Motor Authority - blog Tag: Bugatti

Swiss watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier has released an updated version of its Bugatti Type 370 wristwatch for 2009, after enjoying two years of success including winning an “International Watch of the Year” award back in 2006.

The watch was originally released to celebrate the launch of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 supercar, and was designed so that the driver can see the time without taking their hands of the steering wheel. Only 200 were to be built specifically to accompany the Bugatti Veyron.

As we approach the end of production of the Veyron, Parmigiani Fleurier has released a new edition to mark the end of production of the...

Swiss watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier has released an updated version of its Bugatti Type 370 wristwatch for 2009, after enjoying two years of success including winning an “International Watch of the Year” award back in 2006. The watch was originally released to celebrate the launch of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 supercar, and was designed so that the driver can see the time without taking their hands of the steering wheel. Only 200 were to be built specifically to accompany the Bugatti Veyron. As we approach the end of production of the Veyron, Parmigiani Fleurier has released a new edition to mark the end of production of the actual timepiece. The new series is called the Centenaire and there are just two examples planned for production. Each is crafted from 18-karat rose gold and platinum and etched by engraver Philippe Bodenmann in a process that takes more than 300-hours to complete. The watches also feature calfskin straps furnished by Bugatti's partner Hermes and mark the company's 100th anniversary. This isn’t the only new Bugatti Parmigiani Fleurier has released this year. Along with the recently revealed 2009 Bugatti Galibier 16C the Swiss watchmaker launched a special removable clock that can be carried around by the driver once they have left the car. [Autoblog] Read More

This year is an important one for Bugatti. Not only does 2009 represent the centenary of the legendary marque but it also now marks the unveiling of a super sedan that may constitute the future plans of the company. One hundred years to the month since the company was founded by Ettore Bugatti, we now have our first look at Bugatti’s latest concept: the 2009 Bugatti Galibier 16C.

Speaking previously, Bugatti chief Franz-Josef Paefgen revealed that there are in fact three proposed designs for the next-gen Bugatti. This news mates well with what Bugatti officials told TheCarConnection in July, which is that the Galibier 16C is in fact a...

This year is an important one for Bugatti. Not only does 2009 represent the centenary of the legendary marque but it also now marks the unveiling of a super sedan that may constitute the future plans of the company. One hundred years to the month since the company was founded by Ettore Bugatti, we now have our first look at Bugatti’s latest concept: the 2009 Bugatti Galibier 16C. Speaking previously, Bugatti chief Franz-Josef Paefgen revealed that there are in fact three proposed designs for the next-gen Bugatti. This news mates well with what Bugatti officials told TheCarConnection in July, which is that the Galibier 16C is in fact a design model being shown to clients and dealers. According to a new report, the concept may go into production once the run of Veyron’s have come to an end, expected to be sometime in 2012. The Galibier 16C is constructed from a mix of aluminum and carbon-fiber, which will ensure that it is the lightest car in its class. The body itself is made of polished aluminum and dark blue carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), and LED lights flank each end. Styling is borrowed from the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantique, including the historic model’s hatchback and spine design elements. Inside, there’s space for four and a large wooden dash that is dominated by two centrally mounted dials showing available power and speed. A removable clock manufactured by Switzerland’s Parmigiani also features. Although no technical details have been revealed, the Galibier 16C is thought to feature the Veyron’s 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine and an output of around 800 horsepower, though it does away with the four turbos and replaces them with a two-stage supercharging system. Another key difference is the installation of an 8-speed automatic transmission rather than the Veyron’s advanced dual-clutch unit. A final decision on possible production plans of the Galibier 16C is expected by the spring of 2010. In the meantime, Bugatti has its hands full filling current order lists. The company only has 50 spots left for the Veyron, of which the total build will be 300 units. The Grand Sport model, which is limited to just 150 models, has already received several dozen orders. Read More

The Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir is still one of the most iconic of the limited-edition Veyrons, but today it gets some in-brand competition: the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu.

Just as the Sang Noir followed its name to a black-on-black theme, the Sang Bleu uses blue carbon fiber to invoke its namesake color. Designed as an homage to the marque's heritage during its 100th anniversary celebrations, the Sang Bleu is also far more exclusive than the 15-car Sang Noir run, since it's a one-off exercise.

Accenting the blue carbon fiber is a wide expanse of polished aluminum along each front fender and door. Bugatti calls this approach a 'new...

The Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir is still one of the most iconic of the limited-edition Veyrons, but today it gets some in-brand competition: the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu. Just as the Sang Noir followed its name to a black-on-black theme, the Sang Bleu uses blue carbon fiber to invoke its namesake color. Designed as an homage to the marque's heritage during its 100th anniversary celebrations, the Sang Bleu is also far more exclusive than the 15-car Sang Noir run, since it's a one-off exercise. Accenting the blue carbon fiber is a wide expanse of polished aluminum along each front fender and door. Bugatti calls this approach a 'new dimension of  « Art – Forme – Technique »', the company's core values statement. The alloy wheels are inspired by the rims of the Grand Sport Roadster, and feature a Midnight Blue and Diamond Cut two-tone finish. Inside, the car gets a Pebble Beach-special design, with Gaucho leather trim accenting the exterior's materials. Like all Veryons, the Sang Bleu features a potent 1,001-horsepower W-16 quad-turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive powetrain. It shares the rest of its technical specification with the Grand Sport on which it's based. Stay on the lookout for live shots from Pebble Beach, coming shortly. Until then, enjoy the official studio image gallery below. [Bugatti] Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu Read More

At 253 miles per hour, an eerie calm settles in. The whuffling behind your ears dims its din, the flapping wastegates of four turbochargers are unanimous in their openness, and the ensuring white noise filters out everything but the sound of your own atria defibrillating as you stare at the single burning point of a speedo needle buried deeply in the gauge.

