Jeremy Clarkson
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From The Sunday Times
November 27, 2005
Bugatti Veyron
Utterly, stunningly, jaw droppingly brilliant
When you push a car past 180mph, the world starts to get awfully fizzy and a little bit frightening. When you go past 200mph it actually becomes blurred. Almost like you’re trapped in an early Queen pop video. At this sort of speed the tyres and the suspension are reacting to events that happened some time ago, and they have not finished reacting before they’re being asked to do something else. The result is a terrifying vibration that rattles your optical nerves, causing double vision. This is not good when you’re covering 300ft a second.
Happily, stopping distances become irrelevant because you won’t see the obstacle in the first place. By the time you know it was there, you’ll have gone through the windscreen, through the Pearly Gates and be half way across God’s breakfast table.
It has always been thus. When Louis Rigolly broke the 100mph barrier in his Gobron in 1904, the vibration would have been terrifying. And I dare say that driving an E-type at 150mph in 1966 must have been a bit sporty as well.
But once you go past 200mph it isn’t just the suspension and the tyres you have to worry about. The biggest problem is the air. At 100mph it’s relaxed. At 150mph it’s a breeze. But at 200mph it has sufficient power to lift an 800,000lb jumbo jet off the ground. A 200mph gust of wind is strong enough to knock down an entire city. So getting a car to behave itself in conditions like these is tough.
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At 200mph you can feel the front of the car getting light as it starts to lift. As a result you start to lose your steering, so you aren’t even able to steer round whatever it is you can’t see because of the vibrations. Make no mistake, 200mph is at the limit of what man can do right now. Which is why the new Bugatti Veyron is worthy of some industrial strength genuflection. Because it can do 252mph. And that’s just mad — 252mph means that in straight and level flight this car is as near as makes no difference as fast as a Hawker Hurricane.
You might point out at this juncture that the McLaren F1 could top 240mph, but at that speed it was pretty much out of control. And anyway it really isn’t in the same league as the Bugatti. In a drag race you could let the McLaren get to 120mph before setting off in the Veyron. And you’d still get to 200mph first. The Bugatti is way, way faster than anything else the roads have seen.
Of course, at £810,000, it is also jolly expensive, but when you look at the history of its development you’ll discover it’s rather more than just a car . . .
It all started when Ferdinand Piëch, the swivel-eyed former boss of Volkswagen, bought Bugatti and had someone design a concept car. “This,” he said, “is what the next Bugatti will look like.” And then, without consulting anyone, he went on. “And it vill have an engine that develops 1000 horsepower and it vill be capable of 400kph.”
His engineers were horrified. But they set to work anyway, mating two Audi V8s to create an 8 litre W16. Which was then garnished with four turbochargers. Needless to say, the end result produced about as much power as the earth’s core, which is fine. But somehow the giant had to be cooled, which is why the Veyron has no engine cover and why it has 10 — count them — 10 radiators. Then things got tricky because the power had to be harnessed.
For this, VW went to Ricardo, a British company that makes gearboxes for various Formula One teams.
“God, it was hard,” said one of the engineers I know vaguely. “The gearbox in an F1 car only has to last a few hours. Volkswagen wanted the Veyron’s to last 10 or 20 years. And remember, the Bugatti is a damn sight more powerful than any F1 car.”
The result, a seven-speed double-clutch flappy paddle affair, took a team of 50 engineers five years to perfect.
With this done, the Veyron was shipped to Sauber’s F1 wind tunnel where it quickly became apparent that while the magic 1000bhp figure had been achieved, they were miles off the target top speed of 400kph (248mph). The body of the car just wasn't aerodynamic enough, and Volkswagen wouldn’t let them change the basic shape to get round the problem.
The bods at Sauber threw up their hands, saying they only had experience of aerodynamics up to maybe 360kph, which is the effective top speed in Formula One. Beyond this point Bugatti was on its own.
Somehow they had to find an extra 30kph, and there was no point in looking to the engine for answers because each extra 1kph increase in speed requires an extra 8bhp from the power plant. An extra 30kph then would need an extra 240bhp. That was not possible.
The extra speed had to come from changing small things on the body. They started by fitting smaller door mirrors, which upped the top speed a bit but at too high a price. It turned out that the bigger ones had been keeping the nose of the car on the ground. Without them the stability was gone.
In other words, the door mirrors were generating downforce. That gives you an idea of how much of a bastard the air can be at this speed.
After some public failures, fires and accidents, and one chief being fired, they hit on the idea of a car that automatically changes shape depending on what speed you’re going.
At 137mph, the nose of the car is lowered by 2in and the big rear spoiler slides into the slipstream. The effect is profound. You can feel the back of the car being pressed into the road.
