Bugatti · 2005–2015
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engine sports car designed and developed in Germany by the Volkswagen Group and Bugatti, and manufactured in Molsheim, France by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti. It was named after the racing driver Pierre Veyron. The original version has a top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph). It was named the 2000s Car of the Decade by the BBC television programme Top Gear. The standard Veyron also won Top Gear's Best Car Driven All Year award in 2005. The Super Sport version of the Veyron is one of the fastest street-legal production cars in the world, with a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph). The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse was the fastest roadster in the world, reaching an averaged top speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph) in a test on 6 April 2013. The production car speed record was later taken by another Bugatti, the Chiron, and then often changed hands for a while. The Veyron's chief designer was Hartmut Warkuß, with the exterior being designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen. Much of the engineering work was conducted under the guidance of chief technical officer Wolfgang Schreiber. The Veyron includes a sound system designed and built by Burmester Audiosysteme. Several special variants have been produced. In December 2010, Bugatti began offering prospective buyers the ability to customise exterior and interior colours by using the Veyron 16.4 Configurator application on the marque's official website. The Bugatti Veyron was discontinued in late 2014, but special edition models continued to be produced until 2015.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Bugatti EB110
All Bugatti Veyron data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Origins
In May 1998, Volkswagen AG acquired the rights to use the Bugatti logo and the trade name Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. To succeed the EB 110 model produced under the previous ownership, the automaker quickly released a series of concept cars whose technological advancements would culminate in the form of the Veyron 16.4. Between October 1998 and September 1999, Bugatti introduced a series of Giugiaro-designed concept vehicles, each with permanent four-wheel drive and powered by the Volkswagen-designed W18 engine. The first car, the EB 118, was a 2-door luxury coupé presented at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. The next car, the EB 218, was a 4-door saloon presented at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. The third and final car, the 18/3 Chiron, was a mid-engine sports car presented at the 1999 International Motor Show in Frankfurt. In October 1999, Bugatti unveiled a fourth concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. The EB 18/4 Veyron was a mid-engine sports car styled in-house under the direction of Hartmut Warkuß. In 2000, a modified version, the EB 16/4 Veyron, was displayed at motor shows in Detroit, Geneva, and Paris. Rather than the three-bank W18 engine of the four previous concept cars, the EB 16/4 featured the four-bank W16 engine architecture installed in every production example of the Veyron. Warkuß also commissioned SEAT head of design, Walter de Silva, to submit a design proposal for the new Bugatti. The design was ultimately rejected in favour of Warkuß's own proposal. The decision to start production of the car was made by the Volkswagen Group in 2001. The first roadworthy prototype was completed in August 2003. It is identical to the later series variant, except for a few details. In the transition from development to series production, considerable technical problems had to
Bugatti Veyron (2005–2011)
=== Specifications and performance === The Veyron features an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 cylinder engine, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines bolted together. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the configuration of each bank allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cc (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 by 86 mm (3.39 by 3.39 in) bore and stroke. The transmission is a dual-clutch direct-shift computer-controlled automatic transmission having seven gear ratios, with magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds, built by Ricardo of England rather than Borg-Warner, who designed the six speed DSG used in the mainstream Volkswagen Group marques. The Veyron can be driven in either semi-automatic or fully-automatic mode. A replacement transmission for the Veyron costs just over US$120,000. It also has permanent all-wheel drive using the Haldex Traction system. It uses special Michelin PAX run-flat tyres, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron's top speed, and cost US$25,000 per set. The tyres can be mounted on the wheels only in France, a service which costs US$70,000. Kerb weight is 1,888 kg (4,162 lb). This gives the car a power-to-weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group's figures, of 530 PS (390 kW; 523 hp) per ton. The overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7 in), which gives 1,752.6 mm (69.0 in) of overhang. The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators: 3 air-to-liquid intercooler loop radiators 3 engine water-cooling radiators 1 air conditioning condenser 1 transmission oil radiator 1 differential oil radiator 1 engine oil radiator It has a drag coefficient of Cd=0.41 (norm
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (2009–2015)
The targa top version of the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4, dubbed the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, was unveiled at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It has extensive reinforcements to compensate for the lack of a standard roof and small changes to the windshield and running lights. Two removable tops are included, the second a temporary arrangement fashioned after an umbrella. The top speed with the hardtop in place is the same as the standard coupé version, but with the roof removed is limited to 369 km/h (229 mph)—and to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the temporary soft roof. The Grand Sport edition was limited to 150 units, with the first 50 going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers. Production began in the second quarter of 2009. Special editions.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, World Record Edition (2010–2011)
