Bugatti Veyron 16.4
With its 16-cylinder four-wheel drive, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 may well be the most sophisticated production vehicle of all times.
Most of the components tucked beneath its hood are ingenious innovations that were formerly only deemed possible by visionaries like Ferdinand Piëch.
Boasting a maximum speed of more than 400 km per hour, the Veyron is unmatched in the super sports category. It offers a total of 1,001 HP, and its ample power reserves even at high speeds are the fabric of dreams for luxury-class limousines: for a constant speed of 250 km/h, the Veyron only needs 270-280 HP. This means that the seven-gear clutch transmission works with a torque of up to 1,250 Newton meters. The Electronic Stability Program (ESP) ensures the necessary flexibility and maneuverability at any speed. The Veyron reaches velocities that would literally lift the car off the ground – if it weren’t for its ingenious aerodynamics, which keeps it firmly on the road even at full speed. Adjusting the back spoiler, reducing ground clearance, opening and closing the lids – it all adds to the perfect balance between propulsion and downforce. Such a super sports car may not seem to be brought to a halt easily, but the Veyron’s ceramic brakes slow it down faster than it can accelerate. While it takes this exceptional car only 2.5 seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h, it needs even less time – a mere 2.3 seconds – to come to a standstill from 100 (reference point). To reduce the risk of injuries in accidents, Bugatti had a Formula 1 safety concept adapted for the Veyron. All these technical details combine to make the Veyron a truly exceptional super sports car.
The Veyron 16.4 is the fastest production vehicle of all times.
The car documents state a maximum velocity of 407 km/h, but that’s an understatement. On April 19, 2005, inspection officials recorded a top speed average of 408.47 km/h. For years, the Bugatti engineers had worked diligently in order to push the 400 km/h boundary. No wind tunnel can simulate this velocity, which is why after each of a long series of improvements, the different ground clearance levels and the modifications of the rear fenders, spoiler and underbody were tested separately on high-speed test ranges. This ambition and diligence paid off, as the official speed measurement proves.
The Veyron’s high velocity is due to the perfect combination of engine technology, consistent lightweight construction, specially developed tires, and the complex balance of propulsion and downforce. For not only the aerodynamic drag is a crucial factor at very high speeds, but also the precise adjustment of the downforce that holds the car to the road surface. And in addition to all this, the Veyron production vehicle meets the highest safety, reliability and maneuverability standards of even the most discerning drivers.
To create the optimum aerodynamics, the Bugatti engineers developed three configuration modes. In standard mode, used for speeds up to 220 km/h, the rear spoiler system is completely retracted. In handling mode, used at higher velocities, the vehicles nose is pulled down and the monumental rear spoiler deployed. This produces an additional 350 kg of downforce without compromising the Veyron’s exceptional turn dynamics. And then there is the top speed mode for velocities beyond 375 km/h, which is activated before the engine is started. At top speed mode the front diffuser flaps are shut to make the underbody absolutely level, and the spoiler is completely aligned with the chassis, forming a tearing edge – thus, the Veyron is perfectly adapted for top velocities. The downforce is reduced to minimize the strain on the tires, which is already considerable. The car is held down on the road by its own weight and the downforce. The Veyron starts immediately at top speed mode, allowing only for a limited turn of the steering wheel. As soon as the driver brakes, the Veyron automatically switches to handling mode. But those who dare to accelerate consistently on a long, straight road will experience the power of the fastest production vehicle of all times.
A super sports car like the Veyron 16.4 needs to be light in order to reach top speeds.
From the initial concept to the design and the selection of materials, the Bugatti engineers tapped the full potential of their considerable expertise to ensure that this car is, indeed, a lightweight. Titanium, carbon, magnesium, and aluminum – each part of the Veyron 16.4 is made of the material with the lowest weight and the highest level of functionality. The titanium piston rods save approx. 4 kg of weight, the titanium screws 3.5 kg, and the magnesium valve caps another 2 kg. By reducing the wheelbase, the original weight was reduced by about a third, and the titanium exhaust system – another Veyron 16.4 first – with its wafer-thin layer of titanium aluminite saves yet another 17 kg. These combined efforts capped the Veyron 16.4’s weight at a compact 1,888 kg. Add the car’s high-powered performance and unmatched speed, and you have a uniquely fast and nimble super sports car.
