Bugatti: Beautifully Designed Cars with Speed to Match

This article will tell you the details information about Bugatti luxury cars: history, innovations, design, speed, engine etc.

Known for both the level of detail in their engineering and aesthetic beauty of their designs, Bugatti automobiles certainly have a trendy appearance, but what really separates them from others is their exhilarating speed. With a rich racing heritage that includes many trips to the winner’s podium, Bugatti cars have always been built to perform on the racetrack. While many competitors like Bentley chose to focus on durability and power to achieve speed, founder Ettore Bugatti took a lighter approach.

Bugatti believed that “weight was the enemy” and he did everything he could to reduce the weight of his cars with superior craftsmanship and details that helped shed some weight in his cars. Engine blocks were hand scraped until they were so flat that gaskets would not be needed for sealing. Exposed surfaces of the engine compartment featured engine turned finishes on them, wires were hand threaded through fasteners with intricately laced patterns and many innovations were made to minimize the amount of parts used on each vehicle.

Bugatti’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed as his cars fared well in many races during the early 1900′s. Despite all these successes, Bugatti cars pretty much vanished after the 1920′s and 1930′s until revivals in the 1950′s and later on in 1987.

History of Bugatti

Bugatti Type 10

Founded in 1909 by Ettore Bugatti, Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was started in Molsheim, Alsace, France. The Italian-born Bugatti was the son of a furniture and jewelry designer, applying his aptitude for design to his automobile designs. Focusing on high-performance automobiles, Bugatti developed his first car, the Type 10, in his basement during 1908 and 1909.

The Type 10 was a monobloc straight-four engine designed by Bugatti having an overhead cam unit with 2 valves per cylinder. This led to the development of the Type 13 racer with its 1.4 liter engine and innovative 4-valve head design. Five of these cars were produced in 1910 and a Type 13 was entered in the 1911 French Grand Prix at Le Mans, where it took second place following seven hours of racing. The Type 22 and Type 23 were also developed during this time.

In 1924, the Type 35 racing car was developed, becoming one of the most successful racing cars of all-time with over 1,000 wins. The Type 35 used a 3-valve per cylinder head with an overhead cam straight-8 2.0 liter engine that produced 90 hp at 6,000 rpm. The Type 35 was given a Bugatti trademark with springs that were passed through the front axle, instead of being U-bolted together. The front axle was also hollow which helped reduce the car’s weight.

Bugatti Type 41 Royale

In 1939, Bugatti changed course and produced a racing airplane that had numerous innovations, but was never finished. He also introduced many famous Bugatti models including the Type 41 “Royale”, the Type 57 “Atlantic” and the Type 55 sports car. Ettore Bugatti passed away in 1947 and the company struggled until being revived in 1951 and later again in 1987.

Bugatti is currently owned by the Volkswagen Group which acquired the Bugatti brand in 1998, following the revival of the brand in 1987 by Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli. Artioli and his group struggled to make any money, but did manage to produce a technically advanced sports car, the EB 110. Volkswagen has managed to build upon the successful innovations of the EB 110 to re-establish the brand, producing the Veyron model that is one of the fastest production cars in the world today.

Milestones and Innovations

Bugatti Type 35

• A privately entered Bugatti won the first ever Monaco Grand Prix in 1929.
• The 1924 Bugatti Type 35 was probably the most successful racing car of all-time with over 1,000 victories.
• Bugatti cars won the 24 hours of Le Mans twice in 1937 and 1939 with main driver Jean-Pierre Wimille. The 1939 victory with Wimille and Pierre Veyron was won with just one car and very little resources.
• Bugatti used one of the first 4-valve head designs incorporated in the Type 13 model that was first produced in 1910.
• The Bugatti Type 35 won the Targa Florio race five consecutive times between 1925 and 1929.

The Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

The 16-cylinder all-wheel drive Veyron is a 1,001 hp beast that can reach a speed of 100 km/hr in only 2.5 seconds. The incredibly fast production vehicle can also come to a complete stop from a speed of 100 km/hr in only 2.3 seconds. It is capable of reaching speeds of over 400 km/hr (248.5 mph). The Veyron has several adjustments that have been made to add to the perfect balance between propulsion and downforce needed to keep the car from lifting off the ground at high speeds. A 7-gear clutch transmission handles the acceleration, an Electronic Stability Program smooths the ride, while its ceramic brakes ensure it can safely come to a complete stop.

The Veyron even has a top-speed key that ensures adaptations are made for speeds that exceed 375 km/hr. Along with its supreme performance characteristics, the Veyron has many lightweight components including many of the materials used in the interior. The electronic components are all integrated in a three bus digital network that takes 26 separate controls and connects them to only three data buses. A Burmester sound system, Bugatti PDA and Bluetooth GPS are all prominent features of the Bugatti Veyron interior.

The Bugatti Grand Sport

2014 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

The Bugatti Grand Sport takes the same 16-cylinder 4 turbocharger engine of the Veyron and places it in the convertible frame of the Grand Sport roadster. Many technical details are brought together in this meticulously hand manufactured convertible that sets performance standards for all topless cars. With a 0-100 km/hr acceleration of only 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 407 km/hr, the Grand Sport is not a typical convertible. Much like the Veyron, a handling mode and key-activated top speed mode both make adjustments to lower the car and keep it in contact with the road. The Grand Sport is open air freedom with no sacrifice of speed.

The Bugatti Super Sport

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Enthusiasts looking for an even faster car will enjoy the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport with its extreme 16-cylinder engine that produces 1,200 hp and a top speed that is limited to 415 km/hr to protect the tires. This fire breathing production car comes with a twin clutch gearbox with seven speeds and many modifications that give the driver even more control at high speeds. The four turbochargers are enlarged and the intercoolers are bigger, adding more power and speed. The car design has many modifications designed to get more performance out of the car. Many carbon-fiber components are used to make the car lighter and faster.

The Bugatti Vitesse

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse

This model unites the performance of the Super Sport with the open top characteristics of the Grand Sport to produce the fastest roadster in the world. The same 1,200 hp engine that is used in the Super Sport  powers the Vitesse, allowing it to accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in a mere 2.6 seconds. The top speed of 410 km/hr (255 mph) is limited to 375 km/hr (233 mph) as a safety precaution. The chassis has been reconfigured to virtually eliminate roll and pitching during hard accelerations and braking, while the lateral acceleration potential has been increased to 1.4 g. The car is faster and safer than the Grand Sport with many racing adaptations added for a more controllable ride.