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Bugatti Veyron

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Bugatti Veyron
Overview
ManufacturerBugatti Automobiles and Volkswagen Group (parent company)
Production2005–present
AssemblyMolsheim, Alsace, France
DesignerJozef Kaban[1]
Body and chassis
Body styleStandard: 2-door coupé
Variant: targa top
LayoutLongitudinal mid-engine,
permanent all-wheel drive
Powertrain
EngineStandard:
8.0 L W16 quad-turbocharged 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp)[2]
Super Sport:
1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)[3][2]
Transmission7-speed DSG sequential
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,710 mm (106.7 in)
Length4,462 mm (175.7 in)
Width1,998 mm (78.7 in)
Height1,159 mm (45.6 in)
Kerb weight1,888 kg (4,162 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorBugatti EB110

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a rear mid-engined grand touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal car in the world, with a top speed of 431.07 km/h (267.85 mph).[4] The original version has a top speed of 408.00 km/h (253.52 mph).[5]

Designed and developed by the German Volkswagen Group and produced by Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their headquarters in Château St. Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France), the Veyron's chief designer was Hartmut Warkuss, and the exterior was designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen, with much of the engineering work being conducted under the guidance of former Peterbilt engineer and now Bugatti Engineering chief Wolfgang Schreiber.

The car is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company. It was named Car of the Decade (2000–2009) by the BBC television programme Top Gear.

A number of special variants have been produced, including two targa tops.

Specifications and performance

The Veyron's quad-turbocharged W16 engine

The Veyron features an 8.0 litre W16 engine with sixteen cylinders in four banks of four, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines mated in a W configuration. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of sixty four, but the narrow staggered eight configuration allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cubic centimetres (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 by 86 mm (3.4 by 3.4 in) bore and stroke.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport
Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang
Problems playing these files? See media help.

The transmission is a dual-clutch direct-shift gearbox computer-controlled automatic with seven gear ratios, with magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds, by Ricardo of England rather than Borg-Warner, who designed the six speed DSG used in the mainstream Volkswagen Group marques. The Veyron can be driven in either semi- or fully-automatic mode. A replacement transmission for the Veyron costs just over $120,000. It also has permanent four wheel drive using the Haldex Traction system. It uses special Michelin PAX run flat tires, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron's top speed, which reportedly cost $25,000 US per set.[6] The tires can be removed from the rims only in France, a service which reportedly costs $70,000. Curb weight is 2,034.8 kilograms (4,486 lb).[6] This gives the car a power to weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group's 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) figures, of 446.3 metric horsepower (328 kW; 440 bhp) per ton.

The car's wheelbase is 2,710 mm (106.7 in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7 in), width 1,998 mm (78.7 in) and height 1,204 mm (47.4 in).

The Veyron's hydraulic rear spoiler in the extended position

The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators.[7]

  • 3 heat exchangers for the air-to-liquid intercoolers.
  • 3 engine radiators.
  • 1 for the air conditioning system.
  • 1 transmission oil radiator.
  • 1 differential oil radiator.
  • 1 engine oil radiator.

It has a drag coefficient of 0.41 (normal condition) and 0.36 (after lowering to the ground),[8] and a frontal area of 2.07 square metres (22.3 sq ft).[9] This gives it a CdA value of 8.0 sq ft (0.74 m2).

Engine output

According to Volkswagen Group and certified by TÜV Süddeutschland, the final production Veyron engine produces 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) of motive power, and generates 1,250 newton-metres (922 lbf⋅ft) of torque.[2][10] The nominal figure has been stated by Bugatti officials to be conservative, with the real total being 1,020 metric horsepower (750 kW; 1,006 bhp) or more.[6]

Super Sport edition

The Veyron Super Sport features an engine power increase from the standard 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) to 1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp) and torque of 1,500 N⋅m (1,100 lbf⋅ft) and a revised aerodynamic package.[4] It was shown publicly for the first time at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2010.[1]

Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel drove the Super Sport version of the Veyron on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien high-speed oval to establish the car's top speed. With representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) on hand, Raphanel made passes around the big oval in both directions achieving an average maximum speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph).[4] Once produced for sale, the first five Super Sports will sport the same black and orange finish as the first production car, which was used to set the speed record, and all production models will be electronically limited to 415 km/h (258 mph) to protect the tires.[4]

