The end-of-the-line Bugatti Veyron Super Sport isn't just the ultimate Bugatti. With a top speed of 268 mph, the 1,200-hp übercar is now also the new fastest production car in the world.
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Just 30 of the ultra-rare, ultra-quick and ultra-pricey Bugatti Veyron Super Sports will be built as a final send off to one of the most coveted and extreme modern cars built. To mark the occasion Bugatti sent its test driver
Bugatti Veyron Super SportGermany's Ehra-Lessen proving grounds along with some folks from the Guinness Book of Records to measure the top speed.
With a stated goal of 264 mph, Henri Raphanel managed to shatter the car's current top speed of 253 mph with two runs averaging 268 mph. It also left the 256 MPH SSC Ultimate Aero TT sucking its expensive German tailpipes. Unfortunately, the car will be electronically limited to just 258 mph so the owners don't destroy the tires.
All this speed comes courtesy of the additional 199 hp achieved through four larger turbos, some engine tuning, bigger intercoolers, and German troll dust. The chassis has also been tweaked with new shock absorbers and more travel to allow the car to stay planted to the road at high speeds while pulling 1.4 g's.
The car will bow at the Pebble Beach Concours, but even if you had the money to afford it you'd be too late. This car is likely spoken for.
Bugatti Veyron Super SportThe Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is the definition of automotive exclusivity. Just 46 examples of the 268-mph-capable Super Sport were built, and only two have made it to our shores, including the Carbon Blue 1200-hp rocket you see here. While all Veyrons have officially been sold, this pre-production example -- which has seen 2000 miles at the hands of ham-fisted journalists -- will be put up for sale to a qualified buyer soon. (Wonder if they're going to mention the ham-fisted journalists?)
So how does Bugatti prepare a $3 million hypercar for sale? By detailing it at Meguiar's Irvine, California, headquarters, and we were invited along to watch the process.
Bugatti Veyron Super SportWhen we arrived on a sunny hump day at Meguiar's HQ, the über Veyron was being washed with nothing more than de-ionized water and Meguiar's car wash soap. We were a bit skeptical - its staggeringly priced, $400,000 Carbon Blue livery looked great already. How could it look any better? Hard work seemed to be the answer. Meguiar's had a team of four working four hours straight cleaning and detailing the car before turning it back over to Bugatti later that afternoon. According to Meguiar's, the company uses a five-step process on every car, even one that has a carbon-fiber finish and costs more than a five-bedroom house.
Bugatti Veyron Super SportThe first step is simple. Meguiar's calls it washing (gee, wonder how they came up with that one). The car is washed and then dried with microfiber towels to remove dirt, bugs, and road grime. In this case, the Veyron was washed with de-ionized water (to prevent mineral spotting) and Meguiar's branded soap. (If you're washing at home and can't find de-ionized water, distilled water should achieve the same results.) Meguiar's says it's important to use specialized car wash soap instead of, say, dishwashing soap, which is designed to strip grease. On a car, it'll strip down the wax layer on the finish - not something you want to do.
View the gallery
Just 30 of the ultra-rare, ultra-quick and ultra-pricey Bugatti Veyron Super Sports will be built as a final send off to one of the most coveted and extreme modern cars built. To mark the occasion Bugatti sent its test driver
With a stated goal of 264 mph, Henri Raphanel managed to shatter the car's current top speed of 253 mph with two runs averaging 268 mph. It also left the 256 MPH SSC Ultimate Aero TT sucking its expensive German tailpipes. Unfortunately, the car will be electronically limited to just 258 mph so the owners don't destroy the tires.
All this speed comes courtesy of the additional 199 hp achieved through four larger turbos, some engine tuning, bigger intercoolers, and German troll dust. The chassis has also been tweaked with new shock absorbers and more travel to allow the car to stay planted to the road at high speeds while pulling 1.4 g's.
The car will bow at the Pebble Beach Concours, but even if you had the money to afford it you'd be too late. This car is likely spoken for.
So how does Bugatti prepare a $3 million hypercar for sale? By detailing it at Meguiar's Irvine, California, headquarters, and we were invited along to watch the process.
