Uncover the ideas that result in the Veyron.
Unseemingly harmless to at present’s automotive requirements, the search to attain hypercar standing for a producer was not as simple as one may consider. Large powertrains paired with hybrid-assisted electrical motors now show to be the profitable recipe to acquire these four-figure horsepower figures efficiently. Nonetheless, it’s vital to remind ourselves the place the eagerness and drive to push efficiency boundaries got here from. Whereas one might argue the true definition of a “hypercar” with iconic names just like the McLaren F1, no different automotive has shaken up the automotive world fairly just like the Bugatti Veyron.
Understanding its second in time as a successor to the legendary EB110 and the predecessor to fashionable marvels just like the Chiron, Mistral, Bolide, and Tourbillon, we’re usually left questioning how the Veyron got here to fruition as a timeless icon. The supply behind Bugatti, and extra particularly the Veyron, started with the ambition of the previous Chairman of the Volkswagen Group, Ferdinand Karl Piëch. The thought of engineering a automotive that may break the boundaries of efficiency, design, and luxurious got here whereas Piëch dreamed up a revolutionary 18-cylinder engine throughout a practice trip in Japan. The very first sketches of his W18 appeared on an envelope and have become the driving drive behind Bugatti after Volkswagen AG acquired model rights in Might 1998.
Bugatti EB 118
When the EB 118 debuted in 1998 on the Paris Motor Present, it marked the start of Bugatti’s post-war revival beneath Volkswagen Group. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the two-door grand tourer got here geared up with an enormous front-mounted 6.3L W18 engine that produced 547 horsepower and despatched energy to all 4 wheels. The automotive’s lengthy hood, central backbone element, and upright stance have been extra about presence than efficiency. Inside, the automotive leaned closely into retro-inspired luxurious, with an Artwork Deco design DNA and a give attention to craftsmanship.
Bugatti EB 218
The EB 218 adopted in early 1999, providing a sedan tackle the identical idea. Based mostly on the sooner EB 112, this model was bigger and aimed instantly on the ultra-luxury saloon market. It stored the W18 engine and all-wheel-drive system however stretched the proportions to over 17 ft in size. With softer styling and 4 doorways, the EB 218 emphasised consolation and dimension reasonably than efficiency. It wasn’t attempting to be sporty. It was a luxurious platform that confirmed Bugatti’s curiosity in constructing one thing nearer to a modern-day Sort 41 Royale.
Bugatti EB 18/3 Chiron
Issues took a distinct flip with the EB 18/3 Chiron in September 1999. The idea ditched the front-engine structure and positioned the W18 in a mid-engine configuration behind the seats. The end result was a decrease, extra performance-focused automotive with extra conventional supercar proportions. Designed by Fabrizio Giugiaro, it nonetheless used the identical drivetrain as the sooner ideas however relied extra on velocity and agility. Naming it after Louis Chiron was an try to attach with Bugatti’s racing historical past, however the automotive nonetheless felt extra like a design research than a remaining product.
Bugatti EB 18/4 Veyron
A month later, the EB 18/4 Veyron was revealed in Tokyo. This time, the design got here from inside Volkswagen Group, with Jozef Kabaň main the challenge. The EB 18/4 appeared a lot nearer to a manufacturing mannequin, even when it nonetheless used the W18. Nevertheless, the constraints of the W18, particularly in warmth and packaging, quickly led to a change to a newly developed quad-turbocharged W16. Nonetheless an idea at this level, the EB 18/4 was the ultimate step earlier than the manufacturing Veyron, hinting on the form and specs of what would turn into one of the crucial influential hypercars of the twenty first century.
Supply: Bugatti
