The New 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport Worlds fastest production car

[coxmaster]

The tire thing isn't true. No car manufacturer can specify the tire that you put onto the car. For the Veyron to be sold in the US, it must meet federal guidelines, therefore Bugatti can not mandate you use their brand tire. As I've posted before, in a similar thread, the other cars that have top speeds near the Veyron use normal tires.

The problem is.. Michelin is the only company that makes tires in the correct size for the Veyron. So yeah, you can use whatever tires you like, but there is only 1 option at the moment

 

[theeedude]

I don't think they mean the tires will only last 37 miles and then you gotta replace them. They probably mean at 250mph, you can go about 37 miles before the tires get too hot and you risk a blow out.

 

[Arkaign]

I don't think they mean the tires will only last 37 miles and then you gotta replace them. They probably mean at 250mph, you can go about 37 miles before the tires get too hot and you risk a blow out.

That's exactly it.

The SSC cars I consider more of a kit car than a production car. Though a record is a record I suppose. The SSC is more of an engineering experiment, and the Veyron much more of a complete package, in the world of ~$1M+ luxuries.

 

[darkswordsman17]

The TVR Speed 12 weighed less than all of those. Unfortunately the road version was scrapped because of being too fast. There is a rumor they are going to make a new one to face Bugatti, but they already had a design with 1000bhp and 2200 lbs, so I don't doubt they can do it.

The Speed 12 was hype, it never proved anything. Considering it was just a tube framed race car, of course it'd make a horrible road car. TVR's lower cars were well known to be not all that drivable (by most people, but even excellent drivers had issues keeping them in line) when pushed hard, so adding much more power obviously was not going to make them any better, especially with the insistence to not use any tech aids.

As for being too fast, well consider it was said by the guy running the company at the time, who had a penchant for saying stuff like that. Granted, I'm sure it was pretty much undrivable on the street, but that's as much the fault of TVR's development as it is the horsepower and weight. There's cars with twice as much power as the Speed 12 had that are more streetable than it.

Fact is, with 800+ horsepower, regardless of how much the car weighs, you have to have some manner of tech aids to make it do anything but go in a straight line well.

Also, the Speed 12 wasn't what you'd call reliable. The race versions had a habit of breaking down, and they were detuned compared to the road car.

Its cool that TVR would consider making such a car though, but they're not great at developing cars, and so all that potential gets wasted.

It did make a great sound though. When the rev limiter was pegged it actually sounded like a whole hive of pissed off bees.

The tire thing isn't true. No car manufacturer can specify the tire that you put onto the car. For the Veyron to be sold in the US, it must meet federal guidelines, therefore Bugatti can not mandate you use their brand tire. As I've posted before, in a similar thread, the other cars that have top speeds near the Veyron use normal tires.

An F1 car, running far softer rubber, (and with downforce, far greater weight as well) have tires that last longer than 37 miles.

People get stupid when it comes to exotics, like the Ferrari Enzo oil change. As long as you meet the viscosity and change intervals, Ferrari does not have the ability to deny warranty coverage.

As pointed out, the tire claim is for it at such high speeds. F1 cars don't run anywhere near that speed.

As for downforce, even when its making it 3 times its weight, an F1 car still only weighs about as much as a Veyron does when its standing still. The Veyron makes its own downforce as well, and in handling mode, it probably weighs a good 5000 pounds at a decent speed. F1 cars average speeds that put them about twice their weight, which would put them at roughly 2400-2800 pounds. Of course, F1 tires also only need to last roughly 200 miles, and have more rubber on them (which gets sloughed off through the course of a race). Granted F1 tires probably undergo other forms of stress that the Veyron's tires can't handle, but they're specifically designed to, just like the Veyron's is meant to handle it. These other cars don't exactly use the same tires on your typical car either. If I'm not mistaken they all use high performance tires that are actually developed similarly to the Veyron's. I think Michelin makes the tires for most of these companies too.

The problem is.. Michelin is the only company that makes tires in the correct size for the Veyron. So yeah, you can use whatever tires you like, but there is only 1 option at the moment

Exactly. Sure you could possibly use another wheel/tire combo, but then performance of the car would likely change and I don't see how Bugatti could be held liable if for any problems should you try top speed testing.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

The tire thing isn't true. No car manufacturer can specify the tire that you put onto the car. For the Veyron to be sold in the US, it must meet federal guidelines, therefore Bugatti can not mandate you use their brand tire. As I've posted before, in a similar thread, the other cars that have top speeds near the Veyron use normal tires.

