The World's Fastest Production Car

So you think you’ve driven some fast cars, eh? Some real monsters?

Well you haven’t truly driven fast until you’ve driven a Bugatti Veyron 16.4. You’re looking at the fastest production car in the world. Its quad turbocharged 16-cylinder engine can thrust you to 100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and can pull to a top speed of over 400 km/h. Ferrari Enzos, McLaren F1s and Porsches turn pink with embarrassment when the Bugatti blasts by.

The Veyron (named after the famous 1930s Bugatti racing driver, Pierre Veyron) traces its roots back to the Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron concept car of 1999. The 18/4 concept looks very similar to the production Veyron but, as its name implies, the 18/4 was powered by an 18-cylinder engine – essentially three banks of 6-cylinders in a W configuration.

In 2001, Volkswagen (who acquired Bugatti in 1998) officially announced production of the Veyron – but not in its concept car configuration. Instead of using the W18 engine, the production car would adopt a W16 engine with quad turbochargers – a configuration necessary to meet the target power output of 1001ps (736kW) and top speed of over 400 km/h. Later that year, it was announced that the car – now called the Veyron 16.4 – would be go into assembly in 2003.

But things didn’t go to script.

The Veyron was pushing the boundaries of driveline, suspension, tyre, brake and aerodynamic design and, inevitably, there were some problems. One prototype was destroyed in a crash, another spun at a press demonstration at Laguna Seca and a scheduled press drive had to be cancelled just days before commencement. Production was put on hold indefinitely. But with a change of management, the Veyron project was again given momentum. A completed production version was put on display in Tokyo during late 2005.

The Veyron’s W16 engine is a masterpiece. From the outside, the W16 engine looks like a traditional V engine with 8 cylinders in each bank. However, each of those banks comprises two sets of four cylinders separated by a 15 degree offset. The 15 degree offset allows each cylinder to be placed close to its neighbour which keeps the engine relatively compact.

Each of those 16 cylinders breathes through four valves and the narrow 15 degree offset within each bank of cylinders allows the use of just four camshafts – two per bank. Output is increased through the use of quad turbochargers pumping in up to around 18 psi boost. Static compression ratio is around 9:1. Continuously variable cam timing, direct fuel injection, twin water-to-air intercoolers, a titanium exhaust and dry sump lubrication system are also incorporated.

Of course, generating over 1001ps (736kW) from a quad turbocharged engine calls for a huge amount of heat exchange capacity. The Veyron packs a total of ten radiators to cool everything from the engine and intercoolers to the gearbox and hydraulic actuated rear spoiler. Roof-mounted snorkels and the absence of an engine cover are also part of the engine’s cooling strategy.

Output?

Bugatti officially claims 1001ps (736kW) at 6000 rpm but, really, you’re talking more like 1020 – 1040ps (750 – 765kW). And you can bank on even more power in cold ambient conditions. Peak torque is an astonishing 1250Nm spread from 2200 – 5500 rpm – on-road flexibility is incredible.

So how do you put so much grunt to the bitumen?

Volkswagen enlisted Ricardo (British manufacturer of F1 gearboxes) to purpose develop a gearbox strong enough to cope with the turbocharged W16 over a long service life. The result is a clutch-less DSG electronically controlled gearbox with seven ratios accessible through the on-wheel paddle shifters. The trans can also be driven in fully auto mode.

To ensure maximum performance and safety, the Veyron employs full-time AWD. The AWD system uses a Haldex multi-plate clutch and can deliver up to 100 percent of engine output to the front or rear axle. The rear axle also has a locking mechanism.

For the Veyron, Michelin was enlisted to design a set of Pilot Sport tyres capable of over 400 km/h. The tyres also feature a run-flat system (which negate the need for a spare tyre) and a warning system to inform the driver of sudden or gradual losses of tyre pressure. Recommended tyre pressure is 3 Bar (44 psi).

Stir 1001ps together with a seven-speed ‘box and AWD and the Veyron is the machine to rewrite the record books. Nought to 100 km/h takes 2.5 seconds while 0 – 200 km/h takes just 7.3 seconds. Top speed is 407 km/h - proven. Fuel consumption is almost as alarming. At full power, the engine guzzles more than 180-litres of 98 RON fuel per 100km – its 100-litre tank dry in little over 12 minutes...

The 1001ps engine is mid-mounted in a two-seater, two-door cocoon. At 4465 x 2000 x 1205mm (LWH), the Veyron is extremely wide and long. The monocoque is made from carbon fibre, as are most of the body panels – the guards and doors are aluminium. Kerb weight is kept down to 1888kg.

Interestingly, after the quad turbo engine had been tuned to deliver 1001ps, the prototype Veyron fell considerably short of its 400 km/h target speed. Extra power wasn’t really an option, so the solution was a huge amount of aerodynamic development – the Veyron effectively changes its aerodynamic shape depending on speed.

Driving at sane speeds, the Veyron looks smooth as there are no stand-out wings and spoilers. However, push the speedo needle past 220 km/h and car automatically adopts ‘handling mode’. The ride height drops from 125mm to 80mm and 90mm front and rear respectively. At the same time, a wing deploys from the rear deck and adopts a 15 degree angle of attack. A pair of under-body flaps also open in front of the front tyres. This creates a huge amount of downforce - about 150kg at the front and 200kg at the rear (for a total of 350kg). But, inevitably, such a huge amount of downforce limits the car to ‘just’ 375 km/h...

To achieve that 400+ km/h V-max, the driver must turn a second key to the left of the seat while stationary. In ‘top speed mode’, the rear wing is lowered and flattened, the front diffuser flaps are closed and ground clearance falls to just 65mm at the front and 70mm at the rear. Top speed mode reduces aero Cd from 0.417 (with the spoilers up in handling mode) to 0.355 and downforce is reduced from 350kg to just 55kg. Top speed mode is designed for high-spee track use only. As a safety measure, if the steering wheel is turned more than 90 degrees or the brakes are applied (even slightly), the aero system reverts to the high downforce handling mode.

Braking the mighty Veyron are drilled and vented carbon-ceramic rotors with 8-pot and 6-pot aluminium callipers – the brakes measure 400mm at the front and 380mm at the rear. Note that, at high speed (above 220 km/h), the active rear wing also acts as an air brake. As soon as the brakes are applied, the wing flicks to a very steep 55 degree angle. This increases the car’s Cd to 0.682 and up to 0.6g braking force is achieved. With its special Micheline tyres, the Bugatti has a maximum deceleration of 1.3g...

The suspension is an aluminium double wishbone set-up with highly developed spring and damper rates. With its standard tyres, the Veyron can achieve 1.3g on a skidpan. Wheels are 20 and 21 inch diameter respectively. The speed-sensitive power-assisted rack and pinion steering runs an 18:1 ratio (changed from 20:1 early in the design process).

Despite its all-out performance, the Veyron cabin is decked out for luxury. With seating for two, you’ll enjoy the vast expanse of high-quality leather, clear instrumentation, a high-end audio system, navigation and some tasteful metallic highlights. Luggage capacity? Well, there’s enough for an overnight bag in the nose – nothing more.

So what’s the price tag on the world’s most powerful and fastest production car?

Well, depending on market, you’re looking at over one million dollars – and that’s with Bugatti/Volkswagen selling it at a substantial loss... It is planned that the Veyron 16.4 will be sold for street use in various world markets but, unfortunately, it appears that it won’t meet local ADRs due to its left-hand-drive layout. So don’t bother rolling into your nearest dealership asking for a trade-in price...