basic stats
Vehicle	Mid-engine, all-wheel drive 2-door coupe	Base price	€1,127,210 (GB£757,359/US$1,440,800)
Engine	Quad-turbocharged DOHC 64-valve W16	Engine displacement	7993 cc (488.8 in³)
Performance
Top speed	408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) (average)	0-60 mph (97 km/h)	2.46 seconds
0-100 mph (161 km/h)	5.5 seconds	0-150 mph (241 km/h)	9.8 seconds
0-200 mph (322 km/h)	24.2 seconds	0-250 mph (402 km/h)	55 seconds
Standing quarter-mile (402 meters)		10.2 seconds at 143 mph (230 km/h)
Fuel economy
EPA city driving	Template:Mpg	EPA highway driving	Template:Mpg
Top speed fuel economy		Template:Mpg

Critics and comments

Previews

Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1 (which for many years was the fastest production car ever built) said the following about the Bugatti Veyron in UK auto magazine evo during its development period:

The most pointless exercise on the planet has got to be this four-wheel-drive 1000 horsepower Bugatti. I think it’s incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element—top speed, standing kilometre or 0-60. It’s about as narrow minded as you can get as a car designer to pick on one element. It’s like saying we’re going to beat the original Mini because we’re going to make a car 10 mph faster on its top speed—but it's two foot longer and 200 kilos heavier. That’s not car designing—that just reeks of a company who are paranoid.

Murray was impressed with the Veyron after he test drove one, but still apprehensive about it in an article he wrote for Road and Track magazine.

Reviews

After the car had reached production, Murray went on to write an article for another UK auto magazine, Top Gear, retracting a lot of his past criticism of the car.

One really good thing, and I simply never expected this, is that it does change direction. It hardly feels its weight. Driving it on a circuit I expected a sack of cement, but you can really throw it at tight chicanes.

He also declared in the article that: "The braking is phenomenal, the primary ride and body control are good too" and "It's a huge achievement."

The trend of backtracking on negative comments about the Veyron continued when prominent UK car show host Jeremy Clarkson declared on Top Gear that it was "The best car ever made" after initially saying it was ridiculous and would never exist. He would later extend this by saying he would spend the night with British reality TV star Jade Goody (whom Clarkson vehemently dislikes) to get his hands on one.

The Veyron was proclaimed the Top Gear Magazine Car of the Year for 2005 along with the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1.

The Veyron was also declared the Grand Award winner for the Autotech category of 2006 by Popular Science magazine.

References

• Jeremy Clarkson Review Timesonline.co.uk
• Ray Hutton (2005). "Inside Château Bugatti". Car and Driver. 50 (11): 112–118. {{cite journal}}: External link in |title= (help)
• "Bugatti's Veyron back on test track". Auto Week. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |access date= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Csaba Csere (2005). "Bugatti Veyron 16.4". Car and Driver. 51. {{cite journal}}: External link in |title= (help)
• mph Magazine's take on the Veyron
• www.bugattipage.com/ride
• Bugatti Veyron - When pigs fly
• Bugatti Veyron - Technic im Detail (in German)
• Official Specifications by Bugatti
• Bugatti EB Veyron 16.4 on Xelopolis.com
• Bugatti Veyron news
• Castrol sponsored Guinness land speed record attempt
• [2]Speed Record Lost

External links

• Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. Web Site
• Top Gear Bugatti Veyron Test Video