Top speed

The top speed of the original version was verified by James May on Top Gear in November 2006, again at Volkswagen Group's private Ehra-Lessien test track. Jeremy Clarkson, driving a Veyron from Italy to London, noted that at top speed the engine consumes 10,000 imperial gallons (45,000 L) of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days). The Veyron accelerates from 0–62 mph in 2.5 seconds and has the fastest top speed of any street legal car. Once back in the Top Gear studio, James was asked by co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson what the Veyron felt like to drive at 407 km/h (253 mph), May replied that it was "totally undramatic", and very stable at speed. It only wobbled slightly as the air brake moved in the vertical position to slow the car down at lower speeds. [11]

A chrome Veyron in the UK

German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph)[5] during test sessions on the Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005. On 4 July 2010, Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel piloted the Super Sport edition and was clocked at an average of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) on the same track, taking back the title of the fastest production vehicle of all time from the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. The 431.072 km/h mark was reached by averaging the Super Sport's two test runs, the first topping out at 265.96 mph (427.93 km/h) and the second at 269.86 mph (434.20 km/h). The record run was certified by the German government and the Guinness Book of World Records.[12]

The car's everyday top speed is listed at 350 km/h (220 mph). When the car reaches 220 km/h (140 mph), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 9 cm (3.5 in). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. This is the handling mode, in which the wing helps provide 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road.[7] 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 407 km/h (253 mph). 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 shut and the ground clearance, normally 12.5 cm (4.9 in), drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).

Braking

The Veyron's brakes use cross drilled, radially vented carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite discs, manufactured by SGL Carbon, which have a much greater resistance to brake fade when compared with conventional cast iron discs. The lightweight aluminium alloy monobloc brake calipers are made by AP Racing; the fronts have eight[7] titanium pistons and the rear calipers have six pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 g on road tires. As an added safety feature, in the event of brake failure, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) has also been installed on the handbrake.

Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 g braking from 312 km/h (194 mph) to 80 km/h (50 mph) without fade. With the car's acceleration from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 312 km/h (194 mph), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 200 km/h (120 mph), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55° angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing an additional 0.68 g (6.66 m/s2) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback).[7] Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400 km/h (250 mph) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds, though distance covered in this time will be a third of a mile.[7]

Specifications and statistics

Basic stats[2][3]
Layout and body style Mid-engine, four-wheel drive, two-door coupé/targa top Base price €1,225,000 (£1,065,000/$1,700,000)
Super Sport:
€1,912,500 (£1,665,000/$2,700,000)
Internal combustion engine 8.0 litre W16, 64v DOHC quad-turbocharged petrol engine Engine displacement
and max. power 		7,993 cc (487.8 cu in)
1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp)
Super Sport:
1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)
Performance
Top speed 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph) (average)
Super Sport:
431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) (average)
0–100 km/h (0.0–62.1 mph) 2.5 seconds 0–240 km/h (0.0–149.1 mph) 9.8 seconds
0–300 km/h (0.0–186.4 mph)[13] 15 seconds 0–400 km/h (0.0–248.5 mph)[14][15] 50 seconds
Standing quarter-mile (402 m)[15] 10.2 seconds at 230 km/h (142.9 mph)
Fuel economy[16]
EPA city driving 8 miles per US gallon (29 L/100 km; 9.6 mpg‑imp) EPA highway driving 13 miles per US gallon (18 L/100 km; 16 mpg‑imp)
Top speed fuel economy 3 miles per US gallon (78 L/100 km; 3.6 mpg‑imp), or 1.4 US gal (5.3 L; 1.2 imp gal) per minute

