Bugatti probably didn’t feel too happy about being toppled from the top of landspeed records by the SSC Ultimate Aero. Proof? Instead of cosmetic changes to their latest special-edition Veyron, they’re throwing in modifications that allowed it to regain the title the line once held. That’s right, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is now the fastest production car in the world.
Hitting the laps at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessian high-speed test track, the new car performed two runs under the crafty driving of Pierre Henri Raphnael. Both the Guinness Book of Records and the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) watched as the vehicle registered 265.9 and 269.8 mph in each of the respective attempts. Those two speeds were then averaged to give the supercar the official speed record of 267.81 mph.
Running on a 1,200 hp engine with 1,106 ft/lb of torque, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is easily the most powerful version of the vehicle to date. Notable features include larger quad turbochargers and intercoolers, wider front air intakes and deep air ducts in place of the large overhead scoops.
According to Bugatti, actual production versions of the vehicle will be limited to a max speed of 257.9 mph. While that’s clearly not as fast as the test version that made the record-setting lap, it is still faster than the Ultimate Aero’s second-place top speed of 256.12 mph. That means, you can still try to set your rich man’s speed record run if you fancy yourself capable of handling a beastly car at that pace (unlikely) without totaling it (very likely).
Only 30 examples of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport will be made, with the first five dubbed as the World Record Edition, bearing the same orange and black finish as the record-setting vehicle. Price is set between €1.65 and €1.85 million plus tax.
[via Autoguide]