Turn that bbq back on, pop that
bottle of chamgpagne you've been saving, and strike up a tune because
it's time to celebrate; the king has returned. It's official, the
Bugatti Veyron is once again the fastest car in the world. We should
clarify, a Bugatti Veyron is the fastest car in the world. This isn't your kid brother's Veyron, it's the all new 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, and never has a car more completely lived up to that name.
At Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessian, the same
track where James May forever erased his nickname "Captain Slow",
chief Bugatti Test Driver Pierre Henri Raphanel climbed into the
fastest office on four wheels and headed out onto the 12 mile oval. Guinness World Record officials
were present as the Super Sport headed out onto the course. To set an
official record you have to do a run in each direction, and they take
the average. You have one hour to complete it, and no one can touch the
car. On the first pass the Veyron SS passed at 265.91MPH (427.933km/H).
On the second pass that speed increased to 269.81 MPH(434.211km/H),
for an official average of 267.86MPH (431.072km/H).
The normal Veyron has a 16 cylinder
engine that is fitted with 4 turbos, and makes 1,001hp, a figure immune
to the word, "inadequate." But when we hear "turbo" we think boost.
And when an engine comes from a factory with any amount of boost, our
brain immediately wonders what fun can be had with more boost.
Bugatti says several of its Veyron customers had been wondering the
same thing, so with the current production run coming to an end it
seemed like an appropriate time to answer the question.
This orange and black teleportation
device before you is more than an over-priced boost controller. Bugatti
improved on every piece of the Veyron, the common word being "bigger."
Bigger turbos and intercoolers, larger springs, thicker sway bars and
enlarged front air intakes. The result of their engine-building encore
is 1,200hp and 1,106lb ft. of torque.
I don't know if it'd be cheaper than dynamite, but they should use one
of these the next time they need to demolish a bankrupt casino.
The body is now 100% carbon
fiber, reducing weight significantly. And thanks to its new
flush-mounted air intakes on the roof, it's more slippery too. Not only
can it walk down any production car on the road, it has 1.4g of
lateral grip to juke through corners as well. If the Veyron was a
learjet, this is a MiG.
The original Veyron went 253mph,
a record later beaten by the SSC Ultimate Aero. The SSC did beat the
Veyron, but only by 3mph. Coach used to say "a win is a win" but when
you declare "I'm the fastest car in the world!" and follow that with
"....by 3mph" it leaves the crowd wanting. We reserve our highest
praise for leaders and innovators, not those that stand on the cliff
and say, "You go first and if you make it, I'll jump."
Production for the 2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport will start in the fall, but it will make its first public debut in August at the Concours D' Elegance
in Pebble Beach, CA. The first 5 cars, dubbed "World Record Editions"
will be done in the orange and black you see above. After that
customers can get them however they like. You would expect that a car
costing $2.4 million would give you that choice, but we doubt paint
selection will be "on the house." We're just glad to see that the king
is back, and isn't going out on his laurels.
