It has a top speed of over 200 miles per hour. It has the equivalent of two V8s mashed together. It won the ‘00s Car of the Decade award from Top Gear. And, it was the first production hypercar in Bugatti’s modern history. We could only be talking about the almighty Veyron, one of the fastest street-legal cars ever produced.
The Veyron ceased production back in 2015 after Bugatti decided to retire it to focus on developing a new nameplate. So, with the ten-year anniversary right around the corner, we figured we’d take a moment to honor its contribution to the world of speed. Let’s talk about why it’s still one of the most impressive machines ever built by human hands.
Origins
The Veyron—and the Bugatti marque as we know it today—has its beginnings in the mind of Ferdinand Piëch, who dreamed of developing an 18-cylinder sports car. In 1997, he was the CEO and chairman of the Volkswagen Group. Before that he had an illustrious career as an engineer. At the time, Piëch had an idea to acquire the rights to a well-known luxury brand under which to release his brainchild, and this would give him the last piece of the puzzle he needed to make his dreams a reality.
As it so happened, the Bugatti brand had been revived for a brief time in the late ‘80s, only to go under once more in 1995 after a worldwide economic downturn. When Piëch heard that the hallowed Bugatti name was up for grabs, he seized his opportunity. Soon after, the work began.
The first modern Bugatti concept was named the EB 118 (EB for “Ettore Bugatti,” and 118 to denote that it would be their first 18-cylinder supercar). The ultimate goal was to create the first car that exceeded 1,000 horsepower.
After a few prototypes, engineers decided to reconfigure it to a 16-cylinder engine, which was designed as two V8s arranged side-by-side in a W shape—thus, the groundbreaking W16 engine was born. The space saved by the motor’s unique profile also allowed the addition of four turbochargers. With the engine layout finally settled on, Bugatti announced the production of the Veyron in 2001, named for Pierre Veyron, a legendary Bugatti development engineer and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Piëch and company knew that it had to be absolutely perfect, and this desire for perfection would delay the release until 2005. It was well worth the wait—finally, the automotive world welcomed Bugatti Veyron 16.4.
Editions
Now that we know the history, let’s look at the different versions of the Veyron through the years.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4
The original and still a force to be reckoned with; even two full decades after its initial development, few vehicles can compete with its sheer power and prowess. The “16.4” references the 16 cylinders and 4 turbochargers rumbling under the bonnet.
The initial goal was to create a car that put out a thousand horsepower, and this goal was summarily met. The OG Veyron has 1,001 PS, or pferdestärke (the metric version of American horsepower), which translates to about 987 hp. With its ungodly engine specs and aerodynamics, it was able to do zero to sixty in just 2.5 seconds.
In designing the Veyron, Bugatti had to basically make many of its components from scratch, taking cues from everything from performance racers of the time to aerospace technology. Everything from the adaptive boost-pressure fuel injection to the high-powered braking system is specially crafted to meet the demands of the Veyron’s ballistic engine, which is capable of operating under a full load continuously.
The Veyron 16.4 also has different ride height adjustments to facilitate different driving conditions. The standard height is used for day-to-day city and highway driving, but if one wishes to drive it at the maximum top speed of 253 miles per hour, a special key must be inserted, which drops the ride height to a scant couple of inches. This also lowers the wing and closes the front diffuser flaps. This can only legally be done at a few special test tracks around the world, and only a handful of people have experienced it.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
In a lot of ways the Grand Sport is the same as the Veyron—same engine, and many of the same technical specifications. However, there are a few key differences, the most obvious being that it features an open-air roadster body style, as opposed to the original closed-cab variant.
As it turns out, creating a convertible that is capable of driving a third of the speed of sound isn’t as simple as just chopping the roof off. Extensive reinforcements to the monocoque and other elements were necessary to ensure that it maintained structural rigidity without compromising performance.
The Grand Sport represented a unique opportunity with its transparent roof. Even with the roof on, drivers were able to enjoy a greater sense of connection to their surroundings, and this became one of the biggest draws for luxury car buyers.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
Is 987 horsepower not enough for you? Well, in 2010, Bugatti released the Super Sport, continuing their long-held tradition of issuing super sport versions of iconic models.
After over a decade back in business, Bugatti was ready to take things to the next level—or, the next next level, if you want to get technical. The Veyron Super Sport has an utterly mind-blowing 1,200 PS, or roughly 1,183 horsepower, thanks to the four larger turbochargers. They allowed it to get up to even scarier top speeds of nearly 270 miles per hour.
The Super Sport is fully a Veyron in its DNA, but it’s still easily recognizable from its counterparts. The stylish hood scoops of the original are done away with and replaced with dual roof ducts to ensure proper cooling and aerodynamics, giving the Super Sport an altogether sleeker side and rear profile that reflects its increased capacity for all-out velocity.
Even before its official release, the Veyron Super Sport set the Guiness World Record for street-legal cars, making it the fastest Bugatti of its era.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse
A couple years later in 2012, Bugatti decided to outdo themselves yet again by issuing a roadster version of the Super Sport. Appropriately, “Vitesse” is the French word for “speed.”
Much like the original Grand Sport, numerous body-strengthening measures were taken to ensure that the Grand Sport Vitesse remained structurally sound despite the lack of a permanent roof. The Vitesse features an exterior made completely of carbon fiber to keep the weight down while guaranteeing driver safety. It also features a newly designed spoiler to keep wind noise down with the top off, and Bugatti brought the air scoops back in a redesigned fashion.
If the Veyron 16.4 represented Bugatti’s return to the forefront of performance design, the Grand Sport Vitesse represented the perfection of their formula.
Legacy
In total, only 450 Bugatti Veyron models were ever produced, including multiple one-off special editions, making it not only one of the fastest, but also one of the rarest cars in the world. After about ten years in the limelight, the Veyron ceased production to make way for the next big thing—the Bugatti Chiron.
Few of us will ever get to drive a Bugatti Veyron ourselves. Fortunately, the thrill of the sixteen-cylinder engine is still alive and well in other models like the W16 Mistral. If you’re ready to experience the most powerful hypercars in the world, contact Braman Bugatti Miami online, or give us a call at (786) 577-5216 to get a quote on your very own custom Bugatti in South Florida.