Veyron a no-show
One of the most talked-about cars at the Frankfurt motor show wasn't there.The 750kW Bugatti Veyron - which only weeks before had set a new production car top speed record of 400kmh-plus - stayed parked at the VW-owned, small-volume maker's assembly plant near Molsheim, France.
Fact is, the car wasn't shown because Bugatti was saving its euros. For the same reason, the car won't be at January's
motor show, either.According to the authoritative Automotive News Europe, Bugatti will be cutting it fine to turn a profit on the 300 Veyrons it plans to build. Bugatti's president, Thomas Bscher confirmed to the newspaper that attendance at the Frankfurt show and at January’s Detroit motor show would have cost 500,000 euros (about $A1.6million).
Retail price for the 16-cylinder supercar has been set at a neat 1million euros ($A3.2million).
To further sweeten the deal, Bugatti announced after the Veyron's record breaking multiple runs at VW’s Ehra-Lessien proving grounds - supervised by German homologation authority TUV-Suddeutschland - the car had accelerated from 0-100kmh in an awesome 2.5 seconds.
Importantly, Automotive News also forecast that Bugatti plans a second Veyron model, possibly a four-seater version of the 16-cylinder supercar.
After the embarrassing setbacks since its official unveiling at the 2003 show, production of the two-seater Veyron has started in the French town where Ettore Bugatti and successors built the original cars.
Much of the componentry is VW-sourced, but outside suppliers are involved, too. The carbon-fibre body is built by Italian aircraft maker ATR.
The car finally has gone into production after its inglorious debut in the , shortly after its 2003 show launch by then-VW chief executive Bernd Pischetsrieder. The car spun-out on its first demonstation lap at the Laguna Seca circuit. Later, it was found to be unstable at speed and susceptible to overheating.
In answer to questions about a four-seater Veryron, Bugatti boss Thomas Bscher told Automotive News: "We has such a great engine and drivetrain, we better use it again in another larger model. I see it as a four-seat car, with front engine and its own unique chassis."
The second model, he said, would have to be financed by sales of the existing Veyron, he said.
Mr Bscher said there were "about 30" firm orders for the car with down payments. Several customers had ordered two, he said.
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