However, with the spoiler in place the drag is so great you’re limited to just 231mph. To go faster than that you have to stop and insert your ignition key in a slot on the floor. This lowers the whole car still further and locks the big back wing down. Now you have reduced downforce, which means you won’t be going round any corners, but you have a clean shape. And that means you can top 400kph. That’s 370ft a second.
You might want to ponder that for a moment. Covering the length of a football pitch, in a second, in a car. And then you might want to think about the braking system. A VW Polo will generate 0.6g if you stamp on the middle pedal hard. You get that from the air brake alone on a Veyron. Factor in the carbon ceramic discs and you will pull up from 250mph in just 10sec. Sounds good, but in those 10sec you’ll have covered a third of a mile. That’s five football pitches to stop.
I didn’t care. On a recent drive across Europe I desperately wanted to reach the top speed but I ran out of road when the needle hit 240mph. Where, astonishingly, it felt planted. Totally and utterly rock steady. It felt sublime.
Not quiet, though. The engine sounds like Victorian plumbing — it looks like Victorian plumbing as well, to be honest — and the roar from the tyres was biblical. But it still felt brilliant. Utterly, stunningly, mind blowingly, jaw droppingly brilliant.
And then I reached the Alps where, unbelievably, it got better. I expected this road rocket to be absolutely useless in the bends but it felt like a big Lotus Elise.
Occasionally, if I accelerated hard in a tight corner, it behaved strangely as the four-wheel-drive system decided which axle would be best equipped to deal with the wave of power. I won’t say it’s a nasty feel or dangerous. Just weird, in the same way that the duck-billed platypus is weird.
You learn to raise an eyebrow at what’s only a foible, and then, as the road straightens out, steady yourself for Prince Albert’s boiler to gird its loins and play havoc with the space-time continuum. No, really, you come round a bend, see what appears to be miles and miles of dead straight road, bury your foot in the carpet and with a big asthmatic wheeze, bang, you’re instantly at the next bend, with your eyebrow raised again.
From behind the wheel of a Veyron, France is the size of a small coconut. I cannot tell you how fast I crossed it the other day. Because you simply wouldn’t believe me. I also cannot tell you how good this car is. I just don’t have the vocabulary. I just end up stammering and dribbling and talking wide-eyed nonsense. And everyone thinks I’m on drugs.
This car cannot be judged in the same way that we judge other cars. It meets drive-by noise and emission regulations and it can be driven by someone whose only qualification is an ability to reverse round corners and do an emergency stop. So technically it is a car. And yet it just isn’t.
Other cars are small guesthouses on the front at Brighton and the Bugatti is the Burj Al Arab. It makes even the Enzo and the Porsche Carrera GT feel slow and pointless. It is a triumph for lunacy over common sense, a triumph for man over nature and a triumph for Volkswagen over absolutely every other car maker in the world.
VITAL STATISTICS
Model Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Engine 7993cc, 16 cylinders in a W
Power 1001bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque 922 lb ft @ 2200rpm
Transmission 7-speed DSG, manual and auto
Fuel 11.7mpg (combined)
CO2 574g/km
Acceleration 0-62mph: 2.5sec
Top speed 253mph
Price £810,345
Rating Five stars
Verdict Deserves 12 stars. Simply as good — and as fast — as
it gets
This is quite simply the best car ever made. Not only is it amazingly fast, but it has a comfertable, leather interior, its well built, it handles well, and its the most powerfull car on the planet. put it this way, if youve just taken delivery of say, a Zonda, then you shall have to kill yourself.
Andrew, Glasgow, ?
Sorry to be a geek, but i just have to point out that this article is wrong. The 16.4litre W12 produces 1001PS. This is equivalent to 987bhp, not 1001.
Once again I apologise for my nerdyness, but i study Mechanical Engineering and it's what we do.
Robert, Southampton,
Dear Jeremy... you drove your powerboat up the Thames on TG. You would have experienced fluid dynamics in action, and you would have trimmed your motor to change the shape of your vehicle as the speed increased. It took Bugatti 5 years to work this one out? This thing can go much, much faster ...
Bruce Millner, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
A truely fantastic car.
Nick Wakefield, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
On the 11-10-09 i am going to Qatar to drive one.
This is going to be a drive of my life. Like any 27 year old i like going fast more BHP the better.
mark brew, Ballasalla, Isle of man,
What everyone is forgetting is that Bugatti haven't even tried to make a light weight hardcore version, can you imagine both the acceleration and speed of the thing, i'm salivating at the prospect. Can we start a petition for this car to be built and have me test.
Brian, West Kingsdown, England
This is one car where having money is not enough. In the Middle East you've got to be powerful as well to own the Veyron.
John, Dubai, UAE
Oh how I wish I was rich! I want this car so much! Just a shame that I'll never see one on the road.
