Purchased by Volkswagen a few years ago, the Bugatti name earned fame on sports and racing cars built by Ettore Bugatti in France during the 1920s and 1930s. The nameplate was gone by the mid '50s, and though several revivals were attempted since, they went nowhere.
But VW has poured a ton of money and engineering talent to ensure success for the Veyron (named for a famous 1930s-era Bugatti race driver). The result is arguably the most fantastic road car ever built.
| 2006 Bugatti Veyron | |||
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Imagine: No less than 1000 horsepower from a fiendishly complex 16-cylinder W-configuration engine with four turbochargers puffing away right behind a luxurious two-seat coupe cockpit. The transmission? A 7-speed sequential manual with automatic mode. Despite weighing some 4300 pounds, the Veyron is claimed to rip 0-60 mph in just 2.5 seconds and will exceed 250 mph. To handle that kind of speed it uses huge brakes and tires, plus a racing-style suspension that automatically lowers the car for reduced drag at higher speeds, when a pop-up rear spoiler deploys for added stability. Only 50 or so can be built each year each, costing a cool million apiece. |
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 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show |
