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| 2012 Bugatti Veyrons |
These incredible stats are made possible by the 2011 Bugatti Veyron’s 8-liter W16 engine, equipped with four turbo chargers that send 1,001 horsepower to all four wheels. With enormous amounts of torque, the Veyron Grand Sport can reach 62 mph (100 kph) in just 2.5 seconds. One of the challenges the Bugatti engineers faced was keeping the Veyron rigid and lightweight with the removal of the roof. The monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel, with additional carbon fiber support for the B-pillars. The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fiber as well and feature an integrated longitudinal beam. The two air intakes for the 16-cylinder engine feature wider carbon fiber elements to offer protection should the car roll.
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| 2011 Bugatti Veyron |
Also unique to the Grand Sport is a rather special umbrella design for use if the driver is caught by unexpected rain. Inspired by a photo of an older Bugatti driving in the rain with the passenger holding a large umbrella, the Grand Sport comes with an umbrella that unfolds to fit the exact shape of the hard top. Even with the umbrella latched in place, the Grand Sport can still move at 85 mph.
All that performance and exclusivity comes at a high price. The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be priced at 1.4 million euros (just over $2 million) when it becomes available next March. For that one buyer who needed to be first on the list, the right to the first Veyron Grand Sport was auctioned at the Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company. With the amount over the asking price going to charity, the winning bid for the new Grand Sport was $3.19 million.
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| 2011 Bugatti Veyron |
Every detail of this car, and not just its use of advanced motorsport technology, harks back to the pioneering spirit of company founder Ettore Bugatti. This brilliant designer came from a family of artists, and his philosophy was always to combine mechanical perfection and exterior beauty. This ethos remains alive and well at the company, and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is wholly unmistakeable, with every external modification serving to coax greater performance from the car.
The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport's flat, elongated silhouette is immediately recognisable. The 16-cylinder engine gets its air from two NACA ducts integrated into the roof, rather than from scoops above the engine. The front air intakes have been expanded and reshaped, with the lower one extending elegantly around the sides to the wheel arch. The revised back looks sportier due to the double diffuser and a centrally arranged exhaust system. Bugatti has a tradition of making super-sport versions of successful models, usually with racing chassis and supercharged engines. These cars were considered as true racing machines for diehard Bugatti devotees.
