Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport : 2008

On the eve of the legendary Concours d’Elegance in August, the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport made its world premiere in Pebble Beach, California.

This highly traditional company is releasing the car in response to strong customer demand for a roadster in the supercar class. What’s surprising is the removable glass roof and how the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport successfully combines the aesthetics of a convertible with the driving dynamics and safety of an enclosed car. With the roof on, the top speed is still 253 m.p.h. – with the roof open, the limit is 224 m.p.h. This makes it the world’s fastest convertible available on the market.

In comparison to other models, the most noticeable differences are its higher windshield, newly designed state-of-the-art LED headlights, new horseshoe-style wheels, new feature details, extended safety characteristics and the lightweight transparent polycarbonate roof.

Based on the classic Bugatti Veyron 16.4, considerable changes were required in the complex vehicle structure. The central element of the car, the carbon fibre monocoque, has been completely redefined by Bugatti. As a result, the high performance roadster is able to retain its extreme rigidity and ensure maximum security even when the roof is removed. The two newly designed air inlets not only supply sufficient ventilation to the 16-cylinder engine beneath them, but the ten centimeter wide carbon fiber elements also provide the essential rollover protection.

The innovative soft top, which can be stowed in the trunk like an umbrella, protects driver and passenger from sudden rainfall. Other features include a reverse camera with 2.7 inch monitor integrated in the rearview mirror and the “Puccini” sound system, specifically design for convertibles.

Each Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is hand-built at the Bugatti headquarters in Molsheim (Alsace), France. The delivery of the planned 150 vehicles is scheduled from March 2009. The first 40 cars are reserved exclusively for current Bugatti customers.

With one exception: the coveted first car will be auctioned off at the renowned Gooding Auction on August 17th, 2008. Bugatti Automobiles will donate the profits to a charitable foundation.

Design.
The idea was to create a car that would redefine the boundaries of technology in automotive construction while appealing to the aesthetically inclined and connoisseurs of exceptional automobiles.

To design a roadster that would join the boundless creativity of its designers and the superior skill of its engineers – without compromise on either side. A car that would unite the pinnacle of luxury and unparalleled driving performance to a harmonious whole.

The idea was to provide maximum enjoyment without losing sight of safety and comfort. The idea was to build the world’s fastest convertible car.

Bugatti turned this idea into reality: the super sports car Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. The Grand Sport defies conventional categories. The superior harmony of its design transcends the ordinary, lending the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport its unique character. The open-topped super sports car displays its power, performance, and self-assertion as a matter of course. Simultaneously, it exudes charisma, perfection, and elegance.

In other words: it is a Bugatti that follows the technological and aesthetic examples of Ettore Bugatti’s Grand Sport models of the late 1920s – a true Bugatti.

The challenge: to develop a roadster that would unite previously unattained features in one exceptional vehicle. A challenge Bugatti decided to take on.
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport combines state-of-the-art technology and the beauty of a convertible.

Extreme precision and meticulous care for detail – those were the governing principles followed by the designers and engineers as they created the Grand Sport.

This maxim of perfection found its expression in the car’s technology: the Grand Sport’s engine, drive, and brakes all deliver superlatives in performance, acceleration, and deceleration. The choice of materials is another indicator of Bugatti’s discerning standards: titanium, carbon fibre, magnesium, aluminium – each component is made of the material with the lowest weight and the highest level of functionality. This is also true for the chassis safety features. The Grand Sport’s body consists of a carbon fibre monocoque suspended from an aluminium frame in the front and a carbon fibre/stainless steel frame in the rear. In assembly, too, perfection is the guiding principle: the Grand Sport is manufactured lovingly and meticulously by hand. This guarantees that precise care is given even to the tiniest details.

Vehicle data.
Length: 4462 mm
Width: 1998 mm
Height, Normal Position: 1204 mm
Wheel base: 2710 mm
Curb Weight: 1968 kg
Max. permitted laden weight: 2280 kg
Tank capacity: 100 l

(source: Bugatti)