The Bugatti Veyron – soaring to success

The chance of an Australian panel shop having to work on a Bugatti Veyron would be slim at best, but we thought it would be nice to have a look at this marquee’s latest, limited-production machine that will produce 1001hp and propel the occupants at an incredible 400-plus km/h.

Only 300 of the Veyrons, launched to the media in 2005,  will be built and to date just over 200 have rolled out of the  company’s factory, the Atelier, in Molsheim, near Strasbourg, in France.

The car is assembled by a group of 20 highly specialised technicians. In teams of five they follow the car from beginning to end. They are fully in charge from the moment the engine is rolled into the assembly hall on a trolley until the finished car rolls out of the Atelier under its own power and on its proper wheels.

The  Veyron is an impressive platform of top end automotive technology and – loyal to Bugatti’s heritage “nothing is too expensive, nothing is too beautiful” – only the best parts and materials in the trade are used in the production process, and it is a truly international car.

One of the key – and most sophisticated parts -  is the seven-speed-sequential-DSG double-clutch gearbox made by motor sport specialists Ricardo in the UK, while the unique 16 cylinder-8.0-litre-engine comes from the Salzgitter Volkswagen plant in Germany.

The tyres – the first production tyres in the industry homologated for speeds above 400 km/h – are a joint development with Michelin. The carbon fibre monocoque is built by ATR in Italy, the front and rear structure in forged aluminium by Heggemann in Germany and the bespoke carbon-ceramic brakes by AP Racing in Great Britain.

The paintwork is German, the leather Austrian and the windscreen is manufactured in Finland.

In an interesting twist, Bugatti limits the W16’s output to a merge 750ph until the owner has completed the Bugatti driving course, at which point the governor is removed and the full brunt of 1001ph is unleashed.

And if you are wondering where these vehicles are ending up, more than 30 per cent of the Bugatti Veyron orders are tagged for the US, traditionally by far the most important market for luxury cars. The US is followed by Germany with 19 per cent of total orders have been placed by German customers to date.

The United Kingdom, classically a country with a very strong link to the legendary Bugatti brand, is third with 16 per cent and the Middle East comes fourth with about 15 per cent.


December 9-11
Automechanika,
Shanghai, China
Organiser: Messe Frankfurt
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November 19
Australian Accident Repair Network
National Meeting
Melbourne
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Diary 2010

February 11-14  
Automechanika,
Rome, Italy
Organiser: Messe Frankfurt
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March 10-12
Automechanika,
Moscow, Russia
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June
Automechanika,
Toronto, Canada
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September 14-19
Automechanika,
Frankfurt, Germany
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November 3-6
Automechanika,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Organiser: Messe Frankfurt
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