Bugatti auto news

Confirmed: Bugatti orders two more years worth of transmissions... but where are they going?

The automotive industry tends to work by certain norms and patterns. For example, by the time one model is ready to be phased out, we usually have a pretty good idea of how its replacement is shaping up and when it will appear. But Bugatti, of course, is no typical automaker.

The House that Ettore Built has, for the past seven years, subsisted on the Veyron alone. Don't get us wrong, it's one heck of an automobile around which to build a brand, but it won't be around forever. In fact, Bugatti announced a while ago that Veyron production was running its course and nearing its end. The open topped Grand Sport, as it turns out, was outside that original allotment, but even that is nearing the end of its road.

So you can imagine our surprise when Ricardo, the company that makes the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for the Veyron, announced today that it had extended its contract with Bugatti for another two years. Which would be straightforward enough if there were cars in which Bugatti would be installing said transmissions, but as we already established, the marque's sole product is nearing the end of its life-cycle, with no replacement in sight.

So where are these transmissions going? There can only be a few explanations. One is that Bugatti is planning to extend Veyron production with another derivative - likely the Super Grand Sport that is expected to combine the removable roof panel on the Grand Sport with the more powerful engine and bodywork of the Super Sport. Another is that the Galibier - a four-door super-sedan in the pipeline at Bugatti's Molsheim, France HQ - is closer than previously expected, but that model is expected to shift to a different type of transmission altogether.

One possibility we can't quite accept is that Bugatti is stockpiling components as substantial as a gearbox without having a model in which to install them, so watch this space for more news. In the meantime, scope out the press release after the jump to inspect for yourself.

Continue reading Bugatti orders two more years worth of transmissions... but where are they going?

Official: Bugatti showcases the Bumblebee of Veyrons in Qatar

With a gazillion color options for every little part of the Bugatti Veyron, there's no reason why any two examples should be alike. (Except for maybe an inverse correlation between wealth and imagination.) So it would stand to reason that every Bugatti should be considered a special edition of one. And that certainly appears to be the case, as the French marque seems to bring out another special edition at every possible opportunity.

That opportunity last arose at the Dubai Motor Show, where Bugatti presented three unique examples of the Veyron Grand Sport, the vehicle that holds the title of "world's fastest convertible." Now the elite marque is returning to the Persian Gulf for the Qatar Motor Show with what appears (to our eyes, at least) to be one of the same examples, decked out in yellow and black - said to be founder Ettore Bugatti's favorite color combination. Thoughtfully, however, they've provided a brace of new real-world photos.

The lower part of the body has been done up in lacquered carbon fiber, the upper part in bright yellow and the wheels in black along. Inside, the center console has likewise been finished in black, with seats clad in yellow leather with black stitching and the inverse for the dashboard, wheel and shifter.

While Molsheim apparently didn't feel the need to give this particular example a unique name, they might as well have. And for a few euros extra, we're sure they'd be glad to. As it stands, Bumblebee's aristocratic Alsatian cousin is available for a princely 1.58 million euros - a little over two million in dead presidents. But if this particular color combination isn't to your liking, 45 out of the original allotment of 150 units are still available to order, with prices starting at 1.4 million euros. Check out more details in the official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Bugatti showcases the Bumblebee of Veyrons in Qatar

Video: Drag-off: Bugatti Veyron vs. tuned Nissan GT-R

The Nissan GT-R has earned itself a hard-won reputation as a giant slayer. The relatively low-buck supercar can embarrass more expensive hardware right out of the box. Spend a little time and money throwing a few aftermarket parts toward the Nissan and you can easily have a vehicle capable of giving vehicles like the Bugatti Veyron a scare.

Take the videos after the jump, for example. The two clips show off a drag race between a mildly-tuned GT-R and a bone-stock Veyron. While the Bug gets an early lead on the more plebeian racer, the GT-R makes up the gap quickly.