Chris Jordan, Belfast, Northern Ireland
much rather have an ariel atom 500 for a tenth of the price, and double the BHP / Tonne :)
a nice car still.
Tim, newcastle,
im on my second one! awsome, my first one a bus drove in to the rear of me driving through London.
steve, lancaster, U.K.
omg i would have this car over a house! I'm gona save my whole life just to get one of these. i cant believe that you would cross a footy field in a second
Bloody brilliant! (didn't say it cos im aussie lol)
maddi m, mornington, australia
I absolutely love this car. It's got 1001bhp for god's sake! You can't get more soul than that. Jeremy Clarkson is soo funny. Richard Hammond is really sexy.
Alice Crutchfield, 13 years old, Crondall, Surrey, England
absolutely great vehicle, simply the best
Ivan Trajkov, Kumanovo, Macedonia
Simply GORGEOUS
Wendy Hackney, Westerham, England
well the bugatti may have all that power but when your going 200 mph you wouldnt want to be on the road because it is very dangerous
bruce jones, somerset, england
oo00000hh even before reading the article i thought " silly heck ! picture looks like a Volkswagon shedding its skin ! " but hey if it works .
Tim Finnegan, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
The Veyron reminds me of my favorite line from my favorite novel:
"because the sight of an achievement was the greatest gift a human being could offer to others." -- Atlas Shrugged
That this car was conceived, designed, executed and brought to market is a stunning, life-affirming achievement that will encourage those with eyes and souls to reach even higher. That they did all this while so many in the West have reverted to a savage's fear of both Life and Nature is proof that even in Germany/Europe, the Enlightenment is far from dead.
JohnRGT, NYC,
one of the american car mags did a 0-200mph test with a bunch of tuned cars like the Hennessey Viper 1000 twin turbo, the RuF Rt12 and the Lingenfelter Corvette.
The professional racing driver they got to drive the cars, I think it was Steve Millen, said that the Veyron accelerated so quickly his vision went momentarily blurry!
All Hail Dr Piech, a man who has provided the world with the Veyron, the Murcialago and Gallardo, the RS4, RS6 and R8 and even the delightfully loony W12 Golf.
Who said Germans don't have a sense of humour, have you seen the Gumpert Apollo?
Antony, Las Vegas, NV
Seconds count baby!
Russman, NYC,
I actually can say I almost hate the Volkswagen Veyron. That might be hard to explain, but I'll try.
Other supercars milestones all had something amazing about them apart from performance. Great looks, or novel idea of mid engine, or novel, really novel technology, or... just something special.
Veyron doesn't. It's a big VW Beetle with two V8 geared together, and a million worth of gadgetry to keep that stuff working. What's wrong with that, what to dislike? The fact that this Super-Beetle receives so much praise, some deserved, most not, that it sort of degrades the other supercars, ones really deserving their glory.
Anthony, Newport,
the bugatti veyron is only one second faster than my TVR Cerbera from 0-60 and considering the limit is only 70mph id rather save 800,000 pound and keep one of the best cars ever made TVR Cerbera
mo, liverpool,
yes the bugatti is a very very nice car and is just amazing but i am afraid to say my 750bhp fiesta could blow the doors off it !!!
shane, inverness, scotland
funny. about half the people here claim the have one. haha.
But yeah, this car is a work of art. even though the konengsstren.....whatever, is faster by a few miles an hour. who cares, the veyron takes the cherry, the strange konengstren whatever is jsut a car with nothing in it. the veyron ahs air con, luxery, 2 seats!
Andres, lymington, UK
I love the bugatti so much that at the age of 29 my dad bought me one. Its the best feeling a sexy man could get.
bob singh, kent, england
I love the Veyron so much that it fascinates me. I want one so badly but I know I haven't got the money. 1001BHP 253MPH
BRILLIANT PIECE OF WORK!!!!!!
Abii, sevenoaks, england
Its Mint man!!! I just bought one!!
Vivek Vinode, Sunderland, Duhram
Saw one at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year and had to kiss it-I am am truly in love.
Dennis , Tiverton, Devon
im never going to own one and that deeply upsets me, why?, because the veyron is a masterpeice
Kevin O'Hara, birmingham, england
Your life only starts once you get a Veyron...
This is living
Harry, Essex, England
Sigh...
Anybody buying any souls?
Ted, Halifax, Canada
it is the best adrennoling rush ever and on a 3 mile starte its unbalivoble its a wkd all together
aaron day, newcastle upon tyne , newcastle
This one will be the death of civilisation
mike newby, dorchester, united kingdom
just in case to some replies here..
People who own it, don't care how much gas this car consumes. All of the owners are multi-millionaires. This car has no equals. Its in its own world, and people who own it are in their own world as well.
lolldas, detroit, michigan, US
wow. truly a supercar with no equals...
mehraz, london, england
Making the Enzo and the Carrera GT seem slow...wow and i have never seen a 16 cylinder engine before. Add to that 4 turbochangers! Emagine the gas consumption. Is this a car?
