BUGATTI VEYRON

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a rear mid-engined grad touring car. The Super Sport version is the fastest road-legal car in the world, with a top speed of 431,07 km/h (267,85 mph).          

Designed and developed by the German Volkswagen Group and produced by Bugatti Automobiles SAS at their headquartes in Chateau St. Jean in Molsheim, France, the Veyro’n chief designer was Hartmut Warkuss, and the exterior was designed by Jozef Kaban of Volkswagen, with much of the engeneering work being conducted under guidance of former Peterbilt engineer and now Bugatti Engineering chief Schreiber.

The car is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti company. It was named Car of the Decade (2000-2009) by the BBC television programme TOP GEAR.

The Veyron features an 8.0 litre W16 engine sixteen cylinderes in four banks of four, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines        mated in a W configuration. Each cylinder has a four valves for a total of sixtyfour, but the narrow staggered eight configuration allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbocharges and displaces 7,993 cubic centimetres with a square 86 by 86 mm bore and stroke.

The transmission is a dual-cluch direct-shift gearbox computer-controlled automatic with seven gear ratios, with magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds, by Ricardo of England rather than Borg-Warner who designed the six speed DSG used in the mainstream Volkswagen Group marques. The Veyron can be driven in either semi or fully-automatic mode. A replacement transmission or the Veyron cost just over $120,000. It also has a permanent four wheel drive using the Haldex Traction System. It uses special Michelin PAX run flat tires, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron’s top speed, which reportedly cost $25,000 US per set.  The tires can be removed from the rims only in France, a service which reportedly costs $70,000.

Curb weight is 2,034.8 kilograms (4,486 lb). This gives the car a power to weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group’s 1,0001 metric horsepower (736kW; 987bhp) figures of 446.3 metric horsepower (328kW; 440bhp) per ton.

The car’s wheelbase is 2,710mm (106.7in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7in), width 1,998 mm (78.7 in) and height 1,204 mm (47.4 in).

The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators:

-          3 heat exchangers for the air-to-liquid intercoolers

-          3 engine radiators

-          1 for the air conditioning system

-          1 transmission oil radiator

-          1 differential oil radiator

-          1 engine oil radiator

Engine output

According to Volkswagen Group and certified by TUV Suddeutschland, the final production Veyron engine produces 1,001 metric horsepower (736kW; 987 bhp) of motive power, and generates 1,250 nwton metres (922 ft-lbf) of torque. The nominal figure has been stated by Bugatti officials to be conservative, with the real total being 1,020 metric horsepower.

Super Sport Edition

The Veyron Super Sport features an engine power incrase from the standard 1,001 metric horsepower to 1,200 metric horsepower with torque of 1,500 N-m and a revised aerodynamics package. It was shown publicly for the first time on August 2010.

Bugatti’s official test driver Pierre Henri Raphael drove the Super Sport version of the Veyron on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien high-speed oval to establish the car’s top speed. With representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and German Technical Inspection Agency (TUV) on hand, Raphanel made passes around the big oval in both directions achieving an avarage maximum speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mhp). Once produced for sale, the first five Super Sport will sport the same black and orange finish as the first production car, which was used to set the speed record, and all production models will be electronically limited to 415km/h (258mph) to protect the tires.

Top speed

The top speed of the original version was verified by James May on Top Gear in November 2006, again at Volkswagen’s private Ehra-Lessien test track. Jeremy Clarkson, driving a Veyron from Italy to London, noted that at top speed the engine consumes 10,000 imperial gallons (45,000L) of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days).

The Veyron accelerates from 0-60mph in 2.4 seconds and has the fastest top speed of any street legal production car. Once back in the Top Gear studio, James was asked by co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson what the Veyron felt like to drive at 407 km/h (253mph), May replied that it was “totally undramatic” and very stable at speed. It only wobbled slightly as the air brake moved in the vertical position to slow the car down at lower speeds.

German inspection officials recorded an avarage top speed of 408.47 km/h (253.81mph) during test sessions on the Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005. On 4 July 2010, Bugatti’s official driver Pierre Henri Raphanel piloted the Super Sport edistion and was clocked at an average of 431.072 km/h (267.856mph) on the same track, taking back the title of the fastest production vehicle of all time from the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. The 431.072 km/h mark was reached by averaging  the Super Sport’s two test runs, the first topping out at 427.93 km/h and the second at 434.20 km/h. The record was certified by the German govermment and the Guinnness Book of World Records.

