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The Bugatti Veyron is a car built around an engine. Essentially, Bugatti made the decision to blow the doors off the supercar world by creating a 1,000-horsepower engine. Everything else follows from that resolution.
The exotic two-passenger Bugatti Veyron is powered by a four-turbocharged, 8-liter, 16-cylinder engine that creates 1001 horsepower. A complicated 7-speed transmission and AWD system allows the Veyron to control the 1001hp. Its interior is almost completely leather upholstery, save the center console, and its body is fashioned with carbon fiber to offset the weight of the powertrain. Some unique features are a large rear spoiler that tips forward at elevated speeds to act as an air brake and a large interior cabin designed to accommodate six-foot seven-inch drivers.
The carbon monocoque holds the engine plus the passenger cell, while the polished aluminum panelling is enhanced by reflections in the sculpted bodywork. Interestingly, the rawness of the materials even more strongly highlights the dual character of this car: performance power coupled with cruising comfort, structure and body, dark and light.
High Performance
The carâs safety systems have been designed to cope with its extraordinary performance, acceleration and speed. The single-piece carbon-fiber monocoque alone scores maximum points in crash tests, while airbags give the driver and passenger additional protection. The high-speed tires designed specially for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (for vmax. > 350 km/h), sizes 265-680 ZR500A (front) and 365-710 R540A (rear), incorporate a further innovative safety feature in the form of the PAX System fitted to the wheels and tires, ensuring safe handling even after sudden pressure loss.
Independent press tests have reported many failures (three out of five cars notionally available for testing in November 2005 were out of service), but the Veyron prototypes were put through the same gruelling regimen as other Volkswagen group models, with each pre-production car logging over 50,000 miles. This car comes in many different color combinations, including red and black, blue and dark blue, grey and black, and so on. Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès is the latest limited edition version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. It is a limited edition model that costs $2.3 million (not including tax)and has an interior designed and crafted by the French leather and silk specialist, Hermès.
Features
The array of unique features within the car are commensurate with the AUS$2 million price tag and include a specially designed 7-speed gearbox http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission , an aerodynamic mono-coque body complete with fully-panelled undertray and a rear spoiler which changes position according to the speed range of the car. Even the hi-fi system was designed in conjunction with the body shape. There is nothing ordinary about this car – when it goes on sale next year, it will be the fastest and most expensive production car in history.
Review
The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 was one of the, if not the, most eagerly anticipated supercars of all time. The Veyron, as a concept, was officially revealed for the first time in 1999 at the Tokyo Auto Show. Named the Bugatti EB 18/3 Chiron, the concept was powered by an 18 cylinder engine and showed the first styling features of the Veyron.
Bugatti Vayron – Fastest Car
The History of Aston Martin
The Aston Martin is the English alternative to the Bugati and Ferrari. The company was founded in 1913 by mechanical engineer Robert Bamford and wealthy Lionel Martin. The two had met in 1905 as members of a cycling club and progressed during the Edwardian era to classic trials and hill climbs using the Singer sports car.
Bamford thought he could improve the car, and soon began to build cars which took the Aston Martin name (from Martin’s exploits at the Aston Clinton hill climb in Buckinghamshire).
However, the partnership was not to last and Martin bought out Bamford in 1922. Soon the company being asked for replicas, but being English, they didn’t like to make a profit from their friends and the firm nearly went bust in 1925. It was saved by Lord Charnwood and Hon. John Benson, who appointed Italian born Augustus Cesari Bertelli as Managing Director.
The many wealthy and often aristocratic customers would breeze into the works greeting him with “I say, Bertie, old chum….”
The company built the Ulster between 1934 and 1935 which had an in line 4 cylinder 1495cc, single overhead camshaft which featured an advanced dry sump engine. It produced 80bhp at 5250rpm, had a top speed of 100mph, and named after the Ulster TT road race. The Ulster was the best performing of the pre war Astons.
Following the war, many manufacturers were suffering financial difficulties. David Brown (famous for tractors) acquired Aston Martin in 1947 for £20,500, and in 1948, purchased Lagonda for £52,000.
He made something of a false start with the underpowered four cylinder Aston Martin DB1 in 1948.
Despite the cars appreciation in value, the company was often financially troubled. In 1972, it was sold to a company called Company Developments Ltd, backed by a Birmingham based consortium and chaired by William Wilson. The company was then resold in 1975 to Peter Sprague and George Minden. The new owners pushed the company into modernising its line.
In 1980, Aston Martin had plans to buy MG, which did not materialise.
As worldwide sales of Astons shrank to three per week, Alan Curtis (chairman) together with fellow shareholders Sprague and Minden, had almost chosen to shut down the production and concentrate on service and restoration. Curtis attended the 1980 Pace sponsored Stirling Moss benefit day at Brands Hatch and met Victor Gauntlett.
Gauntlett bought a 12.5% stake in the company for £500,000 with Tim Hearley of CH Industrials taking a similar share. They then took over 50/50 ownership at the beginning of 1981, with Gauntlett as executive chairman. He also led the sales team, and after some development and a lot of publicity, was able to sell with success the Aston Martin Lagonda to Persian Gulf States.
They continued sponsoring racing events and all Aston Martin Owners Clubs events.
As trading became tighter in the petroleum market, and Aston required more time and money, Gauntlett agreed to sell his company ‘Pace’ to the Kuwait Investment Office in September 1983. He also agreed to sell his share holding to Peter Livanos.
September 1987 saw Ford take a share holding in the company. They placed Aston in the Premier Automotive Group, and substantially invested in new manufacturing and quickly ramped up production. In 1994, they opened a new factory at Banbury Road in Bloxham.
In 2006, under mounting pressure, an internal review of costs and realisable value on investment led Ford to consider divesting itself of parts of its Premier Automotive Group. After suggestions of selling Jaguar, Land Rover or Volvo, Ford decided to sell Aston by auction. At the end of August 2006, Ford announced that it would be willing to sell all or part of Aston.
The first round of the auction closed on 30 November 2006. On 12 March 2007, a consortium led by Prodrive chairman David Richards purchased Aston for £475m/$848m. Prodrive had no financial involvement in the deal, and Ford kept a stake in the company valued at £40m/$70m. The consortium also consisted of John Sinders and two Kuwaiti investment companies.
On 19 July 2007, the last car, a Vanquish S was produced at Newport Pagnell. Nearly 13000 cars had been produced their and all production was concentrated at Gaydon.
In January 2009, Aston announced that it would be entering the 2009 Le Mans 24 Hours race as a factory team in the LMP1 division. The company finished 13th.