Henry, Marietta, USA
This is certainly the most mind-blowing machine to ever hit the streets and would raise the adrenalin levels like nothing else on four wheels.
And pulling a couple G's in braking and turns is great for those adrenals.
But no-one said anything about no wheels. Accelerating at 7 G's is something that you all can try in a machine that will make the Bugati's induced adrenalin levels pale by comparison.
You want to do 400Kph around corners? You can.
Try a joy ride in a Pitts Special one day. Easy. Cheap. Accessible. Oh - and it does it in ALL directions too.......
Yeah I still love the veyron but it's not the most exhilarating experience I can imagine.
Tony, Sydney, Australia
VW can eventually cover the loss of selling this car by just making 800 or so every year for the next 20 or so years. It is now the ultimate status symbol. Cheaper than one of the two original Magna Carta documents outside of Britain, you could have 15 Veyrons for the same amount!
Ian, Gosford, NSW Australia
And Alistair, as a Yank, I'm required by local statutes here in Minnesota to inquire, having an ashtray, may I assume there is also a cigarette lighter? And what of a reliable clock? Taking my hand off the wheel to look at my wristwatch may perhaps not be recommended by the driving maual. But, upon further reflection, according to Einstein at these speeds time slows down, so perhaps a clock isn't warranted. I'll be there fast enough it would seem. Maybe even yesterday.
H. Cavanuagh, Savage, MN USA
Is it any road in this country where I can reach that speed?
Yan Kraffe, Tolworth,
These specs are all very well, but does it have an ashtray?
Alistair, Newtownards, N. Ireland
Richard from Brisbane, get a sense of humour please!
Jon, London, England
Stunning piece of automobile engineering, and FAST - but not quite as fast as Typhoon - as witnessed today at RAF Coningsby, to be aired shortly on Top Gear.
RSM, Coningsby,
i would die to go in a bugti veyron!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marcus, stretley, england
I think that batman drives this one. Now he is fast as superman...
Ivan, Kemerovo, Russian Federation
i am quite willing to sell my partner tn buy this car. Anyone willing to buy him?
bex kitson, newport, uk
If you were to run this god of all cars flat out u would need to fill it upwith fule every 15 minutes. nice car though.
james mathers, rutland, england
The Bugatti Veyron is undoubtedly an extraordinary feat of engineering but unfortunately only a select few will ever get a chance to drive or even see one in the flesh (or rather, metal).
For those who don’t see this vehicle as having much practicality, they are right, but they miss the point. It is a demonstration of what can be achieved and a useful exercise for further automotive research and development.
It also never ceases to amaze me to read comments from people who demean cars they have never driven or even see. Case in point, one ‘D. Hothersall’ of Preston who ignorantly claims that the Chevrolet Corvette features a '“solid live axle and cartspring suspension.†Yea, right.
In fact, all Chevrolet Corvettes have had fully independent rear suspensions since 1963 and the suspension of the latest edition of the Corvette (the C6) has been praised by automotive engineers for its level of performance and refinement.
Chris Ikaris, Brooklyn, New York, USA
What is with some of the people who posted on this page? The Bugatti Veyron isn't something that can be bought like that, limited numbers are made and you're probably chosen like the people are chosen for the Enzo. What are some of these people trying to impress? owning 54 houses, comon that is probably the most idiotic obvious lie I have every seen and then theres this guy who keeps on harping owning a ridiculous amount of mansions, houses and cars, we're not idiots you know, and you've made yourself seem very foolish by overdoing it. You've obviously in a mid life crisis. Take a reality check
Richard, Brisbane, Australia
i think the veyron is a piece of art on the road and off it but when u think that it can drink fuel faster than most people can drink it would be an alcholicif it were a real person
phil, launceston, england
Sorry, when did VW say this was a day-to-day practical car? (I refer to the comments by C.Rustwell and J.Gold) It's not. What it is, is a showcase of what can be achieved with the right ambition and planning; the Ferrari F40 was this, in its day (now some 20 years ago).
I admire these cars in the same way as one should admire Brunel's work- it's groundbreaking lunacy, but it is innovative! Yes, there are prettier supercars, and more practical ones, but no one in their right mind uses the Veyron every day!
As Jeremy Clarkson proved, it will consume an entire continent as if you were going to the local shops! Frerraris are, I think (MY opinion), the prettiest cars about.