Sales figures

First US Bugatti Veyron on display in April 2006

Special versions

Pur Sang
Launched on 11 September 2007 at the Finnish Motor Show the "Pur Sang"[19] (thoroughbred) is a limited run of five cars.[20] They have high-gloss bronze roadwheels with a diamond-cut glass-like finish and a clear body finish revealing the Veyron's Silver-oxide finish carbon fibre body, but are otherwise standard finish.
A Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès
Fbg Par Hermès
A Hermès-themed model: Hermès monogram on the front grille, roadwheels with a single H in the centre, and fuel filler door engraved with Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermès. The interior is done in Hermès leather with internal door handles reminiscent of handles used on Hermès trunks - and a Hermès wallet and Hermès suitcase is included.[21][22]
Sang Noir
A limited run of 15 cars[23] with an all-black exterior colour palette and a bright orange interior.
Bleu Centenaire
A celebratory model unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.[24] for the 100th anniversary of the Bugatti brand. The entire body is painted in a combination of matte and gloss "Bugatti Blue",[25] the mid-section between the two wings on the hood is expanded, and a chrome strip up the middle added.
Grand Sport
A targa top version unveiled at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance[26] on 15 August 2008, with production beginning in spring 2009. The model has extensive reinforcements to compensate for the lack of standard roof,[27] and small changes to the windshield and running lights. There are two removable tops, the second a temporary roof fashioned after an umbrella. The top speed with the hardtop in place is the same as the standard coupé version, but with the roof down is limited to 369 km/h (229 mph)—and to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the temporary soft roof. The first (chassis 001) was sold at auction, raising approximately $900,000 for charity.[28]
Grand Sport Sang Bleu
Blue carbon fibre with polished aluminium, rims inspired by the Grand Sport Roadster highlighted in a Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut two-tone finish.
  • Side view
    Side view
  • Interior
    Interior
  • Rear end
    Rear end
  • Front
    Front
  • Engine
    Engine
Grand Sport Grey Carbon
Exposed carbon fibre with metallic grey and lower portion in polished aluminium.[29]
Super Sport
Improved aerodynamics kit, 1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp) 1,500 newton-metres (1,100 lbf⋅ft)* torque engine upgrade. It has a 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) top speed, making it the fastest road car in production,[3][30][31] although it is electronically limited to 257.91 mph (415.07 km/h) to protect the tires from disintegrating. The first five of an unannounced production run made its debut in a matte black and orange color combination, all of which have been spoken for. The public debut was at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2010. It is valued at £1.7 million and Bugatti have stated that only 30 will be produced.
The Super Sport was featured on Series 15, Episode 5 of Top Gear, where presenter, James May attempted to set the speed record. It managed 259.11 mph (417.00 km/h), briefly setting a new production car speed record. Later in the day though, one of Bugatti's test drivers (Pierre Henri Raphanel) broke May's previous record, claiming it through runs in both directions (May only did one run in one direction) and registering an average top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph). The car then went round the Top Gear Test Track and topped the lap leader board with a 1:16.8 time, beating the 1:17.1 record set previously by the Gumpert Apollo Sport.

Criticisms and comments

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 thousand-horsepower Bugatti. I think it's incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element—top speed or 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 10mph 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...[32]

Murray later brought up and criticized Volkswagen for "scamming" car buyers in the 90s for buying the cheapest parts possible for the production of Jettas and Golfs, allowing Volkswagen to make a larger profit off their car sales, funding the construction of the Bugatti Veyron. However, Murray was impressed with the Veyron's engine and transmission after he test drove one for Road and Track magazine.[33]

Reviews

Top Gear

On Top Gear the car has received considerable praise from all three presenters. While initially skeptical in 2004 that the Veyron would even be produced, Jeremy Clarkson later declared the Veyron "the greatest piece of engineering ever. No, I'm sorry, this is the greatest car ever made and the greatest car we will ever see in our lifetime." James May proclaimed that the Veyron is "our Concorde moment". To review the car, Clarkson drove from Alba, northern Italy to London whilst racing James May and Richard Hammond who were travelling in a Cessna 182 aeroplane.

A few episodes later, James May drove the Veyron at the VW test track and took it to its top speed of 253 mph (407.16 km/h). During the second episode of the 13th season, Richard Hammond raced the Veyron against the McLaren F1 driven by The Stig in a one mile drag race in Abu Dhabi, commenting on Bugatti's "amazing technical achievement" versus the "non gizmo" racing purity of the F1. While the F1 was quicker off the line and remained ahead until both cars were travelling at approximately 200 km/h, the Bugatti overtook its competitor from 200 to 300 km/h, and emerged the victor. Hammond has stated that he did not use the Veyron's launch control in order to make the race more interesting.

The Veyron also won the award for Car of the Decade in Top Gear's end of 2009 award show. Clarkson commented "It was a car that just rewrote the rule book really, an amazing piece of engineering, a genuine Concorde moment". When the standard version was tested, it did not reach the top of the lap time leader board, which was speculated as being due to the car's considerable weight disadvantage against the other cars towards the top. The SuperSport version, however, achieved the fastest ever time of 1:16.8, as well as being taken to a (verified) average top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) by Raphanel on the programme,[34] henceforth retaking its position as the fastest production car in the world.

