If Dark Helmet – the character Rick Moranis plays in Space Balls – drove a car, it would probably be the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. It’s big. It’s Ugly. It’s capable of ludicrous speed.

The Texan speed fiends at Hennessey tried to strip Bugatti of its speed title earlier this month. Much to the French makers chagrin, it worked… For a little while. But it didn’t take long for the world’s balance to be restored. Hennessey’s speed claim also wasn’t certified for the Guinness record books.

Hennessey’s argument was that the standing record wasn’t possible in a production vehicle, so Bugatti yanked the speed limiter and is selling a handful as “World Record Cars.”

SEE ALSO: Hennessey Venom GT Beats Veyron Top Speed… Sort Of

Bugatti unveiled the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse WRC in Shanghai earlier this month. Interesting as it can be to see such a rare car in person, the clip below offers an account of the convertible cresting 254 mph. This means Bugatti can currently lay claim to the land speed record for both a closed and open-air car.

Of course, this car has the same 8.0-liter W16 engine with four turbochargers, 1,183 hp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque.

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After stripping Bugatti of the title for the fastest production car in the world, Guinness World Records has flip-flopped and confirmed that the title does rightfully belong to the Veyron Super Sport.

After conducting a thorough review with a “number of external experts,” the Guinness Book of World Records released a statement confirming Bugatti’s record of Fastest Production Car. According to Guinness World Records “a change to the speed limiter does not alter the fundamental design of the car or its engine.”

SEE ALSO: Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Stripped of Guinness World Record for Fastest Production Car

Bugatti Veyron owners have a speed limiter of 258 mph while the record was set at 267.8 mph.

Just last week Bugatti also laid claim to the title of the World’s Fastest convertible after it was confirmed that the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse achieved a maximum speed of 254.04 mph.

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After being stripped of the title of world’s fastest production car, Bugatti didn’t take long to reclaim the record. Only this time, it was set by the brand’s convertible: the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. 

The record setting speed is 254.04 mph, which was achieved by Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu at VW’s 12-mile bowl-shaped track at Ehra-Lessien in Germany. The world record setting car will be on display at Bugatti’s auto show stand in Shanghai, complete with the driver’s signature and top speed written on the door kickplate in silver marker.

SEE ALSO: Bugatti Veyron Stripped of World Record

Bugatti will produce eight examples of the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, which will sell for 1.99 million euros. The World Record edition will be finished in the black and orange two-tone paint scheme seen on the record setting car.

GALLERY: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Car

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Bugatti teased us yesterday with a picture and a caption that read “It’s almost time for us to share the latest example of exceptional Bugatti performance,” and today information has leaked online that the car will be a special edition of the Veyron Vitesse.

The car will be called the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse WRC, according to a user of Weibo.com. The WRC in the name may stand for World Record Convertible, as the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse WRC was reportedly driven to a top speed of 253 mph on Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien, Germany, test track recently.

SEE ALSO: New Bugatti Supercar Teased on Facebook

From the photo, the car appears to have minimal changes, besides the orange paint scheme complete with orange wheels.

The car is rumored to be heading for a 2013 Shanghai Auto Show debut, and surely we will have more information and better pictures sometime in the coming days.

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[Source: weibo.com]

Bugatti, maker of the former world’s fastest production car, is teasing a new model today with a picture and small caption on Facebook. 

The photo above, was posted on Bugatti’s Facebook page, saying “The stage is set. It’s almost time for us to share the latest example of exceptional Bugatti performance, simply keep a close eye on Facebook over the next few days.”

SEE ALSO: Next-Gen Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Rumors

The new model could be the next-generation of Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, which is rumored to have 1,600 hp, a top speed of 290 mph and a 1.8-second 0-60 mph sprint. If that proves to be true, the Veyron will likely reclaim the crown of fastest production car on the market.

The other possibility is the arrival of the 16c Galibier, which has been teased by the company for years. The 16c Galibier is a sedan that focuses more on luxury than speed.

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Guinness World Records has announced that Bugatti has been stripped of the title for fastest production car in the world.

Bugatti has held that record for almost three years after setting a record speed of 267.8 mph. The record was re-investigated after accusations were made that the Veyron used in the record-setting run had its speed limiter removed.

Guinness World Records confirmed that the suspicions were correct and since the speed limiter was removed, it was no longer considered the same production car that consumers paid their hard-earned cash for. The rules state that the record must be set in a car that is mechanically identical to those on sale to the public.

The title of world’s fastest production car will likely go to Shelby SuperCars’ Ultimate Aero, which held the record of 256.1 mph before the Veyron Super Sport went 267.8.

