Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport: 33 High-Res Photos and Official Details

At this weekend’s Concours d’Elegance classic car show in Pebble Beach, California, Bugatti performed the world debut of the all-new Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. The open-top Veyron comes equipped with a removable lightweight transparent polycarbonate roof as well as with an emergency soft top that can be used to protect driver and passenger from sudden rainfall. According to Bugatti’s own words, the soft can be “stowed in the trunk like an umbrella”.

Powered by the same 1,001 HP quad-turbocharged 16-cylinder engine as the coupe, the world’s fastest convertible can achieve a top speed of 253 mph or 406 km/h with the polycarbonate roof in its place. Take the top off and the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport won’t let you go over 217 mph or 349 km/h. If you decide to use the soft top, the car’s top speed is limited to a mere 80 mph or 130 km/h. -Continued

In comparison to the Veyron coupe, the most noticeable differences on the Gran Sport are its higher windshield, newly designed LED headlights and the new horseshoe-style wheels.

The most important changes however are under the skin as the carbon fibre monocoque was substantially reinforced to cope with the structural loss of the open roof. According to Bugatti, the monocoque structure was reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel while the B-pillars were cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support. Moreover, the redesigned air inlets now feature 10cm wide carbon fiber elements that provide protection in the event of rollover.

Other features new to the Gran Sport include a reverse camera with 2.7 inch monitor integrated in the rearview mirror and a “Puccini” sound system, specifically design for convertibles.

Bugatti will hand-build a total of 150 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sports with deliveries scheduled to begin from March 2009. The first 40 cars are reserved exclusively for current Bugatti customers with the exception of the first car that was auctioned off at the Gooding Auction on 17 August 2008 with all profits going to a charitable foundation.

Bugatti Planning to Replace the Veyron in 2012

You’d think that the VW Group would think twice before developing a worthy successor to the outrageous Bugatti Veyron 16.4 after all the delays and problems that where associated with the development of the current model but as Bugatti’s Bugatti boss Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen pointed out to British car magazine Autocar, the company has already made plans to replace the 1,001 HP supercar around 2012 with another ultra high-end model.

“We will be staying on top of everybody else and we will not be producing a smaller, or cheaper car and we will not be moving volumes up. Bugatti customers are very extreme people,” he told Autocar. -Continued

Talking about Bugatti’s future plans, another high-level source said that the company is also considering adding a second model line, quite possibly a high-end luxury sedan based on the next Bentley Arnage that will rival the Rolls Royce Phantom. The supercar maker is also said to develop an even more powerful GT version of the current Veyron that could top 1,200 HP at the end of the current model’s production cycle.

Mirror-Finish Bugatti Veyron 16.4 on Show

Though it would have made a great story if someone had actually given his own personal Bugatti Veyron 16.4 a mirror-finish, this particular vehicle is the work of artist Olaf Nicolai and it is on display at Volkswagen Group's redesigned Autostadt pavilion in Wolfsburg, Germany, that reopened on the 31st of October 2008. VW Group's most prized automobile is positioned in a special exhibition area that's covered in mirrors in which the observer sees himself reflected back and infinitum from the mirrors, thus (supposedly) becoming part of the exhibit.

For Sale: Unique Bugatti Veyron Vincero by Mansory

With so much money going around in Dubai, even a Bugatti Veyron seems passé these days. Having said that, it's not at all surprising that you can find cars in Dubai that you've never heard about like this Mansory-prepped Veyron called Bugatti Vincero, which is up for sale by Prestige Cars. There's no official information on the customized Veyron other than that, according to Prestige Cars, only three examples have been built.
From the pictures we see that the Veyron-based Vincero features an awesome paint job complemented by a nice set of black alloy wheels and plenty of carbon fiber parts. The interior has also been overhauled - though in a less tasty way. Prestige Cars has not said how much it's asking for the Vincero but we gather that our readers Christmas presents combined wouldn't even do the job.
Source: Prestige Cars

VW Group to Launch More than 20 Completely New Models by 2010

During his speech at the Volkswagen Group's Annual Media Conference and Investor Conference on March 12, Prof. Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of VW AG, revealed that the automaker that is made up of nine brands including Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Scania, SEAT, Skoda and VW CV, will rollout more than 20 completely new models worldwide by 2010.
Winterkorn said that amongst the cars that will be introduced are the sixth-generation VW Golf GTI 210HP in 2009 and the New Small Family based on the Up! Concepts in early 2010 which will be available for both urban drivers in the West and for the emerging markets.
Furthermore, Winterkon said that the further optimization of the TDI, TSI and TFSI turbocharged diesel and gasoline engines is right at the top of the Group's agenda as the company believes that combustion engines will remain the dominant technology for the foreseeable future. "We will break new ground and also introduce SUVs and large saloons with modern turbo- and supercharged 4-cylinder engines ," said Winterkorn.