Car of the Month – June, 2023
2006 Bugatti Veyron
2006 Bugatti Veyron
Engine – 488 CID Quad-turbocharged/Intercooled DOHC 64-Valve W16, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Transmission – 7-speed Manual, automated shifting and clutch
Horsepower – 1001 hp @ 6000 rpm, 922 ft-lbs of torque @ 2200 rpm
Curb weight – 4,300 lbs
0-60 time – 2.9 seconds
1/4 mile time – 10.8 seconds @ 140 mph
Top speed – 253 mph (electronically governed)
Number built – 450 (2005-2015)
MSRP price –$1,250,000.00
Achieving 1001 horsepower in a racing engine is one thing, but to do so in a reliable, refined, durable, and emissions-legal street configuration is much harder. The engine in the Veyron is a quad-turbocharged W16 (essentially, two mated V8s), displacing 488ci. That’s about as much engine output as two Corvette Z06 V8s. This much engine produces a lot of heat; to address this, the Veyron uses an array of nine separate radiators. To help heat escape from the engine compartment, the big W16 sits in the open, with no enclosure cover of any kind.
There are three selectable driving modes. Normal mode maintains maximum ride height and a clean body. Handling mode drops the body and extends the rear spoiler and wing. Top-speed mode drops even lower and leaves just a bit of wing showing. When braking in the handling mode, the wing tilts up even more to increase drag and rear downforce.
The fastest speed for the Veyron is about 230 mph until you put the car into top-speed mode. This involves coming to a stop and, while the car is idling, turning a key in a lock on the floor to the left of the driver’s seat. When you do that, the car sinks down even lower on its suspension, until ground clearance has been reduced to a mere 2.6 inches in front and 2.8 in the rear.
An automotive marvel of the 21stCentury, the Bugatti Veyron remains one of the fastest production cars in the world with a top speed of over 250 mph. As Ettore Bugatti once said, “Nothing is too beautiful and nothing is too expensive.”