Andy House, owner of Performance Auto Sales (specializing in repaired exotics, ironically) in Lufkin, Texas, was driving on Interstate 45 early last week when he crashed his 2006 Bugatti Veyron into a nearby lake. According to Mr. House, a pelican distracted him, making him drop his cell phone and lose control of the car.

Galveston Daily News reported:

The man, who refused to give his name, was looking at real estate in Galveston.
About 3 p.m. a low-flying pelican distracted him as he traveled north on Interstate 45 just south of the hurricane levee near Omega Bay.
The man jerked the wheel, dropped his cell phone, and the car’s front tire left the frontage road and entered a muddy patch, which foiled his attempt to maneuver away from the lagoon.

Luckily, two dudes listening to Sublime caught it all on video, thinking they were watching a Lamborghini crash into the water. Check out the video: Continue Reading…

It looks like one of consequences of VW buying Porsche is that the controversial Porsche Panamera is likely to become some sort of permium, high end VW product. If not ending up a VW, the four-door coupe’s platform might end up with one of VW’s other brands, either Bentley, Bugatti or Audi. After amortizing all the development costs, the platform will most likely go away all together next decade.

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Finally, after many false alarms and internet generated rumors, the Bugatti Veyron finally gets the chance to take off its top and reveal its sexy body in all its supercar glory…

Well, not really. The Grand Sport is basically just a roadster version of the Veyron, which means a couple things.

One, due to the fact that a topless body is not as torsionally rigid or stable as the hardtop, the Grand Sport won’t be able to hit the Veyron’s top speed of 253 mph. I hear that top speed will be limited to 217 mph, but no performance details have been released yet.

Two, and this is debatable, the Veyron doesn’t look as good with the top down as with the top up. But on the flip side, everyone will know exactly who you are when you’re cruising at a cool 200 mph with the wind in your hair and the thunder of the W16 in your ears.

It is set to be revealed to the public on August 16 at the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, and the first one will be auctioned the very next day, so pricing has not yet been set. But you can be sure that all the filthy rich guys who think the Veyron just ain’t special enough will be clamoring to get one. After all, what other car screams “I’m so goddam rich and vain” like an open top Veyron?

Another pic after the jump.

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This is freakin’ hilarious.

According to Automotoportal, there was a highway race between a Bugatti Veyron and a Ferrari 599. This happened in England, on the M27 motorway. The Bugatti was leading in the race for about ten minutes before he got pulled over.

So what happened was a police officer was just sitting there with his radar gun, not really paying much attention to anything, when suddenly this black thing shoots past him, quickly followed by another black blur. Being a policeman, he just has to spoil the fun, so he chases after him, and reaches 140 mph before catching the Bugatti and pulling him over. The Ferrari got away, and since it had no plates, it was impossible to track.

The luckless Bugatti owner got three penalty points and a £60 fine, which is about $120.

First there was the Bugatti Veyron, and the world was stunned. Supercars everywhere, regardless of nameplate, fell to the mercy of the Bugatti’s merciless 1001 horsepower, W16 engine with a top speed in excess of 250 mph.

Then, because the Veyron seemed to not be exclusive enough, the Pur Sang was released. Called “Pure Blood”, this version exhibited the Veyron in all it’s natural glory of aluminum and carbon fiber. This was the most exclusive ever, with 5 in the entire world.

Then came several one-off editions, most notably the Bugatti Pegaso. And the most recent variation, the insanely expensive Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes.

Yes, the Bugatti Veyron sure has its share of exclusive variations, and here comes yet another one, building on the “Pure Blood” idea. It was built as a tribute to the ultra-exclusive Bugatti Atlantique 57S: Continue Reading…

If you think the ultra-wealthy reached the peak of their automotive spending on the “regular” Bugatti Veyron, or even the bare-metal and carbon fiber Pur Sang, you obviously don’t know Bugatti.

The Paris-based company recently teamed up with mecca of the custom suitcase world, Hermés, to create the most expensive and outrageous Veyron yet. Aptly named the Veyron Fbg par Hermes, it exudes the finest luxury possible from every nook and cranny, making the $2.4 million price tag seem almost reasonable.

Starting with the exterior, the Fbg (short-hand for “Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré”, the street in Paris where Hermés’ historic office is located) is given a custom two-tone brown and tan paint job. In addition, custom eight-spoke chrome wheels as well as unique H-patterned grill inserts for the front bumper and rear air intake inlets round out the model-specific upgrades.

The interior is another story though. From the seats to the dash and doors, the entire interior is covered in enough high-grade leather that PETA will be picketing outside of your garage. The trunk is even leather-lined and comes fitted with custom-made luggage.

If you are one of the very few people that could afford such a gorgeous piece of excess, better hurry to the dealer as Bugatti will only be building one of these custom vehicles per month until the Veyron has run its course.

And yes, it will still have 1001 horsepower powering all four wheels as well as reach 253 mph.

More images after the jump… Continue Reading…