After years of applause, celebration, doubt, then ridicule, the first Bugatti Veyron supercar has hit the road as the fastest. Bugatti has little to be embarrassed about, since the 16/4 - first seen on the streets of Monterey in August of 2005- is very similar to the extreme proposals made at the 2001 Frankfurt Auto Show that critics deemed unachievable.
Until recently, the 1000 horsepower, four wheel drive supercar that claimed to reach 250 mph was only an enthusiastic vision, viewed by some as a public relations gimmick from the outset. However, the Veyron has now impressed the critics by achieving a two-way average speed of 252.95mph at parent company Volkswagen's Ehra Lessien test track in Germany. Thus the Veyron prevails over the Koenigsegg CCR's record of 240.8 mph set earlier this year.
The Veyron was first publicly displayed at the respectable Pebble Beach Concours on August 21st. After appearing at select private events, the first two production Veyrons preeminently adorned Pebble's concept car display in front of the Lodge. Earlier in the week, the first grey and blue Veyron - driven by Bugatti head Thomas Berscher - arrived late at the Monterey Jet Center Party and the Quail Motorsports Gathering. Wherever the Veyron was seen, crowd and media response was enthusiastic, allowing the car to steal the spotlight from the exclusive, no-cameras-allowed Ferrari FXX debut.
Comparisons between the Bugatti and the 1998 McLaren F1 are easy to make, as both cars focus on the aspect of exceptional everyday driving. Each sport an expensive list of performance components, however, the Veyron is more elegantly appointed and as a result needs more 'gusto' to make up for its extra bulk.
Within the Veyron, several propulsion systems synchronize in a tight space, making history as the most complicated Bugatti. Under the skin of this sexy supercar is a quad-turbo, sixteen cylinder engine that delivers power to all four wheels through a seven-speed semi-automatic gearbox. The most challenging aspect for Bugatti is to ensure proper aerodynamics and cooling of these systems, two obstacles that have delayed production for nearly three years.
Atelier - a new plant dedicated to production of the Veyron - opens today in Molshiem, France. This is the same location where, in 1910, Ettore Bugatti produced his first car and later built some of the most successful race cars in the country. Bugatti's most prolific design is legendary Type 35, a small open-wheel racer that triumphed, taking thousands of victories in its day. Also included in the list of impressive Bugattis is the Type 41 Royale. Sharing much in common with the modern Veyron, both supercars are the most exuberant of their era.
Cars like the Type 35, Type 41 Royale and Veyron 16/4 make Bugatti an important name in automotive history. After 47 years of production, then a 50 year break and a revival from Volkswagen, Bugatti is back, finally making the scene with the production Veyron
