Sleeping in the depths for more than three decades

Cars are meant to be driven, not sunk. Unfortunately, the owner of this Bugatti Type 13 couldn’t care less after failing to pay for the car. He left it stranded in Lake Maggiore, northern Italy, back in 1925, only to be found by divers 35 years later, deep under water along the Swiss border. If you’re not familiar with the history of this car, here’s a little look back.

The Bugatti Type 13 was the first production model of Ettore Bugatti’s car company. It was famous back then for having won races all over, thus boosting sales in Europe. However, when the First World War broke, every business in Europe was brought to their feet, including Bugatti. Only after the war did Ettore revive his business with the continued production of the Type 13.

So in 1921, the Type 13 was birthed with the first ever four-valve cylinder head engine. This new model of the Type 13 went on to win all podium finishes, including 4^th in the Brescia Grand Prix. Since then, the Type 13 was thus christened with the Brescia nameplate and began production in Europe.

Fast forward to 1925 when a Swiss car dealer ordered three Brescias. Two of these were paid for fully. The third, sadly, is the subject of the story. After having been sunk for almost 35 years, a team of divers raised it from its watery grave. It was in such a bad condition that one of its tires instantaneously blew up in the lower atmospheric pressure. The good news is that it’s going to be fully restored and auctioned off. The proceeds will be given to the Damiano Tamagni Foundation which advocates saving the youth from violence.

So if you’re overflowing with cash and you want to spend money for a worthy cause, consider placing a bid for the Brescia. Rarely do you get the chance to own an original Bugatti which has been sunken for more than three decades.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/14/1925-bugatti-type-13-brescia-rescued-from-watery-grave/

Power your mind will never comprehend

A few posts back, I wrote about Bugatti’s plan to scrap the Veyron. Now I take it back with their latest creation, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.

Not much has changed since the coupe version. It still has the 16-cylinder, quad-turbo engine which boasts of 1,001 horses in its stable, plus around 900-plus in N-m in torque, giving power to an all-wheel drive system. It’s still the same car, just without a roof. It still hurtles you down the road faster than any production car in the world, and will still be able to tailgate a Formula One car, given you’ve got the right skills, the courage to face death at over 400 km/h, and someone crazy enough to organize such a race. And it still has the top speed key tucked away just to make sure you’ve got a choice of whether to drive really, really fast, which is normal, or to travel through time and space with the top speed key in place.

All in all, I’m just glad the Veyron’s still THE super car to be reckoned with. And it’s still a worthy benchmark of super car performance. For more info on the Grand Sport, just check out the link.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/07/first-drive-bugatti-veyron-16-4-grand-sport-is-a-temple-of-zen/

Who will be the lucky owners of these orphaned Veyrons?

How would you like to be the owner of the very first Bugatti Veyron 16.4 ever produced? This black over red Veyron is now on sale in a dealership down at Beverly Hills along with another of its kind.

The price – a hefty US$2.4 million – for each. Too much? Well, how much do you expect this supercar to be priced at? Apart from that, its production car #001, which gives it even for value for its exclusivity.

As we all known, Bugatti has phased out production of the Veyron, so this is your biggest chance of getting your hands on one, or two, which have barely been used. According to O’Gara Coach dealer, the black over red Veyron has only 400 miles on its odometer.

You do the math. That’s only around 667 kilometers, not even enough distance for a break-in, or much less an oil change. So it’s very much fresh.

We’re not sure how much the other Veyron, whose color is black over black, costs. But from the looks of it, there ain’t going to be much of a difference in price. Maybe a tad less than the #001 Veyron.

So, would you like to own the supercar of supercars? Then head on down to Beverly Hills before it’s too late. For more pics of the twin griffins, check out the link which follows.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/18/for-sale-bugatti-veyron-16-4-production-001/

Got more than a hundred grand? Then hop in!

This is just plain wonderful. Now even us poor sobs can get our hands down on a real Bugatti Veyron. But here’s the catch – a $160,000 deposit. Yes, this Veyron is for rent for only $25,000, but only if your wallet has more than a hundred grand as collateral in case you end up wrecking this million dollar supercar.

I’m sure most of your are well aware that the Veyron is still recognized as the benchmark of supercar performance, being able to run at full stride at about 250 miles per hour, with its huge W16 engine running over a thousand horses underneath.