[Source: The Sunday Times]

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Let’s face it: Bugatti needs no introduction, especially not at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. No grand debuts, no jaw-dropping unveilings; the French automaker simply brought out three Veyrons of all shades to show off to the world.

Showcasing three different Veyrons in its booth, Bugatti wanted to share ideas on how each Veyron could be custom built to be unique. Colored shades of carbon fiber were simply breathtaking to admire, alongside the exquisite details in each of the customized interiors.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Geneva Motor Show Coverage

It may seem almost obscene to mix chrome with green carbon, but if there’s any vehicle in this world that can pull it off, it’s the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. Enjoy the car porn below of the trio of Bugattis that garnered plenty of attention on the show floor.

GALLERY: Bugatti at 2013 Geneva Motor Show

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The Bugatti Grand Sport Venet is the result of a collaboration between Bugatti and French conceptual artist Bernar Venet, and the brand released a video today, explaining the inspiration for the car, and showing it off. 

The mathematical formulas that were used to design the car are the main theme behind the custom Veyron, and can be seen throughout the car. Bugatti put the car together to be displayed at the Art Basel Miami Beach art show, taking place this week.

Check out the video below to see how the Grand Sport Venet came into being.

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GALLERY: Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Venet

Bugatti, in a quest to produce what they call the “fastest artwork ever,” enlisted the help of French conceptual artist Bernar Venet, and came up with the Veyron Grand Sport Venet. 

The main inspiration for this custom Veyron is math, but specifically the mathematical formulas that were used to design the car. A rusted metal color was used for the numbers, which stands out further thanks to an all-black backing. The theme continues inside the car where the formulas adorn the door panels while the dash panels and leather share the same rusted metal color.

Bugatti put the car together to be displayed at the Art Basel Miami Beach art show, taking place this week.

GALLERY: Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Venet

It might behove Bugatti to re-visit the tale of Icarus if recent reports about the brand’s next car are correct.

“We are working on the next super-sports car,” chief vehicle engineer Jens Schulenburg told AutoExpress. “The big challenge will be reducing weight – we are looking at some incredible technologies, such as wheels made entirely from carbon fibre. We’re considering hybrids, too.”

If the rumor mill proves to be right, that car could boast 1,600 hp, a top speed of 290 mph and a 1.8-second 0-60 mph sprint. Adding a hybrid system would make sense from some angles — Porsche will rely heavily on one for its upcoming 918 Spyder supercar. The trouble is, hybrid drivetrains add weight and that’s exactly what Bugatti is trying to avoid.

SEE ALSO: Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse Rafale Costs $2.5 M

Putting that much power to the ground means more than building a big engine and hoping for the best. It takes more than an ordinary sports car to handle an 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 engine and those enhancements add weight — a lot of weight. Taking the big engine mantra even further, will displace more volume for a total 9.6 liters.

Word is that the car will make an appearance during next year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in a little more than a year’s time, but that still might not happen.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Bugatti just unveiled a special edition Veyron supercar at the Sao Paulo Motor Show with a $2.5-million price tag.

Based on the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse first shown last March during the Geneva Motor Show, the car gets special paint, blue carbon fiber trim and bespoke alloy wheels.

It also gets a restyled interior with blue leather seats held together by grey stitching. There’s also carbon fiber trim in the open-air cabin
to match the car’s outside.

Despite being more than $270,000 more expensive than the Grand Sport Vitesse it’s based on, Bugatti didn’t make any changes to the engine. Hardly a slouch, it keeps its 1,200-hp rating and 1106 lb-ft of torque.

Despite reports that Bugatti is working hard on its Galibier model, the flagship sedan has been delayed though Bentley and Bugatti boss Wolfgang Schreiber has confirmed a concept is still on the drawing board.

According to Schreiber, who used to be the chief and managing director of Bugatti, satisfying the needs of Bugatti customers is very difficult and has resulted in slow progress for getting the Galibier ready for production.

Schreiber stressed that the Galibier is absolutely needed to extend the Bugatti range and he supports the model. The question now is how much longer we’ll have to wait before we see it in production form.

“The Veyron and derivatives of the Veyron are very focused on the needs of the customers,” he said. “If you now switch to a different type of car, it is very necessary to evaluate the needs of the customer. The launch date is still not decided yet.”

The delay in getting the Galibier to production could be related to the fact that both Lamborghini and Bentley SUV models have seen similar delays as Volkswagen makes cutbacks in the midst of a worsening economic situation in Europe.

GALLERY: Bugatti Galibier Concept

[Source: Autocar UK]