A couple more spectacular Bugatti hypercars appeared too.
A classy billionaire decided to pilgrimage to the homeland of Bugatti, Chateau Saint-Jean, in Molsheim, France and wasn't going to leave their own precious Bugattis' at home.
That's why they decided the only logical thing to do to show one's appreciation for such a renowned brand was to drive their three record-celebrating Bugatti models to their birthplace in a glorious tribute to the brand's past.
The models include the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, and Chiron Super Sport 300+. These three models were then joined by two others from the Singh Collection from Punjab, India: The Veyron Pur Sport and the Divo. To have all these vehicles in the same place at the same time must have been glorious.
The three vehicles' history starts with the oldest, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition. In 2010, a unique Veyron was cooked up that produced 1,184 horsepower from the quad-turbocharged W16 engine, among many other changes.
It was driven around the Ehra-Lessien test track at 267.86 mph. The driver who piloted the car that day, Pierre-Henri Raphanel, welcomed the owner and his vehicles to the facility. Soon after the first record, in 2013, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse set the record for the world's fastest convertible with a speed of 254.05 mph with the top down.
Finally, the Chiron Super Sport 300+. In 2019, the vehicle was driven to a speed of 304.73 mph by driver Andy Wallace. When this occurred, the vehicle became the first production car to pass the 300 mph speed barrier, with Bugatti more than happy to publicize the feat as far and wide as possible.
To celebrate the owner and their vehicles, the Bugatti Design Director, Achim Anscheidt, signed the three vehicles with a special note that reads, "In record-breaking friendship. Molsheim, 26/4/23." Andy Wallace and Pierre-Henri Raphanel also attended to sign their respective record-breaking vehicles.
As a thank you, the owner left a Bugatti 'La Bouteille Noire': a hand-crafted carbon fiber champagne case in the style of La Voiture Noire with a 15-liter bottle of fine vintage champagne inside. We've written about it before, and it's truly a sight to behold.
The entire thing must have been a dream come true for the owner. The three vehicles they brought are truly awe-inspiring feats of engineering, but if we may digress a little, at least two of the three vehicles deserve an asterisk next to their proclaimed "production car" accomplishments.
First, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport that broke the world record in 2010 was a pre-production model with its limiter removed. The production vehicle is limited to 258 mph, meaning the vehicle never really set a "production car" record.
The Chiron Super Sport 300+ may even be a bigger offender. Not only did it set its 304.773 mph top speed in a pre-production model, but it set it in only one direction, which leaves too many variables in play. Additionally, the production car is only considered a special edition using only visual cues from the record-breaking car. The production model is limited to 273 mph, a far cry from the claimed record.
Finally, Hennessey may have something to say about the Vitesse's world record, but this is one case where we think the record checks out.
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