Jeezum crow!

1. The Veyron needs 10 radiators.
2. At top speed (253 MPH) the tires last about 15 minutes.
3. Which is no problem because you would suck the gas tank dry in 12.
4. 1001 HP.
5. To go much over 100 you have to turn a special key in the door that lowers the rear spoiler and brings the whole body down less than an inch from the road.
6. Bugatti asked if they could test their designs in an F1 Formula wind tunnel, but the F1 folks said the Veyron was so much faster than an F1 that it wouldn't work.
7. If you use the brakes at 100 or over it also employs the spoiler to help slow the car.

I'm not usually a fan of insanely expensive cars, but WANT.

Perfect for me. Get up to top speed and it's five minutes from Burlington to the New Hampshire line. Drop to 80 on Route 128 because of traffic and the tires and tank should last for the whole round trip. A 40 minute drive is now 20. Park the car in the evening, call the servants to have it refueled and re-tired overnight, repeat again in the morning.

Does it have cupholders?

ZAZ: Does it have cupholders?

I'm sure -- it has A/C and a stereo, too.

My commute is just under 10 miles. At 253MPH that would get me to work in about 2.5 minutes.

Richard Hammond is racing a fighter jet right now in that car.

But, for all it's worth, it's no longer the fastest production car. The Ultimate Aero holds that distinction currently.

That is such a great segment.

"There are special procedures. I like procedures."

all the good names are gone: But, for all it's worth, it's no longer the fastest production car. The Ultimate Aero holds that distinction currently.

High speed testers say the cars behave very differently with the Bugatti getting to that speed the way most cars get to 60, where as the Ultimate Aero was more obviously compromised in creature comforts to reach its top speed. The Ultimate Aero is much less expensive though.

If the Forza 3 physics model of the Veyron is accurate (I have no idea if it is), that car is going to be involved in lots of accidents. It basically has the acceleration and top speed of say a Ferrari F50GT while having brakes that are much, much less effective, and if you try to brake over 100mph you better be moving in a perfectly straight line or it's happy fun spin time. Feels quite heavy and understeers significantly, also. It's amazingly polite under throttle considering the HP, but as far as the Forza model goes, that's the only really positive feature of the car.

vossiewulf: Feels quite heavy and understeers significantly, also.

Captain Slow believes oversteer is a leftist plot.

That's ridiculously cool.

Ahhhhh...thank God Top Gear is back on the air tomorrow.

I would have mad, mad sex with Captain Slow in a heartbeat. And if offered, in the front seat of the Veyron in half a heartbeat.

witchofthedogs: I would have mad, mad sex with Captain Slow in a heartbeat. And if offered, in the front seat of the Veyron in half a heartbeat.

Hello.

/you have to say Hello

Raddamant: Hello.
/you have to say Hello

Only if you have a Veyron with an available front seat.

Sensei Can You See: Jeezum crow!

1. The Veyron needs 10 radiators.
2. At top speed (253 MPH) the tires last about 15 minutes.
3. Which is no problem because you would suck the gas tank dry in 12.
4. 1001 HP.
5. To go much over 100 you have to turn a special key in the door that lowers the rear spoiler and brings the whole body down less than an inch from the road.
6. Bugatti asked if they could test their designs in an F1 Formula wind tunnel, but the F1 folks said the Veyron was so much faster than an F1 that it wouldn't work.
7. If you use the brakes at 100 or over it also employs the spoiler to help slow the car.

I'm not usually a fan of insanely expensive cars, but WANT.

another little tidbit: that spoiler has more braking force than the brakes in our cars

vartian: Ahhhhh...thank God Top Gear is back on the air tomorrow.

Didn't know that, thanks for that.

witchofthedogs:

Only if you have a Veyron with an available front seat.

I don't have a Veyron, but I apparently can make obscure James May quotes

They threw some music from Bram Stoker's Dracula on at the end there.

Raddamant: witchofthedogs:

Only if you have a Veyron with an available front seat.

I don't have a Veyron, but I apparently can make obscure James May quotes

"This is probably what will happen to me in hell... a TVR, a racetrack, and a pedantic Scotsman."

WANT!!!

/nowhere to drive like that here
//don't care!

"...and what do you think James?"



"bugger off Clarkson"

Seen it!