Optimum protection is guaranteed by the car’s carbon monocoque construction: weighing only 110 kg, the survival cell withstands enormous crash impact forces. This principle is comparable to that used in the Formula 1 world, where drivers usually emerge uninjured from their cars even after severe accidents. The maximum impact force reduction is mainly due to the frames integrated in the carbon monocoque. The front part of the monocoque is made of aluminum; the rear consists of a combination of carbon, stainless steel, and aluminum. The car’s safety concept, which includes two frontal airbags for the front-seat occupants, is so sophisticated that additional airbags would be redundant. Crash tests have shown the Veyron 16.4 to conform to all international safety standards – and to exceed them. As painful as it was for the engineers to watch their valuable prototypes hit the test wall, they were always glad to see that the Veyron survived these maneuvers almost unharmed.
The technical requirements that the Veyron 16.4 developers had to meet could not have been any more complex.
They were to create a car like none before. Their declared objective was a serial production vehicle able to hold its own on the Formula 1 racetrack and provide a relaxed, yet exciting driving experience in everyday traffic.
The Veyron 16.4 exceeds these expectations with its 1,001-HP engine, its ability to reach a velocity of 400 km/h at the push of the gas pedal, and its racecar safety concept. This unmatched feat was made possible by a series of technical innovations never before built into a serial production vehicle. Many of the Veyron’s parts were previously unavailable on the world market: before the Veyron was created, the maximum capacity of available fuel pumps sufficed only for 650 HP. The world’s very first seven-gear direct-shift transmission was merely a concept. The central hydraulic system is yet another innovation: it supports the car’s brake and steering system, controls the rear spoiler and diffuser, and regulates the ground clearance, which varies from 65 to 125 mm, depending on the velocity. One central requirement governed the development of all new parts: they had to work perfectly together. And at Bugatti, perfection is an absolute without compromises.
Top velocities are always available at the push of the Veyron’s pedal. One decisive speed factor is the car’s aerodynamics – the perfect balance of drag, propulsion, and downforce. Again and again, the Bugatti engineers varied minute details of the car’s exterior shape, particularly the front and rear spoilers, until finally, there wasn’t a wind tunnel in the world that could simulate the necessary speed, and the car had to go back on the racetrack for each further detail test.
The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport
Had a model been especially popular or highly successful in races, Ettore Bugatti’s customers often pushed the master to tease out of the engine a few horsepower more for their future car. Bugatti Automobiles SAS had been in a similar situation when their existing customers asked the company to not only design their second model optically differently but also to create a version with a sportier and more extreme driving experience. The result is a car with a uniquely high performance of 1.200 bhp (882 kW) offering experienced drivers a whole new dimension of excitement, with a maximum torque of 1.500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 415 km/h (to protect the tyres).
The Super Sport is a consequent further development of the classic exclusive 1.001 bhp Bugatti Veyron 16.4, launched in 2005. This model offers a stunning set of specifications, such as the twin clutch gearbox with seven speeds, the extraordinarily precise driving performance in bends and excellent stability when braking and accelerating.
Continuous work in extreme performance ranges lead to constantly new conclusions, which enabled the engineers at Bugatti to develop the Veyron into a direction in which the driver can reach new dimensions. Every modification is designed to produce an even more powerful car for an agile ride. Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine, and the chassis has been extensively redesigned to maintain safety at extreme speed. Thanks to slightly raised main-spring-rate, stronger stiffer Anti-Roll-bars, and new shock absorbers with a complex architecture originally developed for racing cars. This gives noticeably more precise control of the wheels and the car as a whole. With lateral acceleration of up to 1.4 G and improved interaction between the tyres and the intelligent all-wheel drive system, the Super Sport offers perfect handling and even more powerful acceleration of 1.500 Newton metres on corner exits.
