French Friday: Redemption

When over-engineering isn’t enough.

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The Bugatti Veyron is one of the most well known supercar of this decade. Its an over engineering masterpiece with the goal of smashing a 17 year old speed record set by the McLaren F1 while have the daily drivability and luxury of a Bentley.

In 2007, the reborn American supercar brand SSC slapped down the Veyron’s 253mph record with a 256.18mph with the SSC Ultimate Aero. Bugatti want a rematch.

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Illustration for article titled French Friday: Redemption

Their answer is the Veyron Super Sport, a Veyron that was ultra exclusive at just 30 units were produced and of course ultra fast.

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To reach a higher top speed, more power was needed. To generate the new performance numbers, the engine was upgraded with new intercoolers, intakes, and larger turbos borrowed from the Golf GTI. Bringing the hp from 1001 to 1200.

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The most notable upgrade is of course the exterior which has been reshaped to better cut through the air as well as improve cooling with new bumpers front and rear, underbody panels, new diffuser with redesigned exhaust and new semi-enclosed engine cover with two large NACA ducts replacing the normal scoops. The chassis was retuned with new dampers for stability and most importantly comfort that wealthy clients expect from a Bugatti.

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With all the improvements, Bugatti succeeded at reclaiming the production car top speed throne in 2010 with official certification of 267.856mph. The higher top speed required the rear spoiler to be recalibrated to deploy earlier at a different angle to retain stability. Bugatti also put a speed cap on customer cars at 258mph to preserve the life of the tires as the structural integrity of the tires gets compromised by the centrifugal forces.

Another outstanding cast from Taiwan’s 7-11 promotion set. This is probably the first official 1/64 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport ever released and its excellent, I especially enjoy the two-tone color chosen and the removable engine cover that exposes the engine. It did lack a few details such as the accents on the wheels but its subjective since single colored wheels can be optioned.