Straightline
Bugatti
August 17, 2008
So how do you top what is arguably the most impressive road car on the planet, the Bugatti Veyron? Well, you take the top off.
That's exactly what Bugatti did, and then renamed it the Bugatti Veryon 16.4 Grand Sport. As per all Veryons, the Grand Sport is powered by a 1001 hp W16. Sending all that 1-K+1 power to all four wheels is accomplished via a 7-speed DSG. With the top up it has a top speed of 253 mph, and sans top, the maximum velocity is limited to 190 mph. Can you imagine what it must be like doing 190 mph in an open-top car? Yikes!
Only 150 copies will be built, with 50 going to existing Bugatti owners. The car debuted at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, with the proceeds of the first unit being auctioned off going to charity. Price? 1.4 million euros excluding tax. First deliveries are expected in March of 2009.
Full story here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 17, 2008, 7:34 AM
- Categories: Bugatti, Classic Cars, Luxury Cars, Sports Cars
August 8, 2008
Got a hankering to bring back a classic American car brand? All that's needed is $1.5 million to get you started. That will get you all the rights and engineering designs to Packard and a 1998 stillborn V12 prototype. The rest is up to you to get this up and moving forward.
Frankly, I'd love to see the Packard come back to life. Back in the 1920s Packard made some absolutely stunning cars, and was one of the first carmakers to offer a V12, which was called the "Twin-Six."
Packard is also a brand with a number of exquisite styling cues, which visually defined the brand. In the hands of a gifted designer--and a gifted engineering and marketing team--this could really turn into something extraordinary; much as the (neo) Bugatti Veyron has become.
Full story here and here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 8, 2008, 4:00 AM
- Categories: Bugatti, Classic Cars
August 4, 2008
This year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is going to be "A Real Duesy" (the term A Real Duesy came from admirers of the Duesenberg automobile, and was often applied to anything truly exceptional), as Straightline has reported on a number of exciting cars that will be on display. Here's one more: Bugatti will debut their stunning Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, which is a roadster version of of their already stunning Veyron. Only 75 - 80 will be built making each one a true collector's item.
Here's Inside Line's take: Revealed: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
The press release is after the jump.
Continue reading...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 4, 2008, 6:37 AM
- Categories: Bugatti, Classic Cars, Sports Cars
December 14, 2007
As of January 1, 2008 VW is changing their name here to "Volkswagen Group of America." The reason for the name change is to give more attention to the Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini nameplates, which are under VW’s brand umbrella, as well as Volkswagen and Audi.
Full story here.
Here's Inside Line's take: Name Game: Volkswagen of America Gets Rechristened
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- Posted by: Bob Holland December 14, 2007, 8:42 AM
- Categories: Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Volkswagen
October 18, 2007
Hot on the heels of the news of a possible Bugatti Veyron-powered Arnage, now there's news that Bentley may offer an Arnage hybrid by 2010.
This will be an all-new car using an aluminum spaceframe chassis made by Audi, with aluminum body panels. Bentley's Franz-Josef Paefgen stated that the all-new Arnage to be the biggest challenge for Bentley since the 1930s. “This will be a totally independent car...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland October 18, 2007, 7:55 AM
- Categories: Bentley, Bugatti, Green Tech, Hybrids, Luxury Cars
October 17, 2007
The 500 horsepower Bentley Arnage, already a leading candidate for the wretched excess four-wheeler award, is planning to stuff the 987 horsepower W16 powerplant from the Bugatti Veyron into this oh-so-ancient, yet oh-so-capable Arnage chassis.
Well, at least a prototype has been confirmed; no word yet as to whether there will be a production version, but I wouldn't count it out.
Full story here.
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- Posted by: Bob Holland October 17, 2007, 6:23 AM
- Categories: Bentley, Bugatti, Luxury Cars
September 10, 2007
No, this is not 50 Cent's car. This, sir, is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Pur Sang. And, hoo boy, is it ever shiny. Unveiled at the Volkswagen Group's nonstop extravaganza the night before the Frankfurt show began, the Pur Sang nearly blinded several bystanders...
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- Posted by: Daniel Pund September 10, 2007, 1:44 PM
- Categories: Bugatti, Coupes, Frankfurt Auto Show
August 18, 2006
The new US airbag regulations that go into effect next month could force Bugatti out of business. The company is in the process of filing for an exemption.
Snippet: Bugatti told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a letter last month that it would face "substantial economic hardship" from the new rules, which would require it to redesign its only model, the 1,001 horsepower €1m ($1.28m) Veyron. The cost would push up the price of the car 10 per cent and have a "catastrophic" effect on sales, it said...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland August 18, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: Bugatti, Sports Cars
July 3, 2006
The 987bhp 16-cylinder engine Bugatti Veyron posted an astonishing 9.9 second time going from 0 to 100 mph to 0 again, so states Autocar magazine. In doing so it beat a Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycle, an Aston Martin Vantage, and an Ariel Atom. There were 25 cars in this shootout.
Snippet: Not only is the Bugatti faster than the Suzuki, it creates more g-force at maximum acceleration than you’d experience in an F-16 jet fighter at take off or when skydiving...
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- Posted by: Bob Holland July 3, 2006, 12:00 AM
- Categories: Bugatti, Sports Cars