The body has been fine-tuned to improve aerodynamic efficiency and maintain perfect balance in every situation, while the new fibre structure of the all-carbon monocoque ensures maximum torsion rigidity and passive safety – at reduced weight. The skin is made entirely of carbon-fibre composites, and the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is available in 100 percent clear-lacquered exposed carbon on request.
http://www.bugatti.com
Veyron najszybszym autem świata. Znowu!
Bugatti zaprezentowało właśnie najnowszą, podkręconą odmianę Veyrona – model 16.4 Super Sport. Auto jest lżejsze, droższe i szybsze. A właściwie najszybsze… na świecie
„Zwykły” Veyron napędzany jest 16-cylindrowym silnikiem o mocy 1001 KM. 8-litrowe serce rozwija maksymalny moment obrotowy równy 1250 Nm, który dostępny jest już od 2200 obr./min. Dzięki napędowi na cztery koła oraz siedmiostopniowej, dwusprzęgłowej skrzyni biegów, monstrum rozpędza się do setki w czasie zaledwie 2,5 sekundy i potrafi osiągnąć prędkość maksymalną przekraczającą 408 km/h! Czy ktokolwiek przy zdrowych zmysłach odczuwałby potrzebę, by uczynić Veyrona jeszcze szybszym? Chyba nie. Nie zmienia to jednak faktu, że takie auto właśnie powstało.
Paskudnie szybka odmiana coupe otrzymała przydomek Super Sport i przy okazji premierowej przejażdżki na niemieckim torze Ehra-Lessian ustanowiła nowy rekord prędkości dla aut produkcyjnych. Mimo iż szefów Bugatti w zupełności usatysfakcjonowałby wynik 425 km/h, średnia prędkość dwóch przejazdów nowego Veyrona wyniosła o 6 km/h więcej. Za kółkiem potwora zasiadał etatowy kierowca testowy Bugatti – Henri Raphanel.
Czym Super Sport różni się od swojego bardziej „ospałego” brata? Dzięki zastosowaniu większych turbosprężarek oraz wydajniejszego intercoolera, centralnie umieszczone W16 rozwija teraz 1200 KM, a kierowca ma do dyspozycji niewyobrażalne 1500 Nm momentu. W biciu rekordu prędkości pomógł także udoskonalony pakiet aerodynamiczny.
Ceny auta jeszcze nie ujawniono, ale spodziewać się można kwoty rzędu 1,65 – 1,8 mln euro. Plus podatek! Powstanie 30 egzemplarzy Super Sporta, z czego pierwsze pięć otrzyma dopisek World Record Edition oraz schemat kolorystyczny identyczny jak auto, które uczestniczyło w biciu rekordu. Niestety cała piątka została już zaklepana.
Cóż, nie pozostaje nam nic innego jak pogratulować ekipie Bugatti i cierpliwie czekać na ripostę SSC. Tymczasem zapraszamy do galerii piekielnego Veyrona.
Bartosz Sińczuk http://moto.pl
Bugatti zaprezentowało niedawno podkręconą odmianę Veyrona – model Super Sport. Niedługo po oficjalnej premierze auto ustanowiło nowy lądowy rekord prędkości dla aut produkcyjnych. Brytyjski Top Gear postanowił sprawdzić czy auto jest czymś więcej niż tylko „mistrzem prostej”
Czym Super Sport różni się od swojego bardziej „ospałego” brata? Dzięki zastosowaniu większych turbosprężarek oraz wydajniejszego intercoolera, centralnie umieszczone W16 rozwija teraz nie 1001, ale okrągłe 1200 KM, a kierowca ma do dyspozycji niewyobrażalne 1500 Nm momentu obrotowego. Do tego udoskonalony pakiet aerodynamiczny, który pomógł ustanowić nowy lądowy rekord prędkości dla aut produkcyjnych, który wynosi teraz 431 km/h.
Clarkson i spółka postanowili sprawdzić auto na swoim torze testowym. Za kierownicą zasiadł oczywiście oswojony kierowca wyścigowy – Stig. Jak czas wykręciła ekstremalna odmiana Veyrona?