Himafagy

Our Deutsch-obsessive friends over at the German Car Blog tipped us off to an article at kalaydo.de that, while discussing the attempt to slow down motorists on the autobahn, revealed that Bugatti was in the process of developing a "Sport" version of the all-conquering Veyron.


The quote was light on details, only mentioning that Bugatti would up the power output of the uber-Veyron to 1,200 HP. The article also mentioned plans for an E-Class Merc that would crest the 700 HP mark.


For the time being, we're chalking this up to rampant speculation since sources weren't cited and there's been no hard evidence about such a project coming across our screens. We like more power, but as far as engineering exercises are concerned, the Veyron is close enough to the limits, as is.


[Source: German Car Blog]

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OK, the official Autoblog wish list already includes a Petersen / White Lightning Porsche and the JMH Ferrari 360 GTC. Now it's time for ride number 3. If Santa deposited the1994 Bugatti EB110 SS "Le Mans" currently available through Canepa Design into our garage, we'd be completely okay with it. Seriously.


This "Le Mans" version of the EB110 Supersport is one of only three ever built. According to its product description, two were made for a Japanese car collector, and the third went to none other than Michael Schumacher. This is one of the Japanese cars. The body is all carbon-fiber and the car is powered by a quad-turbocharged 3.5L V12. 0-60 arrives in 3.14 seconds and the it tops out at a measly 232 miles per hour. Best of all, the EB110 , especially in this sexy SS guise, is racier-looking than the all-conquering Veyron. Sure, it's not as refined inside, but it's every bit the supercar the current machine is.


We'll clean out the garage Christmas Eve. You know, just in case...


(Full item description after the jump)


[Source: Canepa Design]

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That
Porsche owns a significant stake in the Volkswagen group (and all its subsidiaries) is no secret. In fact, Porsche is even in the process of increasing its stake. Oddly, though, little seemed to be done to minimize the competition presented to Porsche products by those of VW divisions: Lamborghini Gallardo vs. Porsche 911 Turbo, Audi TT vs. Porsche Boxster and Cayman, Audi Q7 vs. Porsche Cayenne, etc. But now Porsche is reportedly taking aim at an easy target: Bugatti.

Truth be told, it's really Bugatti's lack of profitability that Porsche is targeting. Porsche remains one of the only sportscar manufacturers that generates profit (copious amounts of it, actually), while Bugatti loses VW money continuously. The development costs of the super-expensive Veyron were to be offset by the application of technology towards future Bugatti vehicles (like a new saloon or four-door coupe), but if Porsche gets its way, a new Bugatti will never see the light of day, with Stuttgart evidently preferring to cut their loses (and a competing supercar maker).

Volkswagen would be unlikely to find a buyer for Bugatti even if Porsche applied enough pressure for them to sell. Stuttgart's proposal, then, would be to turn the exclusive marque even more exclusive, as a coachbuilder, creating unique one-off vehicles (like Jim Glickenhaus' Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina) for over $4 million a piece. And here we thought the existing Veyron was expensive....

[Source: Car magazine via Motor Authority]

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It's with a heavy heart that we report to you the passing of an automotive icon. Grover Berryman's Van Vooren-bodied 1935 T57 Bugatti convertible coupe (S/N 57287), is no longer with us. In a black comedy-of-errors that might have been considered hilarious if it had happened to something like theVettamino, the classic Bug burned to the ground, taking most of the garage with it. You really need to click through the read link and discover the whole story, but we'll try to sum it up for you here.


Air Force officer Grover Berryman buys the Bug from the original owner while stationed in France in the early 1950s. He drives the T57 whenever he can around Europe. When he leaves Europe for Saudi Arabia, he decides to ship the car home to the States. His friend Ken Purdy takes care of the car until Grover returns home in 1954. Purdy had even had the engine and transmission rebuilt. The car was repainted with some fairly effective lacquer that lasts for 40 years. He drives it everywhere, but his Air Force duties lead him to park it in a Pennsylvania barn in 1960. It sits there until 1996. Berryman and the car move to San Juan Island, Washington when he retires. The Bugatti gets redone and shows up at the odd family wedding and concours. Berryman's Van Vooren T57 is believed to be the only two-owner full-size Bugatti in the United States.


And then tragedy strikes. While preparing the car for a local show, starter fluid ignites the engine, but also causes a backfire that sets the gasoline-saturated carpets ablaze. The car is pinned in and by the time it can be moved, the damage is done and only gets worse as the roof of the garage caves in on it as well. Poor Grover only had it insured for a fraction of its half-million dollar value too. The cost of rebuilding it would have to come out of his own pocket, so it is unlikely it will be resurrected any time soon. What a shame. Along with the Figoni & Falaschi Delahayes and Delages, these Bugattis were among the most beautiful cars from that golden age of coachbuilding. Our deepest condolences.


[Source: Sports Car Market]

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Michelin is our favorite tire company from now on. Without resorting to the cheap, albeit highly effective and entertaining, trick of hiring booth babes to draw attention to themselves, this French tiremaker still had one of the largest crowds of any vendor at the show. Accomplished with an elegant simplicity that had us drooling from the moment we saw the space. The plan was so breathtakingly simple that we hope others will follow their lead in the future. OK, we wouldn't complain too much if there were still some lovely ladies around as well, but this being an automotive show, putting cars above all else seems to be a pretty good idea.


What they pulled off went a little beyond the ordinary and deserves some kind of award. After working your way past dozens of individual wheel and tire booths with everything from clear rims to those 34-inch monster truck-worthy numbers, you round a corner in the tires and wheels hall and see one of the cleanest, most spectacular sights. Especially if you are a fan of exotics and supercars, but even if you're not, it's quite striking. More story and pics after the jump.


A Fisker and a Ruf sit at the top of an arcing ramp, high above the rear of the display. In front of them are a Saleen S7 tt and a Pagani Zonda, respectively. In front of THEM are a Koenigsegg CCX and McLaren F1, almost touching the ground And sitting in the center of the almost completed circle is a turntable. A turntable with a Bugatti Veyron slowly rotating on it. And if that isn't enough, a glance to the side will reveal a Caparo T1.


Now think about that for another few minutes while you look through the incredible high-res gallery provided to us by Drew Phillips of Fast-Autos.net. If these were heavyweight boxers you'd be looking at the likes of Ali, Holmes, Frazier, Tyson, Marciano, Louis, and Dempsey. All in one place at one time. True champions that still command respect.


The Fisker is a bit more of a looker than an outright supercar like the others, but can still manage some respectable speeds. The RUF and Zonda can crack 210. The F1 has done 241. The CCX and Veyron a little better still. The Saleen hasn't proven its top speed claims but should be able to manage something very close to the others, and the Caparo, being little more than a Formula 1 car with better aerodynamics might not set the top speed bar any higher, should provide thrills in every direction. Some of the worlds fastest cars, all on display together, latent energy almost palpable. Despite our pleas, our offer to run them out to Nellis for some quick testing, was politely refused. Thanks anyhow, Michelin. All the pics are clickable wallpaper.

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