The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 cannot fairly be compared with other cars, because none, including Formula One racers, can match its specs:1,001 horsepower, 253 mph, 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds.
In 2000, Ferdinand Piech, then CEO of parent company Volkswagen, announced the project and its stunning perfomance goals. The Veyron would make a statement, not a profit.
(The car sells for $1.2 million; each of the 300 models to be made will cost VW a rumored $5-6 million.)
Engineers spent years refining the eight-liter, four-turbo, 16-cylinder engine - the 16.4 in the name - to squeeze 1,001 horsepower from it. They refined the aerodynamics with a morphing rear wing and an adjustable suspension to get a final top speed of 253 mph. They developed a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to harness the 922 pound-feet of torque blasted to all four wheels. The final product is a supremely stable supercar that can be driven by anyone (its gearbox has a docile automatic mode), is mind-bendingly fast, and will probably never be matched in our lifetime.