An F1 car, running far softer rubber, (and with downforce, far greater weight as well) have tires that last longer than 37 miles.

People get stupid when it comes to exotics, like the Ferrari Enzo oil change. As long as you meet the viscosity and change intervals, Ferrari does not have the ability to deny warranty coverage.

I'm not from America so am not at all familiar with the rules, but at a glance it seems that the manufacturer can stipulate that it has to meet or exceed OE specs - bead unseating resistance, strength, endurance, high-speed performance, and tire load rating.

Good luck finding a 365/710 R540 108Y tyre that isn't a Michelin.

Your argument about an F1 car is an apples to oranges comparison. Do you want me to explain or did you realise that?

 

[PlasmaBomb]

The TVR Speed 12 weighed less than all of those.

I thought the original weight of the speed 12 was 1100kg (~2400 lb)?

Unfortunately the road version was scrapped because of being too fast.

Have you heard the rumour about when they first tested the engine?

The story goes that it snapped the input shaft of the 1000bhp-rated dyno initially tasked with finding out

Ben Samuelson, TVR’s head of PR at the time -
Yes, it really did blow up the dyno

:biggrin:

More details about the "new" one?

Is that the tweaked race version?

 

[Kirby]

I don't care if has OVER 9000 horsepower and is faster than to infinity and beyond, that thing is ugly as hell.

 

[Malak]

As for being too fast, well consider it was said by the guy running the company at the time, who had a penchant for saying stuff like that.

Of course the guy running the company said it, but it was someone else that told him. They had a race driver test it out on the road, an experienced TVR driver. He was the one that said it was too unstable. It was also pointed out on Top Gear with the original race version.

Even Vipers have trouble with keeping control, just watch them in any GT race. But Vipers didn't match the Speed 12 for hp or torque, so it's no wonder the Speed 12 road version was a bad idea. But we are talking about straight speed, not handling. The only road version of the Speed 12 might not be able to match the top speed right now, but if TVR is really interested in going for a record rather than a new model to sell, they could probably do it. The original engine was pushing 1000hp in 1999, with new tech and the right gearing it could go places.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

I don't think they mean the tires will only last 37 miles and then you gotta replace them. They probably mean at 250mph, you can go about 37 miles before the tires get too hot and you risk a blow out.

That's exactly it.

The SSC cars I consider more of a kit car than a production car. Though a record is a record I suppose. The SSC is more of an engineering experiment, and the Veyron much more of a complete package, in the world of ~$1M+ luxuries.

Yup, last in this case really does mean last, as in how long the tires can go before risking delaminating due to heat... if you don't know what I'm on about skip forward to 16 minutes 6 sec (or 19 minutes 25 if you really must)

http://www.streetfire.net/video/fifth-gear-18x01-20101008_2071411.htm

^My thanks to fifthgear for their timely video (non-fifth gear link - I think the official link is UK only)

 

[darkswordsman17]

Of course the guy running the company said it, but it was someone else that told him. They had a race driver test it out on the road, an experienced TVR driver. He was the one that said it was too unstable. It was also pointed out on Top Gear with the original race version.

Even Vipers have trouble with keeping control, just watch them in any GT race. But Vipers didn't match the Speed 12 for hp or torque, so it's no wonder the Speed 12 road version was a bad idea. But we are talking about straight speed, not handling. The only road version of the Speed 12 might not be able to match the top speed right now, but if TVR is really interested in going for a record rather than a new model to sell, they could probably do it. The original engine was pushing 1000hp in 1999, with new tech and the right gearing it could go places.

Actually, he's the one that supposedly took one home and then declared that it was too fast.

Of course its unstable, because TVR developed it. Adding power just made sure that it was unstable pretty much all the time.

The Viper is a more drivable car than the lower TVRs that have less power than it.

The problem is, this record is for actual production cars. The company has to actually produce cars to get it. That's why the Speed 12 is just hype. They just made a race car and claimed they were going to make it road legal. They finally made one car. They've never proven anything other than that they were able to make a very powerful but largely undrivable car that they never really produced.

What's impressive about that? That's why the Veyron and the SSC are impressive, they have unmatched levels of performance while actually being produced and drivable. Likewise, the McLaren F1 had incredible performance (that the Speed 12 likely would not have beaten despite less weight and more power), but was also remarkably drivable.

 

[IronWing]

The most gorgeous paint job ever.

That's a beautiful car, though I wish they had spent a few extra bucks and had the jack painted to match.