Why would we feature the Bugatti Veyron, a car that is a unobtainium for most of us, as car of the week? Well, despiite that we think this car is the bomb, the mack dad, the ultimate. So read on... Pierre Veyron who was a Grand Prix racer active from 1933 to 1953 is best remembered for his 1939 Le Mans win driving a Bugatti Type 57.  Buggati now owned by Volkawagen chose this name from its history when they decided to develop the mother of all supercars....The Bugatti Veyron 16.4. When this car was introduced by VW in 2005 the idea was to produce the supercar of superlatives and in a way that mission has been acheived.

Design The head designer Hartmut Warkuss with exterior designer Jozef Kaban. The overall look of the car is powerful but not what we would call beautiful in the classic sense. The car seems to look almost like a semi-squashed bug with is underscored by the cars deminsions: it is only 48inches high but is 79inch wide and 176inches long and weights over 4000lbs. The Bugatti radiator grill motiff is better integrated than that on the EB110. Typical of many modern sportcars there are vent everywhere; in the front, sides and on top of the car. The is a movable rear wing which helps with highspeed stablity and also serves as an airbrake.

The Veyron even has a front trunk for that weekend away.  

Engine The car was originally slated to have a W18 but the production car saw the W16 engine of 8L. This engine and drivetrain is what the superlatives are all about: 4 turbochargers, 1000hp, 4wheel drive, special tires by Michelin capable of 250mph, 10 radiators, 920ft-lb torque, top speed of 254mph, 0-60 in 2.46secondes, quater  mile speed of 10.2 seconds at 142.9mph, braking from 249mph to 0mph in10seconds and  the list goes on..whew! All this performance comes with a price and we arent talking about the 1.5M it takes to buy the car if you are lucky enough. We are taking about the fact that the Veyron is also the mother of all gas guzzling production car. In normal city driving it travels 5.82miles per gallon; this is race car territory!  At full speed it will empty the 26gallon fuel tank in just over 12minutes but by then the driver would have travel just about 60miles!

Conclusion The Veyron is a marvel and a triumph in modern technology and car performance (see what happens to this haples M3) But, one is left wondering whether the car is the answer to a question that no one asked. Some have said that depite the Veyron's spectacualr accomplisments that the car doesnt have a "soul". Many commentators (Clarkson, Murray) were dismissive of the car initially but would later change their mind after a test drive. Other testers said that were left cold even while being very impressed after a test drive since the car  seems to do everything so easily and without drama.