Bugatti - Veyron
The Veyron 16.4 (known as the EB 16/4 Veyron in concept stages) is the most powerful and expensive car in the world. It reached full production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG subsidiary, Bugatti Automobiles SAS, and is sold under the legendary Bugatti marque. It is named for famed Bugatti racing driver, Pierre Veyron who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939. However, the Bugatti Veyron is actually designed and built in Great Britain.
After the release of the car, it has become known that while each Veyron is being sold for £850,000, the production costs of the car are approximately £3 million to £4 million per vehicle.
Putting this power to the ground is a dual-clutch DSG computer-controlled manual transmission with 7 gear ratios. The Veyron also features full-time all wheel drive, necessary given the output of the engine. Special Michelin PAX System run-flat tires, capable of running at 253 mph (402.3 km/h), are fitted. The Bugatti Veyron has a total of 10 radiators.The W16 produces 1001 metric horsepower, equivalent to 987 SAE net horsepower or 736 kW. This easily makes it the most powerful production road-car engine in history. Torque is 1250 N·m (922 ft·lbf). According to Volkswagen, the final production Veyron engine produces between 1020 and 1040 metric horsepower (1006 to 1026 SAE net hp), so the car will be advertised as producing "1001 horsepower" in both the US and European markets.
The production model has now been tested and reached a top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). Car and Driver magazine featured a drive of a production Veyron in their November 2005 issue, where the magazine's editor, Csaba Csere reached this speed at Volkswagen's Ehra-Liessen test track.
The Veyron is the fastest production car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) with an estimated time of 2.5 seconds. It also reaches 200 and 300 km/h (124 and 186 mph) in 7.3 and 16.7 seconds respectively. This makes the Veyron the quickest-accelerating production vehicle in history.
Maintenance will be possible at Bentley dealerships, but repair service will require a flown-in mechanic, which the company promises to be available 24 hours a day.