Tim, Naples, Italy
I also have a Bugatti Veyron. I love this car. I own over 6,000 cars and this is my favorite. I take it for a spin every thursday night on my private track near my private mansion in my private city in my private country on my private planet in my private galaxy. The thing that comes close to this car is my working full size replica of the Starship Enterprise which can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than one tenth of a nanosecond, but this car only cost about 1/1,000,000th the price! I have however, modified the car to hover 5 feet over the surface of the planet which gets it an additional 50 mph by eliminating tire to road friction.
John Gold, Gold City, Goldia, Aldebaron VII
The Veyron isn't cool. It is a bunch of numbers on paper for a hell of a lot of money. We're talking 5 million euros a car in average development costs. And worse than that, it's not even as fast as a £70k UK car on accelleration or braking (see "Ultima").
The Veyron has a stupidly large curb weight and although there is a "drivers seat" it's basically a 2 passenger computer driven hypercar. A McLaren F1 or Ferrari F40 is a true performance classic, a drivers car and both a far more beuatiful pieces of art and science. And if you can't spend house-sized amounts, you can get awesome driving experiences from Nobles and Ultimas.
Finally, there is the best option if you want an up to date, true hypercar, instead of a fat lump with a huge engine. Try a Koenigsegg CCXR, 20 more horsepower (like it matters..) 708kg less weight (this really does matter), $400k less to buy and looks far more attractive. Oh, and it is a 4,7l that runs on bio-ethanol...gotta love the Swedish :)
Andy, Marlow, Bucks
Yeah the Bugatti Veyron is a really good car infact an awesome car. I have 3, one for each mansion, which I take for a spin on my private drag racing course located next to my airport with 2 private jets. In total I own 78 cars and the Bugatti would have to be the best. I have one bugatti in Florida, one in Australia and one in Norway. I believe that everyone should make it their goal to buy this car because its worth it. I would sell several of my 54 houses just to buy another one. Also at the moment, next to my mini golf course and gold refinery, I am deciding to build a Bugatti Veyron Repairing Facility for all those who, if possible, have a problem or crash the Bugatti. This facility will be built in Cuba and then i will have it personally shipped to my Mansion in Florida. So all those Bugatti lovers out there come to Bugatti's R Us
Cornelius Rustwell, Brisbane, Australia
i actually have a bugatti veyron. i boghht it from Germany. now i live in america and regulary visit my drag racing track. i never get bored startining it up and reversing out my privately owened road in florida. I first heard of the car on Top Gear and since then I havent stoped researching about it. I used to have a DB9 and a ferrari enzo but the bugatti just blows them both away. anyone who has the money to buy one of theses monsters certainly should, the buzz u get tingling down youre spine and how blurred your vision gets when hurtling down the drag race track. ~This car is simply.. Amazing !!!!!
Stuart Laws, orlando, florida
A friend of mine once said:
Just because a car is from America, doesn't mean it is worth driving...and I wholeheartedly agree. Sure, there are one or two good cars from America, but they generally tend to be gas-guzzling cars for maniacs and tycoons, and not for the average person who has a brain in his head. I have sat in a Bugatti Veyron, and seen one drive by. One word can describe it:
WOW!!!!
No if only I can get into being a barrister, I can get one...and make no mistake about it...I WILL!
Peter Cotterill, Wakefield, UK
my top 3 dream cars are the DB9, Maranello and Gellato. After looking at the Veyron i would easialy give up all 3 to have 1 veyron!!! This car is a monster!!! If only i had enough dosh to import 1 to Australia... but my banks growing!!! soon enough i shall get myself one!!!
Tadgh Waugh, Sydney, Australia
That car is gay.
Yail Bloor, Dagenham,
Saw the Clip of the Top Gear test drive.....Wow
Niranjan Basnayake, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Ferdinand Piech wanted his engineers to build a car with 1000bhp capable of doing 400kph. The VW engineers could have & i believe did have the Veyron engine producing a much higher bhp figure, but de-tuned it. The reason why.....to make it a 'usable' car. The Sledgehammer Corvette may have gone faster, but the Veyron wasn't built to go as fast as mechanically possible. It was designed to match the figures stipulated by Piech.
Eddie , York, England
American Jealousy
Anyone who saw James May v-max the Veyron on Top Gear will have noticed that said presenter was happily chatting away while doing over 250mph. Try doing that in your beloved Corvette Sledgehammer. And yes, a thousand brake isn't that hard to achieve (buy Dodge Viper, change engine internals slightly, garnish with a couple of turbos) but that w16 actually produces close to 3000bhp, of which almost two-thirds is lost to cooling systems and four-wheel-drive. So you don't overheat or crash, or both. Like you would in the 'Vette. Now, top fuel dragsters can do 0-200 mph in the blink of an eye, but would you want to pop down to the pub in one? No.
Would you want to do it in a tuned-up version of an under-engineered 1980's 'icon'?
Oh please God no.
