Thursday, September 8, 2011

Pros and Cons of Owning a Bugatti Veyron (UPDATE: 2011 Super Sport)

Of course, I haven't the slightest idea what it would be like to own such a magnificent vehicle, nor will I ever in my lifetime. BUT! I did a post on this back in 2009 and I wanted to bring it back with updates! After all, they have released the Super Sport edition (SS .. Maybe didn't sound too good, coming from a German car company. Super Sport sounds much better), so why not sing it's praises again?! I love love love this car, oh so much! Other cars have tried to replace it, but it can't be done! Bugatti comes back stronger, faster, and better every year, without fail.. Onward!
Cons: 
Price $2.7 million
City: 8mpg
Highway: 13mpg
$15,000 per year to insure
Tires $36,000 per set
$102,000 to change them, and only in France
Electronically limited to 258 mph, to protect the tires (like 10 miles will help you that much..)
Pros:
1200 horsepower
268 mph top speed
0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds (!!!!)
16 cylinder engine (equivilant to two (2) V8 engines)
Four (4) turbo-chargers
7-Speed DSG transmission
Permanent all-wheel drive
10 radiators
Highest top speed of any "street legal production" car
Radio, cd player, a/c and heating.. just like a regular car!
Brakes?
Made of carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide composite discs. ABS (anti-lock) is also on the handbrake. Claimed to brake from 250 mph to standstill in 10 seconds. But it takes a third of a mile to reach standstill.
Top Speed?
Hydraulics lower the car to 9cm above the road to hold it closer to the ground once the car reaches 140 mph, while the spoiler deploys providing down-force. To reach top speed, a key on the drivers seat must be turned, then the car decides whether the car and the driver are ready to attempt the top speed. At this point, the rear spoiler goes back in, and then the ground clearance drops to 6.5 cm.

Top Gear praise:
At top speed, it was "totally undramatic" only noting a small wobble when the air brake moved into the vertical position to help slow the car down.
Named "car of the decade" in 2009.
"the greatest piece of engineering ever. No, I'm sorry, this is the greatest car ever made and the greatest we will ever see in our lifetime."
"On a  recent drive across Europe I desperately wanted to reach the top speed, but I ran out of road when the needle hit 240 mph. Where, astonishingly, it felt planted. Totally and utterly rock steady. It felt sublime."
"Utterly, stunningly, mind blowingly, jaw droppingly brilliant." - Jeremy Clarkson in his 2005 review for The Times. (My words are nowhere near witty or clever enough to relay this information. Please do head over to his review, Jeremy has such a way with words..)
Video of James May's first top-speed run with the Veyron back in 2006
Video of Super Sport run with James May (January 2011?)

But, wait! There's more! Bonus Top Gear video of Jeremy Clarkson driving a Relient Robin around .. Hilarity will ensue..



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