At least, that’s what we think happens at 253 mph. Our drive in the 253-mph-capable Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport didn’t come within 150 mph of that target. I blame a lot of things: the Merritt Parkway traffic, Connecticut police and their Borg humorlessness, but mostly, my... At 253 miles per hour, an eerie calm settles in. The whuffling behind your ears dims its din, the flapping wastegates of four turbochargers are unanimous in their openness, and the ensuring white noise filters out everything but the sound of your own atria defibrillating as you stare at the single burning point of a speedo needle buried deeply in the gauge. At least, that’s what we think happens at 253 mph. Our drive in the 253-mph-capable Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport didn’t come within 150 mph of that target. I blame a lot of things: the Merritt Parkway traffic, Connecticut police and their Borg humorlessness, but mostly, my chicken-shittedness at pushing the envelope in a $2 million, one of a kind, not my car but definitely my insurance, kind of car. Now, if the $1.4 million Veyron 16.4 coupe didn’t do it for you, you’re excused. This Veyron, the $2 million targa Grand Sport, is obviously what you really wanted. In lopping the lid off its almost priceless two-door, Bugatti has at once extended the Veyron’s lifespan (it’s been around simply forever, since 2005 even) and has given the world and the VW Group yet another special way to convince sheiks and Google barons that they need the planet’s most capable and envy-inspiring machine since the Gulfstream IV they turned in last week (on a Gulfstream V, natch). Bugatti—graciously in our words, maybe unwittingly in yours—turned over the keys to Motor Authority for a few hours, and gave us a human in the process too. His name is John Hill, and he’s the man charged with selling Bugattis in the U.S. If you don’t have his phone number, you probably don’t have at least $200 million in your money-market account anymore—and that’s what you need to even apply to own a Veyron. It’s Bugatti’s own poverty line. It’s exclusive as hell and it’s awesome, if you’re into rampant consumerism like we are. From turn one out of the local Bugatti dealer, we realized this is totally a zip code we could really, really grow to love. Hill fired up the silver-painted, buff-leathered Bug for a three-hour tour of the lovely hillsides around Ann Coulter’s neighborhood, which is not like Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood. Sure, they have the trains running around, but instead of King Friday they have a hot little viper queen who favors black cocktail dresses instead of cardigans and venomous satire over innocent jingles. There’s a Pottery Barn too. It’s nice. In case you’re wondering, this ‘hood is Greenwich, Fairfield County, one of the priciest places in the U.S. Sadly, it’s not a place to exercise 987 horsepower to any reasonable degree. There are cops and slow drivers, tourists, New York commuters, lots of train tracks and random school-bus stops, not to mention bajillion-dollar houses set flat up on the shoulder of the road. With this car, on this day, what we could do, gingerly, was take a quick lesson from Hill, promise to return him undamaged to his wife and kids, and punch the Veyron Grand Sport to life when we had good sight lines. Veyron and on…and on…and on You have to plan ahead for moments like those. The enormous potential hidden amidship behind your head—okay, hidden is a strong word, since the proudly-stamped “16.4” manifold covers are laid out there in the open like certain parts of non-neutered dogs—demands constant attention. This is, after all, the fastest roadgoing car on the face of the earth, and difficult to drive fast while also balancing the need for a future career in your head. The specs are revealing. Actually, they’re pretty much car porn. The Veyron Grand Sport cribs the coupe’s unearthly 8.0-liter V-16 engine, its four turbochargers, its all-wheel drive, its seven-speed paddle-shifted transmission, basically stealing all the powertrain thunder it can. Those 987 horsepower let you know right away they’re aware of being handed to a mere lackey, and touching the throttle even gently signals a mood change behind your ears. Laminated glass keeps you safe, just like at the lion cage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but still…you don’t want to tap the glass. If you’re brave, or if you’re on a controlled track with a 767-length runway, or if you’re one of a lucky set of Bugatti owners flown to Europe to drive their cars at 400 kilometers per hour (the “400 Club”—don’t worry, Pat Robertson is okay with it), you can pounce on the 60-mph mark in 2.5 seconds, cruise to 223 mph with the top off, keep going as the car lowers itself for a top-speed run, and proceed past 223 mph if the car doesn’t detect any radical steering or body maneuvers that spell trouble, and if said top is in place. You could also perform your own appendectomy if you’re so brave. Go ahead. We dare you. If you opt for the 253-mph top-end run, you’ll have to have the targa top in place (otherwise, you’ll have to leave it at home and risk the kids using it as a laptop desk, since there’s no storage for it in the car), and you’ll need the special key that permits you to mimic Patrick Stewart at his geek-moistening best when you gesture and intone, “Engage.” Astonishing hardly describes the force of the Bugatti’s will, once you step into the throttle. Hill advises giving Honda Accords a little distance on the parkway before I mash the gas. It’s good advice: I slow to about 25 mph, look for police front and back, and THEN WHOA WE’RE THERE, reading license-plate information (“hey, I see you’re from Fairfield County”) and hoovering up enough road grit to make some homemade sandpaper with neighborhood felon Martha Stewart. Better yet, I discover, are the Bugatti’s big-ass carbon-ceramic brakes. They’ll drop you like an Ali hook, from 60 mph in less time than the accel run, so in theory you could do one of those 0-60-0 mph dashes that are sure to spill some of the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee you got at the last exit. There are no cupholders, you know. Do that three or four times and see if you don’t feel your license being removed from your wallet by the cops, then by the courts. Later you can sit and watch, still shaking, in a tavern parking lot while the Veyron keeps its rear spoiler stuck in the air like a stinkbug as its turbos cool down, and while your frayed nerves reweave themselves. Then, you can head for the Shell station, because the Veyron quaffs premium unleaded at an 8-mpg rate, though you can coax 18 mpg from it in more usual Connecticut driving. Spin class. Ikea runs. You know what we’re talking about. A great pretender After an hour of slingshotting around Greenwich, you’re bound to get tired of the gawks, the stares and the rude questions you get from other drivers (“that’s not really yours, now, is it?”). When I hit my limit, I steered Hill and the magical $2 million superhappyfuntoy back to its temporary home at Miller Motorcars in Greenwich. Drive by sometime, if you’re ready to be unhappy with your station in life. See Bentley Continentals line up like taxicabs at LaGuardia. Listen as the ripe metallic exhaust of Aston Vanquishes shreds the low hum of interest accruing and Presbyterians emerging from their morning cardio workouts. I’m resting more easily, now that the final chance to scrape the Veyron’s front spoiler is past. With one last glance at the Grand Sport’s well-heeled curves, carbon-fiber additions and LED running lights, this MotorAuthority.com mission has become a little more surreal. I’ve just been driving and contemplating owning a $2 million anything that doesn’t come with acreage. After these past few hours, there’s little doubt that the Veyron is an exquisite bauble for the very thinnest levels of the social atmosphere—the place where a Honda Civic-sized two-seater with no luggage space but the ultimate bloodline is a third, or fourth, or sixteenth car. It all comes into focus in a small black patch on the transmission tunnel—the heart of the Veyron. It’s a space for a cell phone that does some very un-Honda-like things. Plug in your Blackberry and your Veyron is connected to the world of Bugatti. Turn off the key and it transmits an unseen string of code to Bugatti headquarters, relating how far you’ve just driven, at what speeds, where you are in the world, and if there’s any detectable way to measure the slightest thing going wrong with your Veyron. If there is an issue, it gives you the equivalent of a millionaire lifeline: your own personal Bugatti representative calls you to arrange for a service appointment. It’s all very 2001: A Space Odyssey, if HAL had French and Italian parents and acted more like the butler on The Nanny instead of creeping us right out. For now, and maybe forever, the Veyron and Grand Sport are the ultimate cars. Period. It’s hard to imagine any car company attempting a run on the Veyron’s shattering performance or nearing its regal sticker price. We hear Bugatti soon will show some of its best clients and dealers a new four-door car that uses Veyron basics to breed a world-uplifting sedan so far beyond the pale, that Bentley Arnages and Rolls Phantoms and, indeed, Porsche Panameras, will weep oil spontaneously in observance. What will today’s Bugatti owner think of that? Probably—and we’re guessing here—“we’ll need another garage.”2009 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport in CannesBugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport roadster in Napa ValleyBugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport in Connecticut Read More

