A major auto show isn’t complete these days without the presence of the supremest of all supreme super cars: the Bugatti Veyron. So it’s no surprise that Bugatti has taken to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to introduce yet another special iteration of the Veyron Grand Sport, this time called the Grand Sport Vitesse. In case you’re wondering, "Vitesse" translates to "speed" in our language.
Suffice to say, there’s really just one description apt for the Grand Sport Vitesse: it’s the fastest serially produced convertible in history. It’s hard to believe Bugatti can keep raising the ante to ridiculous heights with the Veyron, but they always seem to get the job done.
"Once again our engineers worked hard to demonstrate that Bugatti is able to constantly redefine the boundaries of what is technically feasible," said. Bugatti President Wolfgang Dürheimer.
"We gave our all to transfer the achievements of the Super Sport over to the Grand Sport, thereby turning open-top driving itself into an extraordinary experience at high speed."
Judging from what they’ve created, we’re guessing that Bugatti is quite pleased with how the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse turned out.
EXTERIOR
For the all-carbon fiber Grand Sport Vitesse, Bugatti developed a new roof spoiler that drastically cuts down on the wind noise and buffeting in the interior, a pretty important element considering the car is a convertible. In addition, Bugatti also installed a windbreak that owners can just as easily stow away compactly in the luggage compartment when not in use.
As a Grand Sport with the soul of a Super Sport, the Vitesse also gets the benefit of getting some transplanted aerodynamic components from its SS brother, particularly at the front with the larger air intakes just between the radiator grille. There’s also the presence of a new bottom air vent that stretches sideways into the wheel housing. Just below it, there’s a refined front spoiler that has been designed in a similar way to the splitters used in motor racing. The xenon headlights on the Grand Sport Vitesse are also a new addition, something that was also taken from the Super Sport.
Over at the back, the Veyron Vitesse gets even more Super Sport-like, courtesy of a double diffusor and a centrally positioned twin tailpipe. The car also has two redesigned air scoops on the left and right of the engine cover, fulfilling the purpose of pulling in air for the engine, as well as being an elegantly integrated part of the anti-roll protection system.
INTERIOR
Carbon fiber is the general theme of the Veyron Vitesse’s interior. Of course, Bugatti didn’t neglect other luminary materials like Aluminum and Magnesium, but going back to the carbon fiber, the Veyron Vitesse has loads of it, on the center console extension, the cover with EB logo in the rear-bulkhead leather trim, and the belt outlet covers on the seats. Even the decoration on the center console, the door inserts, and the adjoining trim on the instrument panel are all made from carbon fiber.
For this particular model, Bugatti fitted a special seat design with two-tone leather seat covers enhanced by contrasting stitching between the seat base and the side sections. The contrast stitching pattern is also present on the leather armrest between the seats, which comes without the typical quilting. Other new goodies that are part of the Veyron Vitesse’s interior package include knee pads in the center tunnel area, an additional 12 V socket in the glove box, restraint systems, an illuminated start and parking lock button that was also jacked form the Super Sport, an instrument cluster with shift-up information, and a power gauge that now reads up to - you guessed it - 1,200 horsepower.
PERFORMANCE
Just like everything that Bugatti does with the Veyron lately, the Grand Sport Vitesse is completely ridiculous and over-the-top. Think of it as a Veyron Grand Sport in skin and Veyron Super Sport in heart. According to Bugatti, there’s a reason why the model is considered the most powerful serial produced convertible in the world: underneath that convertible body lies an additional four enlarged turbochargers and intercoolers to aid the Grand Sport’s monstrous 7.9-liter 16-cylinder engine in producing an output of 1,200 horsepower and 1,106 lb/ft of torque, a substantial spike from the model’s otherwise erstwhile 1,001 horsepower and 922 lb/ft of torque figures.
That increase in output is largely attributed to the aforementioned four larger turbochargers with intercoolers, but that’s not the entire equation. In order to safely transfer the immense forces that came as a result of the added power, Bugatti extensively reinforced all drivetrain components, particularly the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG), which has been adapted to the new requirements. As a matter of consequence of the larger turbochargers and the overall reduced back pressure, Bugatti managed to fit a four-pump tank - the same one used in the Super Sport - to reduce the fuel consumption slightly despite the increased output.
All told, the Grand Sport Vitesse is capable of hitting 0-62 mph in just 2.6 seconds while achieving a top speed of 255 mph on closed tracks, fully stamping its designation as the fastest production roadster ever. As far as "road" speeds are concerned, the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse "only" does 223 mph.
CHASSIS
Fitting even more power to an already astoundingly powerful supercar requires some tedious work to ensure that every little thing is on the up-and-up. In this particular case, careful attention was paid to reconfiguring the chassis of the Vitesse. Thanks to the quick-responding dampers that have been adapted from motor racing, the control of the vehicle has been further improved and perfectly balanced. Wheel-load fluctuations have also been optimized, cutting down on the supercar’s understeer while allowing a maximum level of active safety.
All told, the supercar’s chassis, all-wheel-drive system, and the revised ESP work hand-in-hand to ensure that the Grand Sport Vitesse becomes as dynamic a Bugatti supercar as there is without turning into a bonafide race car.
PRICE
As for the price tag: Those numbers are Veyron-like, too, which is to say that they’ll sell of around €2 million, which is about $2.64 million based on current exchange rates.
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