That kind of power, you won’t be able to find in those common rent-a-car Impala’s and Mustangs. The rental company, Holders Vehicle Contracts, is confident they’ll be able to rake in quite a profit from renting out this record-setting supercar.

There’s no detail as to how many Veyrons are up for rent. But one thing’s for sure – you need to be wide awake before getting into the Veyron’s helm. Or you’re going to kiss more than a hundred grand goodbye plus maybe even more.

This ain’t for the heavy-footers out there, folks. You have to be light on the throttle lest you want to be part of the roadside bushes. This could be more than you can handle.

There’s only one thing I’m wondering about, though. Will the company hand over to you the Top Speed key as well? It’s what unlocks the Veyron to let it run at its limit. I doubt they will.

If that’s the case, believe me, you won’t get your money’s worth.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/10/get-your-grubby-hands-on-a-bugatti-veyron-for-just-25k/

In memory of Ettore Bugatti

Talk about a father figure. This Bugatti Type 57 is no ordinary Type 57. It’s actually the car of Bugatti’s founder himself, Ettore Bugatti. Confused? Simply put, this is the father of all Bugatti’s. It was built back in 1936 for Ettore’s birthday, and has been in pristine condition ever since.

Imagine. Not a single nut on this baby has been restored to retain its original parts. Amazing, isn’t it? It’s almost freaky that something this old still stands upright. It survived two world wars after having changed owners twice. And now, it’s set to change hands once again at the up and coming Gooding & Company auction down at Pebble Beach this August.

So if you want to get your hands on the mother lode, or father lode, off all Bugatti’s, be at Pebble Beach with tons of buying power. And if you want to read more about it, just follow the link.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/ettores-bugatti-founders-own-type-57c-up-for-auction-at-pebbl/

The Bugatti Royale

Here’s some sad news. It looks like we’re finally going to have to say goodbye to the mighty Veyron. News is that Bugatti’s going to stop its production and is going to reintroduce a past model, named the Royale. Otherwise known as Type 41, it used to be Bugatti’s flagship carrier. The only good news about this is that it’ll inherit the Veyron’s powerplant. But it’s nothing to rejoice about. And here’s the irony – only 6 units will be built, only for Bugatti’s preffered customers.

Oh, the injustice! Such a cruel world we live in! It’s set to appear to public this September in Frankfurt. So those of you royalties out there, the Great Depression is gone and you might want a new Bugatti in your fleet. History of the model has it that Ettore Bugatti wanted to build 25 units during its first conception, but only 6 units were actually sold because of the Great Depression which stunted even the royalties of that time. Looks like we’re going to witness history repeat itself with the Royale making an appearance with the world financial crisis looming.

Well, anyway, thanks Veyron. You’ve really made history by pushing the boundaries of a supercar.

Source:

http://www.4wheelsnews.com/bugatti-royale-to-make-its-debut-at-the-frankfurt-auto-show/

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Now, I’m shaking. I’ve just stumbled upon what is arguably the fastest European production car available in the market. And I’m not talking about Ferraris or Lamborghinis. No, this rocket of a street car can reach speeds over 400 km/h. With a legion of 1,001 horses under its hood, this car will blow away even the fastest Ferrari or Lambo on the streets. Hell, if your nerves and skills are up to it, you can even tailgate Formula One cars on the racetrack.

I’m talking about Ettore Bugatti’s Veyron 16.4. You may be wondering about what makes it so fast. Well, here’s a glimpse. The heart of this beast is a 16-cylinder mid-engine fitted to an all-wheel drivetrain. Hence, it’s name – 16.4. This is the first time I’ve heard about such a big engine being fitted into a production car.

The Veyron 16.4 has a seven-gear transmission box. Yep, you heard right. Seven gears to handle the 1,250 Nm of torque that the engine produces. All that power accessible at engine speeds within 2,200 to 5,500 revs. At 1,000 revs, 730 Nm of torque are waiting to be shot into its four wheels. This means going from 0 to 60 mph takes only 2.5 seconds – about 5 blinks of an eye. If the Veyron 16.4 had wings, it would rocket off the ground at top speed. Fortunately, its aerodynamic design keeps it firmly on the track.

Much better than Ferrari’s, which usually have normal and racing speed modes to control their engine, the Veyron 16.4 has three modes – standard, handling, and top speed mode. Standard mode fully retracts the rear wing to reduce drag. Handling mode raises the rear wing as well as stoops the nose down to produce enough downforce for speeds within 375 kmh.

