Bugatti Veyron

Overview

Although there is some debate among automotive enthusiasts as to the Veyron’s official country of origin, it is important to note that the car was released under the Bugatti Automobiles marquee, a French high-performance automobile manufacturer.  oreover, the car was physically manufactured in Molsheim, one of the easternmost regions of France.  However, it was designed and developed by a team of German engineers and financed under the parent company of Bugatti Automobiles – German-based company Volkswagen AG.

The story of the Bugatti Veyron really begins in May/June, 1998 when Volkswagen AG, at the urging of then-chairman Ferdinand Piech, purchased the rights to produce cars under the Bugatti marquee.  Piech had been instrumental in guiding Volkswagen to purchase other luxury marquees including Lamborghini, the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe, United Kingdom and the Bentley Marque. 

At the urging of then-chairman Ferdinand Piëch, Volkswagen purchased the rights to produce cars under the Bugatti marque in June 1998. This followed the earlier Volkswagen purchases of the Lamborghini marque (by VW’s Audi subsidiary), the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe, United Kingdom, and the Bentley marque.  As part of the acquisition, Volkswagen AG purchased the rights to use the Bugatti name and formed Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. in June, 1999.

The EB 18/4 Veyron concept vehicle was first introduced in October, 1999 at the Tokyo Motor Show.  Developed in-house under the direction of Hartmut Warkuss, the car featured a a three-bank W18 engine (the same engine previously introduced in all three of the earlier Veyron prototypes as well.)  The Bugatti EB 18/4 concept became the design study that would eventually lead to the creation of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 production vehicle in 2005.

In early 2000, a modified version of the EB 18/4, now called the EB 16/4 Veyron, was presented at motor shows in Detroit, Geneva and Paris.  This variant of the car featured a four-bank W16 engine architecture, though most of the rest of the car was a carry-forward from the 18/4’s exterior and interior architecture.

In 2001, Bugatti presented a study of the Veyron 16.4 at the IAA in Frankfurt, Germany.  This car boasted an output of 1,001 horsepower (736 kW), an eight-liter engine displacement, four turbochargers and a torque of 1,250 Nm. The response to the car was overwhelmingly positive.  It was later that same year that the Volkswagen Group made the executive decision to begin production of the Veyron.

It took nearly two years before the first roadworthy prototype of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 was completed.  This earliest production example was identical to other examples of the eventual production model with only a few, minor exceptions.  This first car was as much a test-mule for the final product as it was a production prototype that could be introduced to would-be consumers of this ultra-exclusive vehicle.

Because no other automobile had been developed as a direct predecessor of the Veyron (save for the four aforementioned prototypes) there were barely any parts, components or systems that could be used or re-purposed during its development.  Everything had to be developed and fabricated from scratch. Moreover, given the incredible performance specifications the Veyron was expected to achieve, all of the inner workings of the car had to be custom-designed to ensure exacting tolerances and achieve the highest level of performance during any driving condition.

The Veyron was developed to meet these specifications:

• Produce over 1,000 horsepower

• Achieve a top speed of over 250 miles per hour (400 kilometers per hour)

• Be able to accelerate from 0-100 in less than three seconds

Above these unprecedented performance specifications (at the time), it was expected that Bugatti would also be capable of producing a super-car that could double as a luxury car suitable for daily driving.  

As Volkswagen/Bugatti began to navigate the incredibly complex process of engineering this super-car, they drew on the experiences and knowledge of engineers and designers from other industries including experts in aviation and space travel.  It was understood early on that creating such a vehicle would require a team intimately familiar with the extreme forces and speeds that such vehicles as these would require.

Of course, each obstacle in the Veyron’s development eventually led to the creation and/or evolution of technologies needed to breathe life into this amazing machine.  Considerable technical problems had to be addressed throughout the car’s transformation from development prototype to true production model, and it would ultimately be another two years before the first Bugatti Veyron EB16.4 would roll off the Molsheim production line.

The original Bugatti Veyron featured a classic two-tone design that created a characteristic side-view of the car that is synonymous with earlier vehicles from the company’s past.  Similarly, the car’s centerline and horseshoe-shaped radiator grille are throwbacks to the earliest Bugatti racing vehicles. These classic design cues are interlaced with cutting-edge technologies including a retractable spoiler with prominent wings as well as contemporary horizontal headlamps that enhance the car’s unique character.

Mechanically, the Veyron featured an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 cylinder engine. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 487.8 cubic inches (7,993 cc) with a square 86mm by 86mm (3.39 inch by 3.39 inch) bore and stroke. According to the Volkswagen Group, the Veyron’s W16 engine produces 987 horsepower (736 kW, 1,001 PS) and generates 922 lb./ft. (1,250 Nm) of torque. German officials recorded the Veyron’s top speed at 253.81 miles per hour (avg.) during test sessions.