Gents, I'm not trolling - this is NOT meant to be a divisive post. But I promise you - were you to drive one or be a passenger in one (like myself), my bet is that you'll ALL reverse your negative opinions of the Veyron. It remains the ULTIMATE. I'll elaborate when I get 5 minutes.
Here you go; lifted from a site I posted on elsewhere: The Bugatti Veyron is the the KING of cars. Nothing has ever been built like it. And that's all to do with quality. I suppose the Carrera GT and the McLaren F1 come close but they're not being made anymore and even they did not equal the quality of the Bugatti. Now there's going to be a load of enthusiasts and owners of other supercars that will come back and say "sod the quality, who cares?" or "yeah, but the F50 sounds better" or "Bugatti is boring" or "it's just a technical exercise" and so on. And sure, I suppose I can understand their view, but they're wrong. You see, when Ferrari "develop" something like the LaFerrari, they say they'll build 400 cars (they actually build 700) but they'll develop and test it like they're building 20. The attitude is, if there's a problem, they'll say "meh" and call the dealers and prepare a hasty retrofit upgrade. The development and total dedication to getting the ultimate isn't really there. Especially with the Italians, it's "screw the owner". And that's the same for the rest of the supercar manufacturers. Pagani are just too small without enough money. Their car's may be finished and built well but they're not just not in the same league as Bugatti.(maybe not Porsche with their 918...we'll see). All the others have done is: "Do enough to get the target number of units sold." Bugatti were different - they developed the Veyron like they would produce 2 million units. Every single thing had to be perfect. And that's what I love about the car. The Veyron may not thrill with sound, it may not excite in the way other cars do visually, but actually that's because it was designed NOT to. (Because if Bugatti want to build a modern F50, believe me it would decimate anything Ferrari could ever build.) No, the point is, the Veyron fulfills it's design objectives MORE completely and to a higher standard than any other supposedly comparable supercars have ever fulfilled theirs. (except perhaps the F1). And that is what matters and that realisation is what's propelling the values of the old McLaren ever skywards. To quote the Count of Monte Cristo, "after a certain level of prosperity, only the superfluous is necessary" and that is where the Bugatti makes a mockery of the rest of the supercar range. They did exactly that, and no other manufacturer can. The reason the Bugatti needs £26k tyres is because some psychopath actually tested that car at 250mph and demanded something from Michelin that really WOULD work at 250mph and not "claim" to work at 250mph. The reason the routine service bills are £12k is because they throw away titanium bolts which can only be torqued once and replace them (£46 each). Every supercar is stable but the Bugatti's stable is something else - you can take your hands off the wheel at 300kph and slam on the brakes and it will brake true and straight. There has been no compromise in it's construction, no thought given to the financial implications of it's horrifically expensive development (which is beyond the means of other manufacturers) and there is absolutely no bluster, exaggeration or hype in it's presentation - it does EXACTLY what they say it will do. Remind you of another car perhaps....? Do you think that Ferrari will really ensure that the their new LaFerrari (which will be THE Zeitgeist car to own for the next decade) absolutely maxes out on it's design objectives and will REALLY do all the things that they say it's supposed to do... Will they really drive it at its top speed? To what extent will they really determine how much downforce it produces on the road in real world conditions (which they will bang on about!). Will it be tested to reliably work in snow and ice AND in the desert?? Will each component be designed to work reliably and as expected at the edge of the cars performance envelope and when cruising through town? Will they spend millions and millions perfecting every nuance.... Will it really be the ultimate road car after a few hundred KM around Dubai? NO, no, no and no. Instead, they'll take the engine out the F12, add some KERS, sticky tyres, 3 seconds faster than the Enzo around Fiorano, do 1000 laps, deliver the first 20 and their doors won't close properly. Sure it'll sound good, go bloody quick and it looks wild... but actually, that's no big deal anymore. Truth is, anyone can do that if that's designed in from the start. It's the stuff Bugatti designed into the Veyron that nobody can do - not enough expertise and not enough money - that make it the king. Back to the Veyron - they're still building the open top Vitesse. At £2m it's a bargain....