And at the end of the day, what would you rather ask your girlfriend? 'Darling, shall we take the Corvette?' or 'Darling, shall we take the Bugatti?'
Me? I'm off to NatWest with a big coat, a banana and a balaclava....
James Ash, Tunbridge Wells , England
Sounds great but....I think I'll keep my Corolla Verso.
Obdulio, Valdemorillo, Spain
Hi Omar
can you give me a ride in your lovely car please :>)
mesh
Mesh, Leicester, Leicestershire
i totally agree - i have just got mine and its the best car ever made - Truly fantastic!
Omar, cheshire, uk
it is the best car that i have ever seen and probley the best all time car no other comany would be able to make a car like that. what a car !!!!
james, bourenmouth, england
Mine should arrive in 10 days........I cant wait.
I never thought anything would make my Enzo or Carrera GT feel slow but when I test drove the factory demo it did.
I was also impressed at how nimble it felt.
nelson Cambata, new smyrna beach, USA/FL
The 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird could only do 220 mph and lap Daytona at 200 mph. So that's 30 mph improvement in 37 years. And you could buy one for $4000.
The fastest plane today is less than half the speed of the 1960s X-15. The fastest airliner today is half the speed of Concorde.
There are all sorts of excuses (we don't need to go fast now - we can use the Internet) but unlike Jeremy I don't think that there has been a lot of progress just refinement, marketing and fashion.
Mark B, Oxford, UK
That 0-62mph claim was not measured, it was taken for granted through information from the manufacturer.
I challange Mr. Clarckson or anyone to prove a 4,450 lb automobile with 1000 hp can achieve that. I doubt it can.
antal, são paulo, brazil
If VW could team up with Richard Branson, maybe we could
find a planet where we could drive this car. For me, the Earth is a bit too small, bumpy and full of puddles for a Veyron.
Alan Bayley, Oxford, UK
Remind me again how it's us Americans that are polluting the world with our vehicles ?
How come the cars putting out the most CO2, to be found on American roads, are made by Ferarri, Mercedes & Aston Martin & presumably now Bugatti. While Ford has it's SAAB & VOLVO-badged cars providing some of the mroe ecologically friendly transport in Europe.
Dave Cawdell, Phoenix, Arizona
I'm drooling.
Alexandra, new york, NY, USA
I parked next to one yesturday, what an unbelievable car, i had to touch it, and obviously take photos, funnily enough the owner was in the same hotel as me!!! At least we have one thing in common eh!!
steve, Manchester, England
Veyron belongs in the scrap yard.
Congestion charge, speed limits of 30mph-70mph depending on where you drive, £0.29 drive by mile on the motorways, M25 at a standstill, city driving is so bad it takes an hour to drive 5miles.
This posses a serious question, where will you drive this car? By the time you have reached half its top speed you would have lost your licence, the judge willing to give you 10points and a life time ban with thousands of hours of community service.
You will be forced to sell the beast and who would want to buy a second hand Veyron, because if you can afford to buy one you would want one with your own specific specifications.
It would have been better if VW had invested the same money in finding an alternative fuel car.
Oh and Jeremy you can afford to buy me one, Please, please.
Shahzad, London, UK
Gob smacking, Breath taking, shocking and irresistable car
Junaid, Birmingham, England
from my personal point of view i have never sat in a veyron, nevertheless from reading jeremy clarkson review and from seeing the veyron in the top gear programme i think jeremy has convinced me to buy this B E A U tiul car.
I must say that this veyron is really wierd on the other hand because on the top gear programme James drove the veyron on the VW track but your not gonna believe this when he rached to the speed of i think it was 200 and somethink he braked but when he came to position of stopping or lets just say that when he stopped he was still dong 70 mph.
But however this car has got no problems with it.
Junaid, Birmingham, United kingdon
I drove past an Aston Martin Vantage in Adelaide today which started me thinking - dreaming actually. Remembering the Top Gear episode with Clarkson and Veyron in high speed and the sheer audacity of a car designed to produce 1000 bhp reliably. And a company mad enough to stipulate 400kph as a design requirement. That episode stands out as the most extreme example of motoring achievement I have seen. And hats off to a conservative lot like VW to fund such an extreme project. For the Yanks, I think comparisons to the Sledgehammer are pretty one dimensional - speed - academic at best. I remember a beast more akin to the Veyron built in the US - the Vector W2 of the 80's. Top edge engineering for the time. Impressive like the Veyron.
Anyway, would I buy one of the Veyrons? No. Its a car to dream about. Would I buy a Vantage? Yes. At 80 odd thousand pounds or $200K aussie, its an achievable dream for someone willing to save up for an entire lifetime.
Time to lie down.
