It’s the new automotive technology that makes the Bugatti Veyron the fastest car in the world. Well the fastest full production car. Of course this is just my opinion.
People have good arguments about what constitutes full production and there are even a few cars that have higher top speeds or lower quarter mile times then the Veyron. The Hennessey Venom GT was recently clocked at 270 mph. This is a full 2 mph faster than the Bugatti.
But I’m sticking with the Veyron. My opinion is formed from what I’ve read in the most popular automotive magazines. And I am not alone.
The Veyron SS is still recognized as the world’s fastest production car by the Guinness book of world records. Many believe there are a few slightly faster cars available, but the Bugatti is considered a true production car. This means you can actually order and buy the vehicle described below. Although it’s been around since 2005 it continues to improve every model year.
The Fastest Car in the World
The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport is now pushing 1200 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque. With a 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, Quarter mile times in the low 10 second range and a top speed of over 268 mph, this thing is faster than some planes.
The car sells for around $2.2 million and I cannot believe I am saying this but it is worth it. The technology stuffed in this package is mind blowing. I would not want to work on it, but I would pay big money to drive the world’s fastest car.
The automotive magazines are all coming out with stories on this unique super car. This article will be a sampling in my own words of what I learned about this modern marvel.
Let’s start with things that are not common on any sports car. For one, the Bugatti has a horsepower gauge on the dash. This is like an onboard computer that reports the horsepower at the wheels at any rpm. Also on the control panel is the power key that lets the vehicle obtain its maximum speed.
This power key activates the onboard systems that physically lower the vehicle by 2 inches in the front.
Then it opens undercarriage airports to actually suck the vehicle to the road using a venturi vacuum effect created by high speeds. The power key on the world’s fastest car also deploys the rear wing to provide additional down force like an F1 race car.
The wing is also dropped in the front on heavy braking to act as an air dam style brake. This is similar to what new jet skis are using to quickly slow water craft. How slick is that?
Now let’s move onto the really cool stuff in the engine compartment. The 8.0 liter 16 cylinder engine has 4 turbo chargers that provide the neck breaking horsepower, motivating the world’s fastest car.
Believe it or not, this engine gets 19 mpg on the highway, which is better than my Chevrolet Blazer ZR2.
The massive 1200 horsepower is applied directly to the road using some very impressive automotive technology.
A seven-speed manual gearbox has a dual clutch system and a Tiptronic like paddle shift control on the steering wheel. All of this powertrain technology is funneled through an all wheel drive system that the automotive magazines are calling bulletproof.
The transmission also has a fully automatic mode for your trips to the grocery store or when you are just cruising slowly on Sunset Strip. The rubber hits the road through Michelin’s 14.4-inch wide tires. I hear these are the widest ever made on a full production car and they’re custom built for Bugatti.
These tires are of the run flat variety and are the only tires made with a speed rating to over 250 mph. The tires are said to last around 10 thousand miles of hard driving and carry a replacement cost of around 12 thousand dollars for a set of four.
But if you can afford the worlds fastest car 12k for tires should be a walk in the park. Yes new automotive technology in the brake department as well. Ceramic disc brakes and an unheard of eight piston caliper design stops this super car from top speed to 0 mph in under ten seconds.
The braking system uses the vehicles aerodynamics to help dissipate the heat generated by braking from such high speeds. Speaking of cooling things down. Again new automotive technology in this vehicles engine cooling systems.
This vehicle has 10 radiators working together to cool this beast down. As a side note the parent company of Bugatti is Volkswagen. Volkswagen has poured over 1.5 billion dollars into the development of this super car.
Price of the Worlds Fastest Car
The estimated price tag of 1.2 million dollars is actually below cost according to Volkswagen sources. The plans to build out 500 units would mean an average cost of 5 million per unit, taking in to account the research and development costs.
The automotive magazines described driving this vehicle as a mind-blowing experience. What stood out to me the most is how the worlds fastest car works very hard at applying down force.
The faster you go the more adjustments are made on the fly to plant the vehicle on the road. One automotive magazine reporter described this as the faster you go the safer you feel. Now that is automotive technology at its finest.
I have a few more articles about other vehicles in the 200 mph club that caught my eye. The next link takes you to more amazingly fast cars.
Find out more about the creator of this automobile website and why he is so passionate about fast cars on the auto facts.org homepage.
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1200HP Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport
This is a picture a visitor sent me from the European motor show floor. This subtle 2 tone silver grey combination is a new offering in the paint pallet for the 2013 Grand sport model.