Veyron Mini test: The Bugatti Veyron is £1million worth of muscle

[Bartek S.]

Mind-blowing: Sophisticated aerodynamics ensure the car doesn't actually take off. Powerful brakes make it stop even faster than it accelerates


Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Price: about £1 million



THE GOOD

• I travelled to Bugatti's headquarters and factory in Molsheim in Alsace, France, for a taste of unrivalled engineering in this ultimate two-seater sports car.
• This is the fastest production car of all time. It is, simply, the height of automotive technology.
• In motion it sounds like a jet aircraft. Sophisticated aerodynamics ensure the car doesn't actually take off.
• Mind-blowing statistics — the top speed of this two-tonne car is 253mph. It accelerates from rest to 62mph in 2.5 sec, up to 125mph in 7.3 sec and 180mph in 16.7 sec. It covers a quarter-mile in 9.8sec.
• It uses the same launch control technology as Formula 1 cars, with 50 per cent more power than a Ferrari Enzo and twice the pulling power.
• The powerful carbon, ceramic and titanium brakes make it stop even faster than it accelerates — slowing from 62mph to rest in just 2.3 sec.
• The awesome W16 cylinder engine with eight-litre capacity and 3,700 parts has 1,001 hp — more than ten Ford Fiestas.
• The seven-speed manual and automatic gearbox alone costs more than a Porsche 911. In automatic mode you can tootle happily around town. And then you can switch to manual for some real fun.
• Only 300 of these are to be built — of which 250 have been sold and 185 delivered.
• Five special-edition 'Pur Sang' versions have already sold out.
• You will get attention, especially from females. To paraphrase comedian Mrs Merton: ' What was it that first attracted you to the billionaire Bugatti driver?'
• My co-driver — former F1 and Le Mans racing driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel — felt comfortable enough with my driving to suggest I take an unscheduled twisty mountain road route. Wow. Fantastic handling.
• It's hand-built in a small boutique factory in Molsheim — in the grounds of Bugatti's original chateau. Quality control is high — only three or four in 50 windscreens pass muster to be used in the car.
• Seeing the car being built and stripped bare, you realise the engineering is more Nasa than Nissan. The vast engine and complex cooling piping is certainly rocket technology.
• The new open-topped version, the Veyron Grand Sport, will do 253mph with the hood in place, and 217mph with the top down.

THE BAD

• You will need to be among the mega-rich to buy one.
• It's a snug fit for the broader of beam, making the seatbelt difficult to slot in. But Bugatti do have the option of wider seats to overcome this.
• Beware in heavy rain. The slick tyres mean at high speeds your car could aquaplane.
• The position of the side mirrors and the thick front windscreen pillars have shown up a blind spot. Bugatti are aware of this and are moving the mirrors.
• There's space in the front boot for a toothbrush and credit card — not much else.
• Abysmal fuel economy of around ten miles to the gallon and CO2 emissions averaging a mammoth 574g/km — more than five Toyota Priuses. Around town that increases to 960g/km.

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