The car’s everyday top speed is listed at 350 km/h (220 mph). When the car reaches 220km/h (140mph), the hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 9 cm (3.5 in). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. This is the handling mode, in which the wings help provide 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road. The driver must, using a special key (the top speed key, toggle the lock to the left of his seat in order to attain the maximum speed of 407 km/h. The key functions only when the vehicle is sse at a stop, when a checklist then establishes whether the car and it’s driver are reay to enable top speed mode. If all systems are go, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers shut and the groun clearance, normally 12.5 cm (4.9 in) drops to 6.5 cm (2.6in).  

            Braking

            The Veyron’s brake use cross drilled, radially vented carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite discs, manufactured by SGL Carbon, which have a much greater resistence to brake fade when compared with conventional cast iron discs. The lightweight aluminium alloy monobloc brake calipers are made by AP Racing; the fronts have eight titanium pistons and the rear calipers have six pistons.

            Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 g on road tires. As an added safety feature, in the event of brake failure, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) has also been installed on the handbrake.

            Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 g braking from 312 km/h (194 mph) to 80 km/h (50 mph) without fade. With the car’s acceleration from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 312 km/h (194 mph), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 200 km/h ( 120 mph), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55º angle in 0.4 seconds once the brakes are applied, providing an additional 0.68 g (6.66m/s) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback).

            Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400 km/h (250 mhp) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds, though distance covered in this time will be a third of a mile.

            Specifications and statistics

            Improved aerodynamics kit, 1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp) 1,500 nwton metres (1,100 ft – lbf) torque engine upgrade. It has a 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) top speed, making it the fastest road car in production, although it is electronically limited to 415.07 km/h (257.91 mph) to protect the tires from disintegrating.

            The first five of an unannounced debut was at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August 2010. It is valued at £1.7 milion and Bugatti have stated that only 30 will be produced.

            The Super Sport was featured on Series 15, Episode 5 of Top Gear, where presented, James May attempted to set the speed record. It managed 259.11 mph ( 417.00 km/h), briefly setting a new production car speed record. Later in the day though, one of Bugatti’s test drivers (Pierre Henri Raphael) broke May’s previous record, claiming it through runs in both directions (may only did one run in one direction) and topped the lap leader board with a 1:16.8 time, beating the 1:17.1 record set previously by the Gumpert Apollo Sport.

            Critisisms and comments

            Gordon Murray, designer of McLaren F1 (which for many years was the fastest production car ever built) said the following about the Bugatti Veyron in UK auto magazine evo during it’s development period:

“ The most pointless exercise on the planet has got to be this four-wheel-drive thousand-horsepower Bugatti. I think it’s incredibly childish this thing people have about just one element-top speed or standind kilometre or 0-60. It’s about as narrow minded as you can get as a car designer to pick on one element. It’s like saying we’re going to beat the original Mini beacause we’re going to make a care 10 mph faster on it’s top speed- but it’s two foot longer and 200 kilos heavier. That’s not car designing – that just reeks of a company who are paraniod…”

            Murray later brought up and criticized Volkswagen for “scammimg” car buyers in the 90s for buying the cheapest parts possible for the production of Jettas and Golfs, allowing Volkswagen to make a larger profit off their car sales, funding the construction of the Bugatti Veyron. However, Murray was impressed with the Veyron’s engine and transmission after he test drove one for Road Track Magazine.

            On Top Gear the car has recived considerable praise from all three presenters. While initially skeptical in 2004 that the Veyron would even be produced, Jeremy Clarckson later declared the Veyron “ the greatest piece of engineering ever. No, I’m sorry, this is the greatest car ever made and the greatest car we will ever see in our lifetime”

            A few episodes later, James May drove the Veyron at the VW test track and tookit to it’s top speed of 253 mph (407.16km/h). During the second episode of the 13^th season, Richard Hammond raced the Veyron against the McLaren F1 driven by The Stig in one mile drag race in Adu Dhabi, commenting on Bugatti’s “amazing technical achievement” versus the “non-gizmo” racing purity of the F1. While the F1 was quicker off the line and remained ahead until both cars were travelling at arpoximately 200 km/h, the Bugatti overtook its competitor from 200 to 300 km/h, and emerged the victor. Hammond has stated that he did not use the Veyron’s launch control in order to make  the race more interesting.

            The Veyron also won the award for the Car of the Decade in Top Gear’s end of 2009 award show.

Source:wikipedia.org