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is a faster, more powerful version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Production was limited to 48 units. The Super Sport has increased engine power output of 1,200 PS (882 kW; 1,183 hp) at 6,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,500 N⋅m (1,106 lb⋅ft) at 3,000–5,000 rpm and a revised aerodynamic package. The Super Sport has been driven as fast as 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph), making it the fastest production road car in the world at the time of its introduction although it is electronically limited to 415 km/h (258 mph) to protect the tyres from disintegrating. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition is a version of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. It is limited to five units. It has an orange body detailing, orange wheels, and a special black exposed carbon body. The electronic limiter is deactivated on this version. The model was unveiled in 2010 at The Quail, followed by the 2010 Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca, and the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Top Speed World Record. On 4 July 2010, James May, a television presenter on BBC Two's television show Top Gear, drove the Veyron Super Sport on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien (near Wolfsburg, Germany) high-speed test track at 417.61 km/h (259.49 mph). Later that day, Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel drove the Super Sport version of the Veyron at the same track to establish the car's top speed. With representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) on hand, Raphanel made passes around the big oval in both directions achieving an average maximum speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph), thus taking back the title from the SSC Ultimate Aero TT as the fastest production vehicle of all time. The 431.072 km/h (267.8
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse (2012–2015)
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is a targa top version of the Veyron Super Sport. The engine in the Vitesse variant has a maximum power output of 1,200 PS (882 kW; 1,183 bhp) at 6,400 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,500 N⋅m (1,100 lb⋅ft) at 3,000–5,000 rpm. These figures allow the car to accelerate from a stand still to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.6 seconds. On normal roads, the Vitesse is electronically limited to 375 km/h (233 mph). The Vitesse was first unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and later at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show and the 2012 São Paulo Motor Show. Special editions. A number of special editions of the Vitesse were made: The World Record Car (WRC) Edition was limited to 8 units, debuted in 2013, and went on sale for €1.99 million. In 2013, Bugatti produced a series of Vitesse dedicated to racing legends, including Jean-Pierre Wimille, Jean Bugatti, Meo Costantini, and Ettore Bugatti. All six models in the Legend series are limited to three vehicles: Records. A Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse driven by the Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu at Volkswagen Group's proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien became the fastest open-top production sports car, with a top speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph). After the world record attempt, Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, President of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S, said "When we introduced the Vitesse, we established the top speed for open-top driving to be 375 km/h. Still, we could not let go of the idea of reaching the 400 km/h mark with this car as well. The fact that we have succeeded in reaching 408.84 km/h is a thrill for me, and it reaffirms once again that Bugatti is the leader when it comes to technology in the international automotive industry." The driver, Anthony Liu, claimed "Even at such high speeds it rem
Specifications (all variants)
== Special editions by car tuners == Bugatti Veyron Linea Vincero. The Bugatti Veyron Linea Vincero is a Veyron 16.4 modified by the German car modification firm Mansory. The Linea Vincero has new wheel rims and new exterior lower bodywork. It extensively uses carbon fibre in the interior and exterior as well. This car, with its interior and exterior customisations, is worth US$1 million more than a standard Veyron 16.4. Bugatti Veyron Linea D'oro. The Bugatti Veyron Linea D'oro is a car made on the basis of the Veyron Grand Sport and the 16.4 by the German car modification firm Mansory. The D'oro's exterior design is identical to its predecessor's but it has a few differences such as the gold paint on the badge, rims and other features. The iconic V-shaped badge is also present on this car's front grille. Bugatti Veyron Linea Viviere. The Bugatti Veyron Linea Viviere (commonly known as the Mansory Viviere) is a car made on the basis of the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport by the German car modification firm Mansory. This car's exterior design features the iconic V-shaped front grille and an additional exhaust system below its rear lights. The interior has been handcrafted and carbon fibre has been extensively used. This car has a second generation known as the Viviere Diamond Edition which has been made on the same basis. This car is the final Veyron Edition tuned by Mansory and has a marble coloured exterior paintwork. The Bugatti Veyron Linea Viviere costs US$2.3 million, making it one of the most expensive Veyrons ever produced.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Bugatti Veyron 16.4
- Manufacturer
- Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
- Production
- 2005–2015 (450 produced), 2005–2011 (Veyron 16.4; 252 produced), 2009–2015 (Grand Sport; 58 produced), 2010–2011 (Super Sport; 48 produced), 2012–2015 (Grand Sport Vitesse; 92 produced)
- Assembly
- France: Alsace, Molsheim
- Designer
- Jozef Kabaň
- Class
- Sports car (S)
- Body style
- 2-door coupé (16.4, Super Sport), 2-door targa top (Grand Sport, Grand Sport Vitesse)
- Related
- Audi Rosemeyer (engine), Bentley Hunaudières
- Layout
- Mid-engine, all-wheel drive
- Engine
- 7993 cc quad-turbocharged Volkswagen W16
- Transmission
- 7-speed Ricardo dual-clutch automatic
- Wheelbase
- 2710 mm
- Length
- 4462 mm
- Width
- 1998 mm
- Height
- 1204 mm
- Kerb weight
- 1838-1990 kg
- sp
- uk
- Successor
- Bugatti Chiron
- Predecessor
- Bugatti EB 110
- Top speed
- 408 km/h
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
US EPA fuel-economy records
| Year | Engine | Drive | Transmission | Fuel | MPG (US) comb. | CO₂ g/mi | EV range mi | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 8.0 L 16-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 10 | 847 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2014 | 8.0 L 16-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 10 | 847 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2013 | 8.0 L 16-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S7) | Premium | 10 | 847 | — | EPA ↗ |
| 2012 | 8.0 L 16-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S7) | Premium | 10 | 889 | — | EPA ↗ |
US EPA test figures (US MPG, US test cycle).
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q172610CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_VeyronCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377210959 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bugatti_Veyron_16.4_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht_(3),_5._April_2012,_D%C3%BCsseldorf.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 de · Photo: M 93 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Manufacturer website (link only) — https://www.bugatti.com/veyron/veyron-164/Link only; no content copied · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.
