The World's Most Expensive Car: Bugatti 16/4 Veyron (Part V)

In this second to last part of my World's Most Expensive Car series, I want to set my sites on the current vehicle that hold the title of being the world's most expensive new car, the Bugatti 16/4 Veyron. Now those of you who regularly read my blog probably know by now that I am not exactly a huge fan of new cars. There are few vehicles that have been built in the last 40 years that have captured the passion, art, style, innovation, and individuality that cars from the 1950's and earlier possessed. Regrettably, this Bugatti is not among that select few.

The Bugatti Veyron is a product of the Volkswagen company (who bought the Bugatti name in 1998 for $60 million) and is related to the great Bugatti products of yore in name only (the story of that conflaguration is best left to another time, lest this post go on for too long). Unlike the McLaren F1 featured in the previous post, the Veyron was not the product of one man's dream, but rather one man's idea. Fredinand Piech, grandson of Fredinand Porsche (founder of Porsche, designer of the Beetle, among other things), wanted to have a vehicle to highlight the capabilities of the VW brand and its parts (Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat, Skoda, and Audi); he purchased the Bugatti name and got a company together to do just that.

The goals were extremely high: A top speed of 252 mph, 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds, 1000+ horsepower, and racecar handling. All of this had to be put into a stylish package with all the creature comforts of a Bentley and all the drivability of a VW Golf. Concepts began to trickle out of the company and a full blown Veyron concept showed up in 2000 and again in 2001. Then the problems came. The McLaren had tried to do a few things (handling, speed, reliability, style, uniqueness) very well while eschewing others (radio, AWD, power anything, real-world street-ability). The Bugatti wanted it all, and all those parts created one major problem: heat. The engine was a quad turbocharged W16 that produced more heat that the main engines on a Saturn V rocket. Add to this all of the power and comfort bits (steering, ABS, traction control, stability control, power seats, leather, carpets, trim, sound deadening, climate contro, AWD) and you had a veritable BBQ grille on wheels. The car would consistently overheat, and it was not until 10 radiators had been shoehorned under the body work that the car performed normally under most any conditions.

By the time car car went into production in late 2005, some two years late, the sticker had ballooned from $800,000 to 1,000,000 Euros (about $1.2 million). The car is certainly fascinating, anything that can do 252 mph is pretty cool, but it just lacks the individuality that the McLaren had. It is a supercar by committee. The McLaren, as well as some of the supercars that have followed it, such as the Pagani Zonda C12 and Porsche Carrera GT, have also required a modicum of participation from the driver, forcing him/her to at least operate a clutch pedal. The Bugatti not only has an automatic (well, not a torque converter auto, but one without an exposed clutch pedal) but traction control, stability control, ABS, and a special suspension system that can adjust to road conditions at the touch of a button. These are all nice features...on a luxury car. On a supercar though, they steal away from its innate personality, making what is supposed to be a unique vehicle admired for individuality just an over-blown luxo cruiser that costs as much as a really nice house.

I love Bugatti, it is one of my favorite brands, but only in its original incarnation, the rest have been pretenders. This new car is no different. And if you need any more proof of the cars utter boringness, just look at who is purchasing it; not enthusiasts but rich people who just want to show off. That is usually the best indicator that a car is soft and unexciting, when the people who buy don't do so out of passion.