Who wins? We won't spoil it for you. You'll have to hit the jump to see the show down from two different angles for yourself. However, we will say we'd like to see a rematch with a sharper reaction time from the GT-R driver.

Continue reading Drag-off: Bugatti Veyron vs. tuned Nissan GT-R

Video: Bugatti says "Happy Birthday" with unique Veyron Super Sport Edition Merveilleux

It's not every day that a unique Bugatti debuts. But it sure seems that way. The ultra-high-end automaker cranks out unique one-off versions of the Veyron for discerning and well-heeled customers around the world, and this is their latest.

Called the Edition Merveilleux (from the French for "marvelous"), this special Super Sport model is distinguished by an unpainted carbon fiber body, blacked-out alloys and brightwork, and a bright blue interior. It was apparently made for a Chinese buyer named Simon as a 40th birthday present to himself, and stands as the only Super Sport sold to date in China.

The video after the jump contains about all the information there is to discern on this unique model, and includes personal salutations to the buyer from Bugatti's chief executive, general manager, sales manager and test driver. Follow the jump to catch a glimpse of how the other half lives.

Continue reading Bugatti says "Happy Birthday" with unique Veyron Super Sport Edition Merveilleux

Report: Infamous Bugatti offshore excursion going to trial for insurance fraud [w/video]

It appears the gentleman who piloted his Bugatti Veyron into a Texas lagoon has run into a spot of legal trouble. The insurance company that paid out $2 million for the trashed exotic is calling fraud on the whole scenario, and a federal judge has decided that the claim should go before a jury. Andy House of Lufkin, Texas, originally purchased the Veyron after securing an interest-free $1 million loan from Lloyd Gillespie. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company alleges House attempted to pay a confidential informant to steal the Bugatti and set it on fire so that he could later claim insurance on the vehicle and double Gillespie's initial investment.

Before that could happen, however, House drove the Veyron into a salt water marsh. Amateur video captured the vehicle calmly exiting the paved surface and splashing down, and House later said that he had swerved to avoid a pelican on the road while trying to pick up a dropped cell phone. The vehicle's owner then left the supercar idling in the salt water for 15 minutes until the vehicle died of its own accord. House claimed that he was being bitten by mosquitos at the time and didn't want to return to the car to turn off the engine.

The insurance company also claims that the collector's car policy House took out on the vehicle doesn't apply in this case since House violated the terms of the policy. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company claims House put over 1,200 miles on the vehicle in the three weeks he owned it. Hit the jump to check out the video once again.

Continue reading Infamous Bugatti offshore excursion going to trial for insurance fraud [w/video]

Official: Bugatti brings three special Veyron Grand Sports to Dubai

Production of the original Bugatti Veyron may have drawn to a close, but that doesn't mean the end of the Veyron altogether. Of the 150 examples of the Grand Sport earmarked for production, only 45 of them have been accounted for. That leaves another - carry the two, divide by the square-root of pi - 105 examples still available for order. And no two of them are likely to end up the same.

That's because Bugatti offers a nearly endless array of customization options both inside and out, the permutations of which could stand to overshadow even its seven-figure price tag. And so to demonstrate what can be done with a Veyron, Bugatti has brought three specially outfitted examples to no less fitting a location than the Dubai Motor Show.

The first example is the most garish, but combines founder Ettore Bugatti's favorite colors - black and yellow - with bright yellow bodywork contrasting with the exposed carbon fiber and black wheels. The second employs blue carbon fiber and anodized aluminum, and the third incorporates a newly developed weave of green carbon fiber along with polished aluminum. Each features matching wheels as well as an individually-tailored interior.

If you're not planning on hitting the Persian Gulf for the exposition, you can check 'em out in the high-res gallery above and the press release after the jump. And if you like what you see and manage to get to it before the oil-rich sheikhs do, you can place your order: 1.58 million euros (approximately $2.15M) will get you the bumblebee example, while the uniquely-tinted carbon examples are available at 1.74 million euros ($2.37M) per.