Mark Koester, Adelaide, Australia
The Veyron could be the car enthusiastics viagra!!!
hayley, cardiff, wales
"it is relatively easy to get a car to go that fast on straights all you need is money and brains but to get it to go like that on an actual road is phenomanol"
where do you think the calloway was driven? off road? if its so easy to make a car do 250mph why is the veyron such a big deal? what makes it better than a 911, slr, db9 or f430 at 1/4 the price? they all look better, sound better and dont weigh as much as a small whale. you all listen to clarkson too much and his arrogant views on america, if the mustang had a jag badge he would love it
chris, fleetwood,
All these people who talk about how the americans topped that in a time that no one cares about really do need to consider that it is relatively easy to get a car to go that fast on straights all you need is money and brains but to get it to go like that on an actual road is phenomanol. You all need to realise this isn't the USA it's Great Britain and it's called that for a reason, besides the obvious difference between cultural ideas on cars we also have something called corners to deal with over here. So maybe all you "car enthusiasts" should learn something about what it is that actually goes into a car and I don't mean carbon fibre and ball bearing turbo's I mean the brains and passion, that's what being a car enthusiast is about.
Jack Dixon, Derby,
This car is an engineering miracle and it looks stunning whoever says otherwise clearly should have gone to specsavers
Matthew, Cwmbran, Wales
to martin f there is no way the veyron would top 253 mph by anything noticeable, maybe 2 or 3mph the veyron is not something you take to a track, a aeriel atom or ktm xbow or lotus exige is, its a car for show off's and posers, something like a calloway a yanko camaro or if talking supercars a saleen s7tt or carrera gt is a car for enthusiasts. its a car designed for people with more money than taste and who want to be noticed.
also if anybody wants serious car chat join www.sportscarforums.com
chris, fleetwood, lancs
I agree bob, it may go faster than you possibly want to drive, but it looks like a monstrous carbuncle. The one that was wrote off last month had the styling cues from mickey mouses wardrobe.
Where will it end? Making machines from solid booster rockets from the space shuttle with four wheels, with jeremy boasting that he crossed France in 5secs?
More elegance please.
watkins, Leicester,
I think this car is a triumph. I would like to agree with Jeremy, this vehicle has set a new benchmark for hte supercar. The blistering performance figures are unimaginable for the most of us. Oh, and by the way, Canada sucks.
Shawn, London, England
The readers who put the Callaway Corvette in the same category as the Veyron must be out of their mind. The Callaway did one straightaway fast (although the top speed is not scientific by today's standards), and that's all it was designed to do. As Clarkson duly shows, the Veyron is a car you can actually drive. Furthermore, its upper speed limit is likely to be more than 253 mph - simply because this type of cars commonly exceeds its stated speed limits in optimal (circuit) conditions anyway.
Martin F., Amsterdam,
Personally I think it is as ugly as sin, it's not just performance figures quicken the pulse where supercars are concerned.
bob, Newcastle, England
Oh, good heavens! 400+ Km/h and gorgous lines. There is only one way to describe this dream car. "Sex on wheels."
Just the kind of car you need to cross the vastness of Canada.
James McMillan, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Okay we get it,
The cars as quick as hell, it looks the biz and it costs the earth. But, why would you want one? We watch F1 all the time and we dont crave after one of those cars (well you might, but your mad if you do). Lets face it, no one will insure you with your 4 years no claims, the fuel bill will be beyond daft and it wont fit in your garage. Everyone will look at you and say "tit". Plus plod will assign a new division just to keep stopping you around town.
I agree its a work of art and design inovation, but so was Concorde and I never wanted one of those. As it turned out BA didnt want those either!
In conclusion, give me an Aston Martin and a sense of reality anyday. Although I must admit, im still saving for the Aston!
Elllis Smith, Halifax, England
It is a known fact that Jeremy Clarkson does not rate American cars, but to read his report dated 2005 where he drools over the Bugatti Veyron with a16 cylinder engine, 10 radiators, and a top speed of 253 MPH,he seems to have overlooked or is unaware of the Callaway Sledghammer Corvette (USA ), This car in 1988 attained a maximum speed of 254.76 on road, this speed was achieved with a
V8 engine.
Mr Clarkson stated the Bugatti Veyron is way way faster than anything else the roads have seen, it seemsnot to be the case.
Ray Wetherall, Leeds, West Yorkshire
It is well known that jeremy Clarkson has a distinct dislike for American cars.
Iread with intrest his drooling report on the Bugatti Veyron where he states the Bugatti Veyron is way,way faster than anything elsethe roads have seen (his report dated 2005), it would seem he overlooked the Callaway Corvette Sledghammer.
The Bugatti Veyron,16Cylinder 10 radiator, had a maximum speed of 253MPH.