References

  1. ^ a b "Staff change at Škoda Auto design department" (Press release). Škoda-Auto.com. 10/12/2007. Retrieved 2009-08-29. Jozef Kaban . . . Commissioned by the Volkswagen Group of bummers, he became responsible for developing the design of the Bugatti Veyron in 1999, and then worked in that position from the time of the first sketches until the point of launching mass production. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Csere, Csaba (November 2005). "Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - First Drive Review: The fastest and most expensive production car ever". Car and Driver. When I ask Bugatti development boss Wolfgang Schreiber to explain how the same engine can be rated at 1 SAE net horsepower at 6000 rpm for the U.S. but only 987 horsepower (1001 PS) for Europe, he laughs, saying, "The production engines are all putting out between 1020 and 1040 PS—enough to cover both promises."
  3. ^ a b c "Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport Pictures". DieselStation. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d "Car News and reviews, videos, wallpapers, pictures, free games and more. - Top Speed :: 2011 Bugatti Veyron 1640 Super Sport". Retrieved 8 August 2010. Cite error: The named reference "topspeed" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b bugatti.com: 400 and Beyond
  6. ^ a b c Phillips, John (December 2008). "Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - Road Test: Molsheim Moonshine: It achieves 60 mph in 119 feet. It costs $1.7 million". Car and Driver. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d e Adams, Eric (2006). "Inside a Street-Legal Land Rocket". Popular Science. 269 (6): 73.
  8. ^ "the Bugatti Page: Bugatti Veyron driving experience". Bugattipage.com. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  9. ^ "Telegraph | Picture Gallery | BUGATTI VEYRON". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  10. ^ "2.5 – 7.3 – 16.7 – 55.6". Bugatti.com.
  11. ^ Top Gear Series 9 Episode 2 4 February 2007 (BBCWorldwide, YouTube. Top Gear — Bugatti Veyron top speed test — BBC (14 April 2008))
  12. ^ SpeedTV: Super Bugatti shatters speed record
  13. ^ "Veyron Acceleration: 2.46 – 7.3 – 16.7 – 55.6".
  14. ^ "Bugatti Veyron | Sports Cars". Diseno-art.com. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  15. ^ a b "ROADandTRACK.com — Cover Story — Road Test: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (2/2007)". RoadAndTrack.com. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  16. ^ Gas mileage of 2006 Bugatti Veyron
  17. ^ Automobil Revue, catalogue edition 2006, p. 46
  18. ^ a b Automobil Revue, catalogue edition 2008, p. 47
  19. ^ "The Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron "Pur Sang"". Bugatti.com. 11 October 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  20. ^ "Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang: pure blooded exclusivity". MotorAuthority.com. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  21. ^ "Update: Bugatti adds more combinations for Veyron Fbg par Hermès". MotorAuthority.com. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  22. ^ "Bugatti Veyron Fbg Par Hermès". Sybarites.org. 4 March 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  23. ^ "Update: Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir limited to just 15 cars". MotorAuthority.com. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  24. ^ Geneva 2009: Bleu Centenaire is every bit as special as any other Bugatti Veyron
  25. ^ Kaufmann, Alex (3 March 2009). "Official details: Bugatti Veyron 'Bleu Centenaire' 100th anniversary special". MotorAuthority. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  26. ^ "Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport debuts at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance". LeftLaneNews.com. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  27. ^ "First Drive: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is a temple of Zen". AutoBlog.com. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  28. ^ "Monterey 2008: First Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport auctioned for $3.19 million". AutoBlog.com. 16 August 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
  29. ^ "Bugatti VeyronGrand Sport Grey Carbon". Sybarites.org. 7 March 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  30. ^ "Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport sets land speed record at 267.81 mph!". Autoblog. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  31. ^ "Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport breaks landspeed worldrecord!". Used Cars Centre. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  32. ^ "Selling the Bugatti Veyron", Forbes
  33. ^ "ROADandTRACK.com — Road Tests, Comparison Tests — Technical Analysis: Anatomy of a Supercar (1/2006)". Roadandtrack.com. Retrieved 27 October 2008.
  34. ^ Hudson, Paul (18 October 2010). "Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 1 November 2010. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is officially the world's fastest production car, after reaching 431.072 km/h (267.856mph) at the VW group's Ehra-Lessien test track on July 3. Watched by independent testers and a Guinness Book of Records representative, Bugatti test driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel recorded two runs in opposite directions, reaching 265.905mph and 269.806mph respectively. The new record is an average of the two.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bugatti Veyron.
Preceded by Fastest road-legal production car
(2005-2007)

408.47 km/h (253.81 mph)

Succeeded by
Preceded by Fastest road-legal production car
431.072 km/h (267.856 mph)
(2010-) 		Succeeded by
Incumbent

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