Manufacturer     Bugatti Automobiles and Volkswagen Group (parent company)
Production     2005–2011 (last 16.4 sold)
2008-present (Grand Sport)
2010-present (Super Sport)
Assembly     Molsheim, Alsace, France
Predecessor     Bugatti EB110
Class     Sports car
Body style     Standard: 2-door coupé
Variant: targa top
Layout     Longitudinal mid-engine,
permanent 4WD
Engine     Standard:
8.0 L (488 cu in) W16 quad-turbocharged 1,001 PS (736 kW; 987 bhp)[1]
Super Sport:
1,200 PS (883 kW; 1,184 bhp)[1][2]
Transmission     7-speed DSG sequential
Wheelbase     2,710 mm (106.7 in)
Length     4,462 mm (175.7 in)
Width     1,998 mm (78.7 in)
Height     1,159 mm (45.6 in)
Kerb weight     1,888 kg (4,162 lb)
Designer     Jozef Kaban[3]

Super Sport edition

The Veyron Super Sport features an engine power increase from the standard 1,001 metric horsepower (736 kW; 987 bhp) to 1,200 metric horsepower (883 kW; 1,184 bhp) and torque of 1,500 N·m (1,100 ft·lbf) and a revised aerodynamic package.[4] It was shown publicly for the first time at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2010.[3]

Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel drove the Super Sport version of the Veyron on Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien high-speed test track to establish the car's top speed. With representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) on hand, Raphanel made passes around the big oval in both directions achieving an average maximum speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph).[15] Once produced for sale, the first five Super Sports will sport the same black and orange finish as the first production car, which was used to set the speed record, and all production models will be electronically limited to 415 km/h (258 mph) to protect the tyres.[4]
[edit] Top speed

German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of the original version of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph)[5] during test sessions on the Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005.

This top speed was verified by James May on Top Gear in November 2006, again at Volkswagen Group's private Ehra-Lessien test track. May noted that at top speed the engine consumes 45,000 litres (9,900 imp gal) of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days). The Veyron has the highest top speed of any street legal production car. Back in the Top Gear studio, co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson commented that most super-cars felt like they were shaking apart at their top speed, and asked May if that was the case with the Veyron at 407 km/h (253 mph). May responded that no, the Veyron was very controlled, and only wobbled a tiny-bit when the air-brake deployed. May further commented “Absolutely yeah, it’s totally undramatic. But I would give you a bit of a warning, It’s a bit disorientating doing that sort of speed, because after I came off the banking, I was slowing down to stop, and you know how you get a bit impatient and think ‘I’ll just open the door’, fortunately I looked back at the speedo, and I was still doing seventy.”[16]

On 4 July 2010, Bugatti's official test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel piloted the Super Sport edition and was clocked at an average of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) on the same track, taking back the title from the SSC Ultimate Aero TT as the fastest production vehicle of all time. The 431.072 km/h mark was reached by averaging the Super Sport's two test runs, the first reaching 427.93 km/h (265.90 mph) and the second 434.20 km/h (269.80 mph). The record run was certified by the German government and the Guinness Book of World Records.[17]

The car's everyday top speed is listed at 350 km/h (220 mph). When the car reaches 220 km/h (140 mph), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 9 cm (3.5 in). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. In this handling mode the wing provides 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road.[11]

For top speed mode the driver must, while at rest, toggle a special top speed key to the left of the driver's seat. A checklist then establishes whether the car and its driver are ready to attempt to reach 407 km/h (253 mph). If so, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers shut, and normal 12.5 cm (4.9 in) ground clearance drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).

The Ford GT90 is a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar". Claimed performance included a top speed 235 mph (378 km/h) from a 720 hp (537 kW;730 PS) quad-turbocharged V12 engine DOHC, the exhaust of which was claimed to be hot enough to damage the body panels, requiring ceramic tiles similar to those on the space shuttle to prevent this.

The mid-engined car is a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40, taking from it some styling cues, such as doors that cut into the roofline, but little else. All angles and glass, the Ford GT90 was the first Ford to display the company's "New Edge" design philosophy. The GT90 was built around a honeycomb-section aluminum monocoque and its body panels were moulded from carbon fiber.

The GT90 was built by a small team in just over six months and, as a result, borrowed many components from another high profile stablemate—the Jaguar XJ220. The all-round double wishbone suspension and the five-speed manual gearbox came from the Jaguar, while the engine was a siamesed 4.6L DOHC V8 block (from the Lincoln Mark VIII) with 2 cylinders cut off.

The GT90's 48-valve V12 was a six-litre engine which, if Ford had ever produced it in volume, might have produced up to 720 hp (537 kW), thanks to four Garrett AiResearch T2 turbochargers. The engine was based on the Ford Modular engine. Two Lincoln V8 engines each had portions removed, namely the last pair of cylinders from the rear of one engine and the first pair of cylinders from the front of the other engine and the cut down engines were welded together. In total, this yielded a 90-degree V12, with 90.2 mm bore and 77.3 mm stroke.

Jacques Nasser, then a Ford executive and eventually CEO, was very proud of the car, and kept a model of it on his desk, as seen in a documentary on the U.K. television network Channel 4 on the Firestone tire incidents.

It also appeared in the videogames Need for Speed II, Sega GT 2002, Ford Racing 2, Ford Racing 3, Gran Turismo 2, "Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA", TOCA Race Driver 2, TOCA Race Driver 3 and Project Gotham Racing 3.

Manufacturer     Ferrari
Production     2009-present
Model years     2010-present
Assembly     Maranello, Italy
Predecessor     Ferrari F430
Body style     2-seat Berlinetta
Layout     Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine     4.5 L V8
Transmission     7-speed dual-clutch
Wheelbase     2,650 mm (104.3 in)[1]
Length     4,527 mm (178.2 in)[1]
Width     1,937 mm (76.3 in)[1]
                                                                   Height     1,213 mm (47.8 in)[1]
                                                                   Curb weight     1,485 kg (3,274 lb)
                                                                   Designer     Pininfarina

Engine

The 458 Italia is powered by a 4.5 L (270 cu in) V8 engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design, producing 570 PS (419 kW; 562 hp) at 9,000 rpm (redline) and 540 N·m (398 lb·ft) at 6,000 rpm[4] with 80% torque available at 3,250 rpm.[3] The engine features direct fuel injection, which is a first for Ferrari mid-engine setups in its road cars.[3] The 4.5 L V8 in the 458 currently holds the world record for most power per liter in a naturally aspirated production car engine.[5]
[edit] Transmission

The only transmission available on the 458 is a dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox.[3] There is no traditional manual option, making this the fifth road-car after the Enzo, California, Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia not to be offered with Ferrari's classic gated manual. It is the first mainstream model to not be offered with a manual transmission.

Ferrari unveiled the 458 Spider at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. This convertible variant of the 458 Italia features an aluminium retractable hardtop which, according to Ferrari, weighs 25 kilograms (55 lb) less than a soft roof such as the one found on the Ferrari F430 Spider, and can be retracted in 14 seconds.[17][18] The engine cover has been redesigned to cope with the retractable roof system. Ferrari plans to make 1,500-2,000 458 Spiders every year.