Beyond that limit, the Veyron 16.4 switches to top speed mode. In this mode, the rear wing’s height is adjusted to level with its roof, while the under body is made totally flat by shutting the diffuser flaps on its front. The result is an aerodynamic stance comparable to that of a samurai’s edge slicing thin air.

For its driver to go into top speed mode, he first has to shut off its engine and engage its top speed key. This is a safety feature to make sure only drivers with racing experience are allowed to go beyond 375 kmh. Otherwise, the Veyron 16.4’s power is sealed off. (As if there were many roads where you can legally drive past 200 kmh.)

I guess the next best thing to the Veyron 16.4, apart from its massive engine, are its equally huge carbon ceramics brakes. I’ve mentioned before that Porsche produces the best factory ceramic brakes in the world. Now, the Veyron 16.4, with all its power, needs the same stopping power that Porsche’s have, or probably even better. The Veyron 16.4’s carbon ceramics brakes can withstand temperatures up to 1,100 degrees Celsius. Slowing down from 60 to 0 mph takes even less time – 2.3 seconds – which is a lot quicker than Porches. And slowing down to a full stop from its top speed of around 408 kmh takes only 10 seconds.

Still not convinced? Well, the Veyron 16.4’s rear wing springs out at an angle of 55 degrees every time the brakes are engaged at speeds over 200 kmh. That’s an additional feature of its already impressive brake system. All in all, with the Veyron 16.4’s brake system, you can go all out on Japan’s touge downhills and countless laps around the famous Formula One Monaco Grand Prix circuit, with its infamous Loews Corner, without the brakes fading.

If I knew better, the Veyron 16.4 IS a Formula One machine disguised as a street legal production car. If I were lucky enough to own a car like this, I probably won’t notice how elegant and sophisticated its looks are. I’ll leave that for other drivers and people on the streets to notice. I would be spending more time in learning how to tame this French griffin.

Source:

http://www.bugatti.com/en/veyron-16.4/design.html

Remember that weird uncle that always tells stories that only he could follow or understand? Where you feel like you’re listening to an audio book of one of James Joyce’s “stream of consciousness” stories? Well, don’t be so cold to that uncle for he may leave you with one surprising inheritance of classic cars.

In January 2009, old Dr. Harold Carr died in June 2007 leaving behind a locked-up garage in Newcastle. But the good, old doctor didn’t tell of the hidden treasures in his garage, perhaps he didn’t want to ruin the surprise or just simply didn’t want to tell. But his relatives were really in for a delightful surprise as they found a Type 57S Atalante, an E Type Jaguar and an Aston Martin.
Of course, we’re not saying that Dr. Carr tells stories like post-modern literature; we don’t have much facts to claim that as true. But from one of his nephew’s descriptions, the doctor was “a very eccentric old gent.” So there, we just wanted to put a little spin on things.

Among the three cars, it’s the Atalante that literally takes the gold. It’s all about the rarity my friend. It’s basic economics; price goes up as demand increases and supply decreases. The Atalante found in that garage was one of the 17 ever made; and it doesn’t hurt that the car has “Bugatti” stuck to it.

The Atalante will be auctioned off in Paris in the Bonhams’s Retromobile car sale this February. And the price? Just a cool £6 million. That would be about $8.7 million (that’s the conversion at the time of this writing). That makes the car the one with the highest price tag to go for auction. Expensive? No problem; let me just go to the ATM and be part of the auction.

The car was decided to be placed on auction as it hasn’t been driven since 1965. Yeah, who would want to spend all the time and resources restoring an old car right? It’s better to just sell it off and roll-over the millions. So it’s cash the easy way, we think. Not that it’s bad; but it would be fun to make it a restoration project don’t you think?

Apparently, the existence of this Atalante was quite in the rumor mill among enthusiasts. But they kept it “hush-hush” as they don’t want everybody else in on the secret. It makes the clique a whole lot cooler. But the real reason is, it’s a treasure that they don’t want anyone else to ruin. Or perhaps a respect for privacy. But whatever the reason is, now the secret is out. And everyone is the happier for it.

So if there’s a lesson to be learned from this, it’s that even weird uncles have their merits—especially if they leave you with a garage that has a rare, classic car in it. So be a bit nice to your “funny” uncles and even aunts. Because you can never really know…

Source:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/4060347/Doctor-leaves-secret-6-million-Bugatti-in-his-will.html