The Callaway Corvette Sledghammer, V8 engine, 254.76 M
R.P.Wetherall, Leeds, West Yorkshire
It is common knoledge that Jeremy Clarkson doesnt like anything American, concerning cars, however as other readers have pointed out from an engineering point of view the American Corvette Sledgeammer beat the Bugatti Veyron for maximum MPH with a V8 engine back in 1988, laying to rest Mr Clarksons statement, that the bugatti Veyron is way way faster than anything else the roads have seen.
I noticed with intrest there was no mention of a power to weight ratio with the Bugatti report.
The Bugatti 16 cylinder,10 radiators, Max speed 253 MPH.
The Corvette Sledghammer, V8 engine, Max speed 254.76 MPH.
Say no more
R.P.Wetherall, Leeds, West Yorkshire
FABULOUS engineering, inncccredible achievement....... like a copuple of them said.. a car god would drive.... and seeing one on the road is pretty much like seeing god... just imagine seeing one on the road!
but what's the point of keeping those looks? it doesn't really look spectacularly good... well, if it looked good, then i would be lusting for it.... and i just dont understand how such a heavy car can handle.... and what's sooooooooo brilliant about it? i guess i'll have to drive it....
Haricharan, Chennai, India
where can the car industry go from here , this veyron is the very pinnicle of the motor vehicle transportation , lets not see it go backwards like the jet powered passenger planes in recent years i.e. concorde , amazing car , love it.
paul, ulverston cumbria, england
the dodge viper, the corvette z06, and loads more american v8's can be tuned to do 250 with ease, but there is no point, the only place you can go that fast is on a high speed ring, and thats totally pointless, a pagani zonda f will be loads more fun and a much better car on a track than the huuuuge bathtub on wheels
i would take a hennesey viper or lingenfelter vette over the overpriced garbage
chris, fleetwood, lancs
What a Car The Corvette may be as fast and a quarter of the price but there must be solthing rong with them as they only sold one. The Bugatti on the other hand has sold at least 12 in england - 1 for the damaged one. The Bugatti can handle at the lower speeds (below 231mph) That is a car.
James Kelly, Gt. Casterton, England
Oh and I thought a Lambo was fast! >:p
Liam Horner, Gravesend, England
i think the veyron is an over priced overweight car for movie stars, not car enthusiasts, the calloway sledgehammer corvette may not be sophisticated, it may not be as comfortable to ride in, but would you pay nearly £900,000 for a car that needs 10 radiators just to keep cool, thats not good engineering thats far from it, i dont care how fast the veyron gets to 200mph i dont care how comfortable it is, 1000bhp in a 16cyl quad turbo engine is poor, many tuning companies can get that from a twin turbo i6 or a supergharged v8 with ease. like i said tom cruise bought one, need i say more?
chris, fleetwood, lancashire
Ooooh, I wants it!
Then I can sell it and buy myself a house. :>
Starling, Lancaster,
this is the type of car GOD would drive!!
Joe McDowall, Barrow-in-Furness, England
I think the 962 Dauer Le Mans would be fast enough for me and I prefer the look of it.
Bill, Bradford, UK
This car, above all is motoring perfection. There is nothing better, period.
No, don't say anything. It is and you know it.
Shh and Smile.
Paul Bilsborough, Preston, Lancs, UK
So you'd have wanted to ride in the Corvette at 250mph, with it's sophisticated solid live axle and cartspring suspension then? I don't think so.
Better looking? yea right!
David Hothersall, Preston, Lancs
the americans managed 250mph years ago with the sledgehammer corvette using half the cylinders and in a better looking car for 1/4 of the price
chris, fleetwood, lancashire
I personaly would love to see tghis thing in a "getaway in stockholm" movie >:)
david McMillan, Wellington, New Zealand
True automotive heaven has arrived on this "compulsory 25mph speed limit on every road, £10 a gallon and take photo's of em every 300 yard" earth (well where we live anyway)
Lenz, N Ireland,
You forgot to mention how fantastic it looks.
It would just be enough to sit in the car for me.
WHEN I,M RICH it,ll be mine
Ricky, BRADFORD, W,YORKS
jeremy, take me with you!
mat murray, orange, nsw
not only does this sound like THE CAR, but the delivery of the verdict was excellent
Jock, new south wales,
faster than volkswagon golf.
jim, leeds, west yorkshire
This is the type of car GOD would drive
JoeMc Dowall, Barrow In Furness, united kingdom
this car is a engineering triumph truly amazing ,stars out of 5,10 it looks good ,its sounds good ,and it goes extremely fast what more could you want.
paul croker, lancaster, england
if i won the lottery i'd buy 1 straight away without a doubt, they're absolutely gorgeous.
It is the best most fastest car in the world!!!
Hayley, Manchester, England
this car is the worlds best car ebver and it will be hard to beat
tom , liverpool, england
ive driven one of them and i tell u iyt was an experience of a life time
Sam, hounslow ,