Its unfortunate that the Veyron was so exposed to pop culture, many of the singers and producers have abused the car's image by wrapping them, painting them and turning them into a pop icon. I'm sure Bugatti wanted these cars to be driven only by Royalty and Aristocrats.
a) ... so is the Enzo compared to the F40. b) drive the Bugatti or at the least, if you can, be a passenger in it. The "weight" really doesn't figure. It really doesn't. An amazing car..... MB P.S. I don't think it's ugly but I understand how beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
No, they were terrible examples of engineering. Cable brakes as late as the late 1930s, roller bearing bottom ends that needed rebuilding every several thousand miles, wrong firing orders on the straight eights, etc. What they were, were great examples of automotive art.
But still they managed to win many, many races in their day. And, as Ettore said - "I build my cars to go, not to stop."
Brutal. Great thread here. I really enjoyed reading this : Rowan Atkinson decides: Bugatti Veyron or McLaren F1? | Octane
I remember seeing one of the early ones painted in a burgundy and cream combination in the paddock at the Monterey historics some years back. It was understated and tasteful and I think those type of color schemes suit the car and its character as described above. I think they look really horrible in the garish colors/polished metal/ spoilers, stripes etc of all the "special" editions. Sleek, understated paint yes if you want to go wild, just drop by the Lambo dealers-their cards are designed to look good with wild paint schemes. And the idea of buying a car like that as a roadster? Hey honey, lets put the top down and hit 250! It seems the "look at me" I have lots of dough and little taste is the end of the market they have had to cater to to move the metal.
What car can you name that was better engineered in 1925 than the classic Bugatti type 35? What car can you name from 1925 that actually won more races than the Bugatti type 35? Yes, it was art - but it was art on wheels and in motion.
There's a few cars in this world I absolutely love, and once I get hold of them wouldn't ever sell. Included are the Challenge Stradale, F40, F50, Carrera GT and the 250 GT SWB Competizione. I'd swap them all for a bespoke Zonda 760 with personal (of their shelf) bits on. It is the most incredible car ever made. You can even spec the interior so it doesn't look like a bordello inside.
The Bugatti Veyron has proven one thing: style matters. I don't think there's a person in the world who would say it's ever close to the best looking car in the world. It may be the fastest and best engineered -- but style still matters when you decide to put your money down.
The Alfa-Romeo P2 won the world championship in 1925...but yes, the T35 and the T35B were dominating in the late 1920's. The 2-liter T35C, not so much in 1925, as I recall.
I own a Veyron and it's by far the best buying experience I've ever had from ordering until first service and follow up directly from factory. The moment I drove it I knew it was something different the quality is way beyond any word and it drives like a Bentley GT speed on steroid ! It's comfortable too with sport seats (not as comfortable as my 12C since I believe it's the most comfortable exotic I've owned) What amazed me it how easy it drives usually when you driving an exotic you always alert worried and working so hard to avoid any blind spots..etc I have to agree with Napolis Pagani the car is so into details and old school build and quality and finish is also top. I've been updated weekly about my Zonda F clubsport build and it's been a pleasure, me and Mr Horrico talked on the phone and exchanged few emails. He treats you like family and the people at the factory really so unbelievable awesome. I can't honestly compare the two cars they totally different in character and the way they drive. Can't go wrong with any really. Pagani just need to follow customers a little better and update them with future projects and build more customer to factory relation and I've passed this info to them few weeks ago. Since I was interested ordering a Huarya but lack of communication and updates delayed it until I went different route. But so far Bugatti is doing way better than Pagani. Mbn
I dunno...around the mid twenties Miller, Alfa and Delage were making some pretty cool stuff....Bugatti claimed many race victories but he included every customers car hill climb win to jack up the numbers....
Well, we have gotten ourselves somewhat off topic (and I guess I started it) - but my point was that the Bugatti of old was not only more artistic but ALSO more sporting than the Bugatti of today. I for one wish the new Bugatti was both more beautiful to look at, but also a more sporting car in character. In my opinion, what it really is - is simply a very powerful mid-engine GT car, of which a Bentley is actually more usable and better to look at.