Continue reading Bugatti brings three special Veyron Grand Sports to Dubai

Video: Bugatti Veyron vs. Koenigsegg CCXR in white hot drag race

Cars don't get much faster than the Bugatti Veyron and Koenigsegg CCXR. You want to go any faster, you'll need a top-fuel dragster or a Bonneville land speed record machine. That's why the two have been at each other's throats for as long as they've been around.

While the two insane supercars may seem similar on paper - two seats, mid-engine, 1,000 horsepower, stratospheric pricetag - their approach could hardly have been any different. One was the sum of all of an industrial giant's considerable resources, the other the project of a start-up with a dream.

So which is faster in a straight line, the all-wheel-drive heavyweight or the rear-drive sprite? Somebody somewhere put the two together and raced them from a 60-km/h (37 miles per hour) rolling start all the way up past 310 km/h (192 mph). Follow the jump to see how it went down.

Continue reading Bugatti Veyron vs. Koenigsegg CCXR in white hot drag race

'92 Honda Civic thinks its a Veyron, makes us chuckle

Dressing up budget hatchbacks to appear to be something more than they are seems to be all the rage these days. Toyota iQ becomes Aston Martin Cygnet. Mini Cooper becomes the Rolls-Royce-inspired Goodwood edition. Even the Fiat 500 has had its Tributo Ferrari. But while most of these kinda make our eyes roll a little (or a lot), this latest privateer entry into their ranks just makes us chuckle.

Someone, it seems, took a fifth-generation (1992-95) Honda Civic hatchback and dressed it up to look like a mini-me Bugatti Veyron, complete with two-tone Rape Yellow and black paint job. And you know what? It doesn't look half bad.

Sure, the wheels don't match, and yes, it is downright comical to dress up a car that should barely sell for more than $2,000 to look like one that costs over a million. But while it may be missing a few cylinders - make that a few cylinder banks, and the quad turbos - it manages to tickle our funny bone in a way few other gussied-up premium hatchbacks can.

eBay Find of the Day: 1974 Lincoln-based 'Bugatti' is a piece of work

We've come to expect varying levels of insanity from eBay Motors. The site is like a magnet for the one-off, the strange and the bizarre, which is part of why we love it. This machine is no different. Based on an unspecified 1974 Lincoln, the vehicle has received a full cosmetic makeover in the image of a Bugatti. Which Bugatti? The owner isn't saying, but there's no mistaking what lurks behind that big hoop grille as a French creation.

Now, we typically cringe at the over-application of fiberglass in any custom vehicle, which is part of what makes this Bug/Lincoln hybrid unique. The owner says that each body panel is crafted from aluminum, meaning that there are no seams, cracks, or, for that matter, rust. While not to our tastes, this creative rebody seems to have been done to a significantly higher standard than most of these sorts of misadventures. Either way, it isn't immediately clear if this is a one-off, or if someone built a small run of these things.

Inside, the interior has been given the mohair treatment along with a set of "European gauges." The castrated 460-cubic-inch V8 from the Lincoln is still tucked behind the headlights, but the engine is now concealed by a butterfly hood which should make working on the lump even more difficult than before. Wonders never cease. Head over to eBay Motors for a closer look. As of the time of writing, the auction carries a Buy It Now price of $39,950, but prospective buyers are welcome to make an offer.

Report: Bugatti Galibier redesign pushes launch date back to 2015

It's all anyone seemed to talk about at time time, but years later, does anyone really care how long it took for Bugatti to develop the Veyron and get it out on the market? Not really. But it looks like the elite automaker is about to embark down the same path with its next model.

According to reports, the return to the drawing board to redesign parts of the Galibier concept car into the production Royale that's expected to follow will take a few years. As a result, we aren't to expect to see the four-door super-sedan - whatever it will be called in the end - in production form until 2015 at the earliest.

The question is, with production of the standard Veyron now completed and only variants like the Grand Sport and Super Sport still finishing out their production runs, what will Bugatti do in the meantime?