In 2008 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was first introduced to the public. Then chassis number one of this exclusive roadster went into auction and was sold for US$2.19 million. Of that amount US$900,000 was donated to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation Charity.
Bugatti will start producing the Grand Sport in very limited numbers - only 150 will roll off the production line in Molsheim, France. The first 50 units will go to existing registered Bugatti customers.
The hyper car, once production starts, will become the fastest and most powerful roadster in the world. It is powered by the same 16-cylinder quad-turbo engine that makes 747kW (1,015hp) and 1,250Nm of peak torque. With the top on it will cover the standard top speed of 407km/h but in topless mode only 360km/h can be reached.
Differences with the hard top include a wider windscreen and daytime running lights. Since the roof has to be removed completely, that is to say it is not attached to the car in any way, if the rain should catch the car while it is some distance away from home then a soft-top roof can be installed. This make-shift unit sits in the storage compartment and works like an umbrella. It will stay on even up to 130km/h.
New equipment added includes a 2.7-inch monitor with a rear view camera and a Puccini sound system.
Rigidity has been enforced to keep the car sturdy and safe in any situation. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using carbon fibre support and additional protection given for side impact collisions and rolling.
First deliveries can be expected in July after all associated costs with the Grand Sport have been settled. That means the price of €1.4 million (US$1.96 million) plus taxes and transportation.
Production start for the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
Media and customers complete first test drives
Last year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California was the setting for the very first public presentation of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. The response was extremely positive and now production of this roadster - limited to 150 units - is to begin at Molsheim. At the same time, the media and customers are taking their first test drives.
The new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport confronted the marque renowned for impeccable automotive solutions, aesthetics and driving dynamics with a whole new set of challenges. In response to customer demand, significant modifications have been made to the vehicle's complex structure so as to enable open-top driving, thereby adding a new dimension to this high-performance sports car. Incorporating a host of new and innovative safety and equipment features, it is the world's fastest and most exciting roadster. It is immediately recognizable as a result of its slightly higher windscreen, stylized daytime running lights, and lightweight, transparent polycarbonate roof.
The main challenge in developing the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport with its removable roof resulted from the unique structure of the fixed-roof Bugatti Veyron. An optimum combination of rigidity and lightweight engineering ensures the monocoque passenger cell of the original model is extremely strong, while weighing an absolute minimum . As the roof is an integral part of the vehicle's structure, removing it meant the load paths had to be completely redesigned to maintain the vehicle's rigidity and crash safety, and to offer additional protection from side impacts and rolling.
As a result, the monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing than any other roadster.
The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fibre, and house an integrated longitudinal beam. In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine now feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection in the event of a roll.
Along with moisture-resistant, backstitched leather, a range of new equipment features has been added to the interior, including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor integrated in the rear-view-mirror, and the "Puccini" sound system with digital signal processor.
When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 360 km/h are possible with the roof off. Should it rain, an innovative soft-top roof, like an umbrella, stored in the luggage compartment, can be opened up at any time. With this soft top in place, the car can travel at up to 130 km/h.
More than just an open Veyron
"When I had the chance to test-drive the new Grand Sport for the first time myself, I was filled with excitement", said Pierre Henri Raphanel, Bugatti's Pilot official, "as soon I shifted into second gear, I knew this was a completely different car. I could immediately feel the difference. Even with the roof still on, in the tips of my fingers and at the base of my spine everything was more present, more intimate. More precise with less understeer, almost as if you had taken away some filters from the suspension and the steering." The former Le Mans winner has probably driven more kilometres in a Veyron than anyone else,
presenting the car to numerous customers and the press. Taking off the roof "the excitement comes directly from the engine - giving you the feeling that you had a horsepower factory just thirty centimetres behind your head, trying to suck you up and swallow you," he raves.
Assembled by hand at the company's headquarters in Molsheim, Alsace, the Grand Sport will be delivered from July 2009 onwards at a price of 1.4 million euros (excluding taxes and transportation). Just 150 units will be made, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers. So far 30 Grand Sports have been ordered. The Chassis Number one auctioned at the Pebble Beach Auction by Gooding and Company last summer and sold for 3.19 million Dollar. The additional revenues of 900.000 Dollar were donated by Bugatti to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation Charity.
Dragos_DreS
May 27, 2009 12:02 AM