It's the most powerful passenger car on the planet. Also, one of the fastest. And the most likely to bankrupt small South American nations forced to decide between it and, say, a military.

It's the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Or, rather, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, the targa-topped version of the singular two-seat coupe that's been around since 2005 with its 987-horsepower, quad-turbocharged, W-16 engine, dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.

It's also the most expensive car ever tested by the scribes here at MotorAuthority. We had the special opportunity last week to drive the Grand Sport, in advance of a special edition to come at the... It's the most powerful passenger car on the planet. Also, one of the fastest. And the most likely to bankrupt small South American nations forced to decide between it and, say, a military. It's the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Or, rather, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, the targa-topped version of the singular two-seat coupe that's been around since 2005 with its 987-horsepower, quad-turbocharged, W-16 engine, dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. It's also the most expensive car ever tested by the scribes here at MotorAuthority. We had the special opportunity last week to drive the Grand Sport, in advance of a special edition to come at the Pebble Beach Concours. Bugatti's U.S. sales arm provided us with a silver example for three hours in Greenwich, Connecticut, along with their U.S. marketing manager John Hill and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teleport past Honda Accords on the Merritt Parkway. Today, we're bringing you our exclusive photos from our three-hour tour, brought to you in conjunction with our partners over at TheCarConnection.com. Tomorrow, we'll have a full MotorAuthority.com test drive, and later this month we'll bring you the latest photos of the new Grand Sport from the Pebble Beach Concours. Then, in September, Bugatti will be showing a new concept--a secret project car that's meant for clients' and dealers' eyes only. That concept won't be coming to the Frankfurt auto show as other sites have reported, but we'll be glued to the Web in case cell phone pics or video leak out. We're also planning on a special trip to Molsheim for the 100th anniversary of the Bugatti brand. Until then, take in these high-res Veyron photos from our drive, catch TCC editor Marty Padgett on the Fox Car Report, and come back tomorrow for our first road test of the Veyron Grand Sport: A real show of power: the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport carries the same 987-horsepower, 950-pound-feet, quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W-16 engine as the Veyron coupe, but adds a removable targa top and carbon-fiber doors and reinforcements. At 176 inches long, with a wheelbase of about 107 inches, the $2 million Veyron Grand Sport is almost exactly the same size as a Honda Civic sedan--not that you'll miss the extra seats. The Grand Sport's timeless lines hide the barest of cargo space, along with an umbrella-like roof in the trunk that spares the cockpit when you leave the 40-pound targa panel behind. Aluminum and carbon fiber body parts notwithstanding, the Grand Sport weighs in at a hefty 4387 pounds. Want to go really, really, really fast? Like, a regional jet on approach? Engage the Veyron's top speed mode with a special key and the car lowers itself for a 253-mph run. Beyond 233 mph, the car's computers decide if conditions are right for an attempt. The thrilling numbers to that point? A 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds, a braking time from 60 mph in less than that, and a 5-second 0-60-0 mph elapsed time. Buy a Veyron and you're in a select group. You'll need $450,000 to guarantee your place in line; another $450,000 comes due when the factory begins building your car. The balance is due prior to delivery. Bugatti will build 150 Grand Sports in all; the first 50 were offered to current Bugatti owners and 30 have already placed their orders. Owners can customize their Veyron in any imaginable way, and some Middle Eastern clients have come up with some "creative" choices, says U.S. marketing manager John Hill. Back to the future? Massive side blades and air intakes predict the shapes seen on the Veyron's corporate cousin, the Audi R8. Carbon-ceramic brakes hide behind huge polished 19-inch wheels and "Bugatti"-stamped calipers. Quadrophenia: the four turbochargers on the Veyron's W-16 engine suck air and slam wastegates in a unique chorale you'll never forget. Showy elements abound on the Veyron, like the exposed engine hung out behind the cockpit and seats. An automatic spoiler deploys at 137 mph to generate downforce, which helps the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport stay glued to the track to its 253-mph speed limit (it's 224 mph when the targa panel is removed). After a long run at speed, the Veyron's spoiler will stay in its "up" position until the massive 16-cylinder engine has cooled. Bugatti details are sculptural, down to the milled finished on the completely hidden gas tank (not shown here). Fuel economy ranges from 8 mpg city to 14 mpg on the highway, by European specs. Bugatti's Hill promises he's seen 18 mpg on the highway; our mind-blowing runs on the Merritt Parkway pushed his numbers forcefully down, according to the Grand Sport's instant-economy gauge. Premium only, please--fuel as well as clients. The Grand Sport's interior is snug for two adults--and there's no room at all for luggage except for a minimal space under the front hood. The cockpit has a special place for cell phones on the tunnel, and it's a key part of the car's function. The Veyron sends a stream of data each time it shuts down, alerting the company to speeds driven, mileage, any technical problems, and the car's location. Owners can opt out of the location service if they wish. There's no typical navigation screen in the Grand Sport: both a rearview camera and the navigation instructions are displayed in the car's rearview mirror, leaving the lovely elliptical center stack to dazzle with a milled finish and a real sense of tradition.2009 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport in CannesBugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport roadster in Napa ValleyBugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport in Connecticut Read More

