Though the Bugatti brand goes back a century to the dawn of the automotive age, since 2005 the company has only made one unmistakable model, the Veyron. Technically, though, as of this year, it makes four versions of the Bugatti Veyron: the original coupe, the Pur Sang coupe variation, the Hermes-branded coupe, and the new Grand Sport roadster. Any way you slice it, a Veyron is going to set you back a minimum of $1.5 million.
Every configuration of the 16.4, as the current production version of the Veyron is called, starts with the curvaceous two-tone body. The small, arched grille is similar to the horseshoe-shaped grille found on Bugattis of old, with the oval "Bugatti" emblem in the center.
- 16-cylinders and 4-wheel drive (16.4, get it?)
- 1,001 hp from an 8-liter engine
- 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds, 253 mph top speed
- $1,500,000 for the base model
Key Features
The Pur Sang
"Pur sang" is French for "pureblood," which sounds a little creepy. Bugatti intends it to mean the distillation of auto design and the driving experience to their purest form. The Pur Sang variation of the Bugatti Veyron was created for the 2008 model year, and its body still carries the two-tone theme of the base model. This time, however, the bi-color effect is acheived not with paint but with clear-coated carbon and aluminum body panels.
Hold on, though, lottery winners and captains of industry. If your dream car is a Pur Sang, keep dreaming. Bugatti only built five, and they were spoken for long before they rolled off the assembly line, even at the $2 million mark.
But at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Sang Bleu made its debut in honor of the company's 100th anniversary. The convertible's striking appearance comes courtesy of blue carbon fiber and polished aluminum. The Grand Sport open-topped roadster is limited to 150 examples, and this $2-million plus one-off edition counts toward that total.
The Hermes Fbg
Famed French design house Hermes has made its mark on the Bugatti Veyron with this special edition. Never heard of Hermes? Their lusted-after Birkin bags, named for actress Jane Birkin, can sell for nearly $100,000, to give you some idea of their status in the fashion world. Keeping with the Veyron's two-tone scheme, the Fbg is available in special color combos, including indigo blue and lime green. Even the grille takes on Hermes' signature locking-H motif.
The hand-processed leather interior of the Fbg was produced in Hermes' workshops and bears the leather maker's stamp. Why Fbg? It's a reference to the fashion house's headquarters on the rue de Fauborg Saint Honore in Paris. Like the Pur Sang, the price tag for this special-edition Veyron is around $2 million.
The Grand Sport
The roadster edition of the 16.4, called the Grand Sport, debuted at the Pebble Beach auction held by Gooding and Company in August 2008. The auction house sold the rights to chassis #1--which had not yet been built--for $2.9 million, not including the 10% auction premium.
The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport does go topless, but not as much as most convertibles. The company calls it "open topped," which is as good a description as any. The tinted glass roof can be removed and stored inside the car, and there is a fabric canopy that can be popped up in a pinch if the open car gets caught out in the rain.
The company recommends that the roadster not exceed 217 mph with the top removed, which shouldn't be a challenge. That glorified umbrella, though, will only stay on up to about 80 mph. What do you expect for a probable $2 million retail price tag?
- Wheelbase: 106 inches
- Length: 175 inches
- Width: 78 inches
- Height: 47 inches
- Weight: 4,162 pounds
- Fuel Economy: 10 mpg combined
