World's fastest roadster: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse

Bugatti has now revealed all the specs and technical info pertaining to the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport revealed at the recent Geneva motor show.

The latest Bug is based on the existing Grand Sport model, but adds the Super Sport’s running gear to yield what’s billed as the world’s fastest open-topped car.

“We were instantly electrified by the idea of transferring the power of the Super Sport to the Grand Sport, which previously delivered a maximum of 1001hp (736kW) , and thus taking the roadster to a new level,” says Bugatti boss Wolfgang Dürheimer.

As per the Super Sport, the Grand Sport Vitesse gains an uprated version of the quad-turbo 8.0-litre W16 engine, pumping out a mind-boggling 882kW and 1500Nm of twist from 3000 to 5000rpm.

Bugatti claims these outputs yield a 0-100km/split of 2.6sec and a top whack of 410km/h – numbers that easily stamp the Vitesse as the world’s fastest production roadster.

The manufacturer claims the 199hp (146kW) power hike over the normal Grand Sport was achieved largely through using four larger turbochargers with new intercoolers.

Given its massive grunt, the rest of the drivetrain components were fortified to ensure they don’t end up as an expensive pile of twisted, smoking metal. The gearing of the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox has also been revised.

Interestingly, despite the larger turbos and added grunt, Bugatti claims the Vitesse is actually more economical than its standard sibling, partly due to reduced back pressure in the exhaust.

To cope with its stonking acceleration, the Vitesse scores beefed-up suspension, new 20-inch alloys and a revised ESP system that kicks in slightly later. The brakes also gain additional and larger air intakes to keep temperatures in check.

Despite the Vitesse’s high-po credentials Bugatti claims refinement hasn’t been compromised and suggests it actually rides better than the regular model through careful suspension tuning.

In terms of aero kit, the Grand Sport Vitesse gains a new roof spoiler that’s said to reduce wind noise and buffeting in the interior and there’s a new windbreak that can be stashed in the luggage compartment when not in use. Its maker claims these make for “extremely relaxed open-top driving at speeds of up to 200km/h”.

Meanwhile, the front end is characterised by larger air intakes and a new front spoiler that mimics splitters used in race cars. Out back is a new double diffuser and a centrally mounted twin tailpipe.

As you’d expect, the cabin features generous lashing of carbonfibre, which nicely offsets the two-tone leather trim with contrasting stitching.

 New features in the cabin include knee pads in the centre tunnel area, an additional 12V socket (in the glove compartment) an illuminated start and parking lock button (same as Super Sport) and an instrument cluster with shift-up information.

Naturally, the power gauge (which shows how much of the car’s potential you’re tapping into) now goes up to 1200hp.

Don’t think you’ll find this replicated in too many other cars…

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