It is a great clip though.

vossiewulf: if you try to brake over 100mph you better be moving in a perfectly straight line or it's happy fun spin time

If you try to brake over 100 mph in any car while turning you are in for a bad day.

witchofthedogs: I would have mad, mad sex with Captain Slow in a heartbeat. And if offered, in the front seat of the Veyron in half a heartbeat.

Can I join you?

If not, can I watch?

And anyway, that was 253, not 249

Another interesting thing about the Bugatti is that, if you turn the wheel too far, it automatically takes itself out of super-fast mode and won't let you get up to the top speed.

Chariset: Another interesting thing about the Bugatti is that, if you turn the wheel too far, it automatically takes itself out of super-fast mode and won't let you get up to the top speed.

Wow. They are trying to idiot proof the car. If you crank on the steering wheel at high speeds you do not deserve to have a supercar in my opinion.

Hotdoggin: vartian: Ahhhhh...thank God Top Gear is back on the air tomorrow.

Didn't know that, thanks for that.

UK, not US, right?

Weeeeeeeee!

Yes, new Top Gear tomorrow airing live in UK. I'm in the US, so I went on the internet and found this! (new window). Some say that... aww hell with it- you'll find a torrent at that link about an hour after it airs live (see the countdown timer at top)

vossiewulf: If the Forza 3 physics model of the Veyron is accurate (I have no idea if it is), that car is going to be involved in lots of accidents. It basically has the acceleration and top speed of say a Ferrari F50GT while having brakes that are much, much less effective, and if you try to brake over 100mph you better be moving in a perfectly straight line or it's happy fun spin time. Feels quite heavy and understeers significantly, also. It's amazingly polite under throttle considering the HP, but as far as the Forza model goes, that's the only really positive feature of the car.

They did their homework, that's for sure. The car is very heavy, about 4,150 lbs. That takes a lot of brakes to stop. And it takes even more to keep a lot of brakes from overheating and becoming as useful as a bowl of jelly.

You know the C+S Corvette, the black one with yellow vinyl? I saw it a few weeks ago at Road America. The driver had been overheating the brakes on his laps, he put it in the sandbox at turn 1 on his fifth lap of that session. That car weighs significantly less, and although through driver error he over-did his brakes, he still did. Imagine what a car that weighs ~2x as much can do, in half the time/distance. Note the glowing brakes at turn after turn 14, only moments before he got sandy.

Meh, still not as fast as a Dodge Tomahawk.

bluorangefyre: Meh, still not as fast as a Dodge Tomahawk.


I'd like to see you take a Tomahawk over 30 mph without killing yourself.

"I'm pretty confident that's as fast as I'm ever gonna go in a car."

Great line.

"I'm covering a football pitch every second."


That video was amazing.

Callaway Sledgehammer. 20 years ago.

FlashHarry: Hotdoggin: vartian: Ahhhhh...thank God Top Gear is back on the air tomorrow.

Didn't know that, thanks for that.

UK, not US, right?

Correct.

Gig103: That is such a great segment.

"There are special procedures. I like procedures."

Exactly, choosing May to take a Veyron up to top speed was brilliant.

this guy has an awesome career, he's gone the fastest he's ever going to go in a car and he's also flown the highest he'll ever fly (new window), doing just one is a privilege.

I never inherited my father's love of cars, but watching TOP GEAR, I think
I know what he felt like every day of his life.

Father was a master mechanic who could fix anything from a lawn mower to a
Boeing KC-135.

I need a cigarette now.

Oh sure, there may be other jobs out there that have more influence on society; and I expect that if you look hard enough, you may even find one with a higher salary. But even despite those "shortcomings":

Jeremy Clarkson's job.....is the greatest job.....in the world. (new window).

Pretty old clip, but that's no drawback because a) screw your "old post is old", and b) that clip is so awesome, everyone needs to see it.

As entertaining as James May makes it, it's actually pretty tame too, compared to most of the Top Gear special clips. I think they honestly wanted the attempt/achievement to take the spotlight, with a reduced amount of TG humor distracting from it.

SuperCatBarf: Callaway Sledgehammer. 20 years ago.

THIS!

/Pretty good for a plastic toy.

That car is growing on me. Chalk one up for the French.

That clip was awesome incarnate.

BEER_ME_in_CT: That car is growing on me. Chalk one up for the French.

Is this a bad time to mention it was made by Volkswagen?

"They threw some music from Bram Stoker's Dracula on at the end there."

Actually, it's the Future Sound of London, an old 80's - 90's electronic group. The song comes from ISDN or Future Cities I believe. Great track and group.