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| Nothing a possibly prepare a person for the absolute power and total control combined with otherworldly refinement. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
So, just what does 1001hp and 922 lb-ft of torque feel like at takeoff? Absolutely nothing can prepare the mind, body and soul for such an otherworldly experience, and unless your name happens to be Alan Shepherd, Joe Engle, Joe Walker, Neil Armstrong or any of the twelve brave souls who manned the experimental X-15 back in NASA's glory days, only time behind the wheel of Bugatti's soul-stirring Veyron 16.4 can relate the g-force inducing sensation.
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| It simply lays waste to steep mountain roads. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
If it weren't for the paddle shifters connecting through to its 7-speed DSG transmission I probably wouldn't have been able to lift my right arm to make the necessary shifts, so intense was the Veyron's acceleration, its 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder, quad-turbocharged powerplant's jet-like whine going about its business with a purposeful nonchalance, as if it hardly needed to interrupt its relaxed breathing pattern to send this near 4,200-pound supercar to 100km/h in just 2.7 seconds, the quarter mile in 10.5, and on to a top-speed that I'll probably never experience yet apparently exceeds 400 km/h or 250mph (407 km/h or 252.9 verified). This particular Veyron is a Grand Sport, so depending on whether you have the targa-style roof closed or open it's top speed will either be the staggeringly unfathomable aforementioned figure or 360 km/h (223.7mph), respectively, and with the unique canvas umbrella-style emergency bad weather top in place, a mere 130km/h (80.7mph).
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| How about a nice quiet drive down by the waterfront? Slow or fast, the Veyron is a dream. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press) |
I was nicely positioned in front of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance last year when the car rolled across the stage, having had to make a dash from my lawn location where my camera's lens caught this special Veyron easing across the golf course greens. At the front of the stage I witnessed the top's removal and umbrella-like temporary roof's unique design first hand thanks to sunshine, but being that the weather in Vancouver appeared unpredictable during my four-hour stint behind the wheel, we didn't want to chance rain wetting the perfectly detailed interior.