Few cars carry as much prominence as the Bugatti Veyron, famous for its ultra-high price tag, striking looks and other-worldly speeds, but there will always be demanding customers wanting more. For them, Bugatti is offering an even more exclusive ‘roofless’ version labeled the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which recently entered production at the company’s high-tech assembly facility in Molsheim, France.

To mark the production start of the new model, which will be limited to 150 units, Bugatti hosted a special day for enlisted buyers to test drive some pre-production versions at Cannes, in northern France in May and now that... Few cars carry as much prominence as the Bugatti Veyron, famous for its ultra-high price tag, striking looks and other-worldly speeds, but there will always be demanding customers wanting more. For them, Bugatti is offering an even more exclusive ‘roofless’ version labeled the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which recently entered production at the company’s high-tech assembly facility in Molsheim, France. To mark the production start of the new model, which will be limited to 150 units, Bugatti hosted a special day for enlisted buyers to test drive some pre-production versions at Cannes, in northern France in May and now that production is fully underway, Bugatti decided a tour of the countryside was in order. The new photos show the car touring the vineyard-draped hillsides of Napa Valley. Close-ups reveal some of the details both inside and out, while the car's white paint contrasted against the dark interior does a great job of highlighting the Grand Sport's topless nature. We’ve been following the car for some time now as it first appeared on the auto scene last August at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The very first build slot for the car, incidentally, was auctioned off at the Pebble Beach event to a wealthy buyer who paid $2.9 million for the privilege. The other 149 cars are priced at €1.4 million (approximately $2 million), but the first 50 cars have already been reserved for registered Bugatti customers. Despite being labeled a roadster, the Grand Sport actually features a removable targa style roof that must be stored away manually before setting off for a drive. According to Bugatti’s communication chief, Georges Keller, the roofless targa option was the only one available because there was no other solution which could fit with the Veyron’s safety cage. Most low-volume supercars use targa panels because of the low cost of development and to retain the structural integrity of the chassis. With the roof in place, the Grand Sport will reach speeds of up to 252mph (407km/h) just like the hard-top. Speeds of up to 224mph (360km/h) are possible with the roof stowed away, which will ensure the Grand Sport remains the world’s fastest roadster for some time to come. For the full details check out our previous story by clicking here. Furthermore, Bugatti has previously released a number of special edition Veyrons, including the Pur Sang, the Sang Noir, the Pegaso, and the Fbg par Hermès.Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport2009 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport in CannesBugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport roadster in Napa Valley Read More