In 1998 Volkswagen decided to resurrect the famous Bugatti name, and announced that their first new car, called the Veyron, would be the fastest production road car ever with a top speed that would eclipse the mighty Mclaren F1. To achieve that aim took over seven years of testing and development, and resulted in a critically acclaimed car that would cost over one million dollars.
The Veyron is named after a French Bugatti racing driver from the 1930's who went on to win the 1939 Le Mans in a 57C Bugatti. However, whilst the name of the car was set firmly in the past, Bugatti would have to push the limits and boundaries of automotive technology to achieve their aims.
In order to reach its 253mph top speed the Veyron is powered by a 8.3 litre W16 engine, the W configuration is achieved by joining two separate V8's together at the crankshaft. The resulting engine has a quoted power output of 1001PS or 987bhp, although it is an open secret that the real output is more likely to be around 1035bhp.
To contain the 1250NM of torque that the engine produced, Bugatti turned to the specialised gearbox manufacturer Ricardo in Great Britain, who came up with a seven speed, twin clutch direct shift gearbox controlled by paddles behind the steering wheel. The seamless shift system allows the Veyron to reach sixty in just 2.4 seconds.
Having designed an engine and gearbox that could take them to their planned top speed Bugatti needed to make sure the Veyron had suitable brakes and tyres to cope with extraordinary forces it could produce. Michelin produced the run-flat road tyres capable of surviving the 253 mph top speed, whilst silicon carbide reinforced carbon brakes and a huge rear spoiler, which acts as an airbrake above 124 mph, ensured that the Veyron could reach a standstill from 249 mph in just 10 seconds.
Inside the Veyron it is easy to see why this supercar weighs over 1.8 tons. It contains all the refinement you would expect in a luxury saloon, including exquisite leather trim for the seats and surrounds and bespoke aluminium controls for the car lights and sound system. The owner also a receives a special top speed key, which retracts the rear spoiler, closes the front air vents and lowers the ride height to 6.5 cm in preparation for a high speed run.
Externally the Veyron looks very similar to the early concept car, however much of its shape and form has been driven by the need to achieve high speed stability and cooling. In fact the Veyron has an incredible 10 radiators, which provide cooling for everything from the engine and transmission through to the hydraulic fluid that is used to raise the rear spoiler.
In every way the Veyron sets new standards for the ultimate supercar, and in these tough economic times it may be quite a while until will see those performance figures bettered.
Jo Alexander writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote but should be considered professional content.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jo_Alexander
