The speed demon Bugatti Veyron

by shadowfax (08/10/2007 - 09:14)

Guys like fast cars and even faster women. There’s no denying either of those claims. And in the typical pissing contest that is top speed, there can be only one champion. Let us introduce you top the Bugatti Veyron. This bullet of a car is actually faster than an F1 race car. Not only that, but it has a radio, air conditioning and leather seats (optional of course). Oh, did we mention its top speed is 253 miles an hour? Strap yourself in and hang on.

The Bugatti Veyron. 1001 horsepower. Fuck me running! That will launch you from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, and you’ll be blowing past 200 mph in just 13 seconds. Compare that to a Dodge Viper with a paltry 500 hp. Astonishingly the Viper is only nine tenths of a second off on 0 – 60. But it’s all the Veyron’s extra horses that it up to that magical 253 mph, while the turtle-like Viper only manages 190. Yeah, only.

This is the rear air spoiler. It provides down force, which in turn, keeps the car on the ground for cornering and “relatively” high-speed driving. For top speed runs a special key is needed to manually override the wing for maximum aerodynamic efficiency (the car also automatically lowers). It also acts as a parachute brake in emergency “oh shit I need to stop” situations. This isn’t an Acura fiberglass bolt on accessory; it’s the real deal.

This is the interior of the land rocket. Surprisingly plush and refined, it hardly looks like it was made to crack the sound barrier. Around the driver and passenger is a single-piece carbon-fiber monocoque, the same things on every racecar, providing superior crash protection.

Note the top speed on the speedometer to the far right; 260. This is serious business. You know it is when the tachometer is front and center. There really isn’t that much time to admire how fast you are going when you are covering a football field a second.

This is the quad-turbocharged W16 engine. The heart of the beast consists of four banks of four cylinders (two juxtaposed V8 engine blocks), coupled to a single crankshaft. This drives the power to all four wheels. Which, by the way, are specially and specifically designed high-speed tires for the Veyron.

So I want one, and you probably want one now too, eh? So how much will this bad boy set you back? Only about $1,700,000. Gulp. But for that price you ARE the fastest thing on the road, and in many cases the sky too. It provides unadulterated and uninterrupted acceleration from a standing start to maximum speed: a feeling previously known only to jet pilots. Sign us up.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4: The Facts

Engine
Type:	Quad-turbocharged W16
Displacement cu in (cc)	488 (7993)
Power bhp (kw) at RPM:	1001 (736) / 6000
Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM:	923 (1250) / 2200-5500
Redline at RPM:	6500

Brakes and Tires
Brakes F/R	ABS, vented disc / vented disc
Tires F/R	265-680 ZR500A – 365-710 R540A (PAX System)
Driveline:	All wheel drive

Exterior Dimensions and Weight
Length x Width x Height in:	174.2 x 77.9 x 47
Weight lb (kg):	4162 (1888)

Performance
Acceleration 0-62 mph s:	2.5
Top speed mph (km/h)	253 (407)
Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km)	n.a. (24.1)