VIDEO
This is the 'tester' Bugatti Veyron, made available for 3 days for select buyers of the car. It was being shipped back to France the next day.
Pierre, a former Formula 1 driver, gives an initial drive with the car, detailing all the unique features and history of the car. He then demonstrates the acceleration, speed, and cornering performance of the car. Then its your turn to drive, to get the feel and test the car's incredible power & grace.
They are building only 300 of these amazing cars, and as of this post, about 45 of them exist, 16 of which are owned here in the US. They plan to build 70 a year (max), but may stop production if the car's demand is significantly lower (unlikely). So purchasing one of these cars, makes you part of an exclusive group, of which no more than 300 will exist.
For those of you who do not know the specs of the car, and why it is almost 'unnatural':
0-60mph in 2.5 seconds
0-150mph in 11 seconds!!!
top speed: 257 mph.
1001 horsepower
While sitting as the passenger, the g-force feel on launch, was incredible, like nothing I've experienced before. Compared to takeoff on a jumbo jet, the forces felt even stronger. Driving it -- taking it to 140mph -- it felt like you were going 45mph in a regular car. And getting there is so quick, that it almost feels impossible.
It has 3 modes -- 'comfort', 'sport', and 'manual'. It is a fully automatic car, with dual clutch transmission. What makes it unnatural is how smooth it changes gears, you do not hear or feel it one bit.
The sport mode keeps the car under high RPM no matter what speed, and manual allows you to change gears instantly. There is the rev limiter in manual mode.
At 130mph+, the spoiler comes out, and the car takes a more aggressive stance by lowering its front end.
You can also keep it in that position with a special button. There is also a launch control button, which we never applied in the test drive, but will give the additional boost on launch.
To bring the car past the 220mph limit (caused by drag) -- you need to use a special key while stopped, which changes the conformation of the car, thereby reducing drag and allowing it to go to its 257mph top speed. The car theoretically can go even faster, but the governor is in place at that speed (for 'safety' reasons).
To make it able to launch without losing traction, they made it all wheel drive -- and the rear tires are an unnatural 365's in width!! They look like steamrollers.
Comfort -- It is quite luxurious inside, they spared no expense. No carbon fiber interior, but top-quality leather, and body parts made from the more expensive Titanium & Magnesium. They literally spared no expense. It can act like a daily driver, whether in the hottest desert, or in the coldest winter.
Take note -- the gas octane rating is 93: so you cannot use the 91 -- and it is barely 7mpg, if you drive it 'casually'. 25gallon tank however, so you don't run out too quick. So gassing up the car may be an issue depending on where you live.
There is an almost unlimited combination of colors you can choose on purchase. Mostly two-tone, but you can have it all in one color. They mentioned that the black on red was so popular, that Bugatti is literally begging for people to stop ordering that color set.
How much is it? 1.1 million Euros, which comes out to be about 1.4 million dollars. With taxes, registration, duties etc... it will be about $1.48 million. The deposit alone is 300,000 euros, or about $400,000.
How long does it take to get after ordering? It will be about 14 months from deposit before you can own one, and you must pay in full 6 months prior to its finish.
They invite you to come to the factory (in France), to see its production, and to more visualize/appreciate what goes into making one of these. It is said that the car takes over $5 mil to build, and the original R&D costs were astronomical. Their goal here is not to make money from this venture, but to bring back the Bugatti name brand. At the end of the test drive, there are some questions you are asked (what cars you drive, what you liked, didn't like) and most importantly -- what sort of car would you like to see Bugatti build beyond the Veyron.
You are also invited, once purchasing the car, to drive it on the VW test track, potentially up to its 257 mph top speed (still in planning stages).
I haven't decided on a color set yet, but I have my sights on this one:
I expect to have my car by late 2008.
How does it compare to my SLR McLaren or my Lamborghini Murcielago?
A hell of a lot faster than either -- but comfort wise it is similar to the SLR -- and its handling is superior to both, and very light! When you brake from 140 to 0, you don't even need to hold the steering wheel. Incredible. The sound is similar to the SLR -- very quiet even more quiet than the SLR, but very 'jet engine' sounding. Almost unnatural but incredible to hear.
The only minus here -- the blind spots are very signifcant on the rear/side because of the large obstructions from the engine. Murcielago compensates by the very long side view mirrors, and the SLR really has no obstructions.
A really cool feature -- a portable datapad that gives you navigation, tire pressure, other statisics, and through your rearview mirror, you get navigation as well. Audio/AC all the good stuff is top notch.
The car is nearly 4000lbs, so you feel the weight, but its so nimble, the steering feels lighter than the SLR, and most definitely lighter than the Murc.
So who owns a Veyron? Initially I thought Tom Cruise & Jay Leno have one -- but Jay has not bought one yet, and Tom Cruise 'borrowed' a tester Veyron for 4 days.