Bugatti Veyron: A Quest for Perfection - The Story of the Greatest Car in the World Hardback - 2011

The Bugatti Veyron's statistics are mind-boggling: 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds; a top speed of 253 mph; tyres that cost 20,000 a set and an engine with 10 radiators and four turbos; a launch control system taken from F1; and even windscreen wipers that create sizeable downforce--all delivered complete with a high-end stereo system, luxurious leather seats, and air-conditioning. It was a feat of engineering grandiosity that, in automotive terms, rivals the achievements of the great 19th Century industrialists. Here Martin Roach sets out to track down the mythical beast that is a Bugatti Veyron--and ultimately attempts to drive one. He traces the genesis of this remarkable machine through Bugatti's long and glorious early days and then through its more turbulent modern era. Traveling to the top secret Bugatti Research & Development workshop in Germany; touring the factory and chateau in France where these stunning cars are hand-built; interviewing famous engineers, super-rich owners, and automotive presidents, as well as a host of other expert eye-witnesses to this unique car's many achievements; Roach ponders this mechanical whirlwind and in so doing has written a pageturning study of a modern masterpiece. Bugatti Veyron: A Quest for Perfection discovers and unravels the enigma that is this remarkable car. For the first time, Bugatti has allowed access to the Veyron's chief engineer, designers, test drivers, archivists, the Bugatti factory, photographers, and the president of Bugatti himself.