What now for the Bugatti Veyron?
FIRST DRIVES OF the new Bugatti Chiron were hard to come by, with just a handful of journalists worldwide allowed behind the wheel of the 1479bhp hypercar. Octane’s regular contributor and Historic racer Richard Meaden was on the list – and it’s his report that you’ll read on pages 76-84.
But what becomes of the outgoing Veyron, we wondered at Octane. That’s a fascinating question, because suddenly it has become a neo-classic in its own right. Will owners stomach the high running costs? Where will values go? Will it even be possible to keep one on the road in the future? We spoke to Bugatti and to independent experts to find out more – you can read about that on pages 90-92.
We’ve featured a Veyron on the cover three times in its lifetime, and I drove one (above) in 2006. What was clear from the start was how ridiculously easy it was to drive, not just on the sweeping N-roads around the Molsheim factory but through busy town centres and even over speed bumps. Almost too easy, perhaps?
And then, on a nearby autoroute, the traffic parted and then disappeared behind me, and I tentatively pressed down on the accelerator. I’m not going to say how hard I pushed, but ten years on I still remember clearly how rapidly the speed built, and how shockingly quickly vehicles that started as mere specks in the far distance became very real, full-sized cars, vans and lorries. A phenomenal machine.
Of course, Chirons and Veyrons are all very well, but they wouldn’t exist as Bugattis if it weren’t for that most seminal Bugatti of all, the Type 35. What can we say that we haven’t said before about the Type 35? Not a lot perhaps – so we went to Andy Wallace instead. Yes, that Andy Wallace, winner of the 1988 Le Mans, plus Daytona, Sebring and many more.
Andy is, among other things, an official Bugatti test driver, taking Veyron and Chiron to their limits – but he’s also had plenty of chance to drive some of the icons of the marque, including the Type 35. So it’s his views that you’ll read on pages 86-88. Enjoy!