2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse 'Le Ciel Californien'

2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse 'Le Ciel Californien'
Sold for $2,420,000 Including Commission
RM Auction, Monterey, CA. 2014
Chassis no. VF9SV2C24DM795020
1,200 bhp, 7,993 cc quad turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 64-valve W-16 engine, seven-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic sequential transmission, front and rear double-wishbone suspension, and four-wheel carbon ceramic disc brakes with rear airbrake. Wheelbase: 106.7 in
•The one-off, special-edition “Le Ciel Californien”
•Unique color scheme, inspired by the 1928 Type 37A raced by Pierre Veyron
•The first Grand Sport Vitesse shown in North America
•Displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and The Quail in 2012, as well as at the Qatar Motor Show in January 2013
•Single ownership and under 3,000 miles from new
•Freshly serviced and still under factory warranty
•The world’s fastest production convertible
THE ULTIMATE VEYRON
A supercar in the making. Many would argue that when the first production Veyron rolled off the line at Bugatti’s purpose-built factory in Molsheim, France, it was the most widely anticipated automobile the 21st century has ever seen. The Veyron was the first new car to wear the Bugatti name following the brand’s acquisition by the Volkswagen Group, and it was widely acclaimed as the most incredible car the world had ever seen. Not only was it capable of reaching a top speed of over 248 mph and 0–60 in less than three seconds, it could carry both its driver and passenger in uncompromising luxury at the same time.
The Veyron was the brainchild of Ferdinand Piëch, the chairman of the Volkswagen Group and a former engineer who worked on many automotive greats, such as the Porsche 917 and the Audi Quattro, and it was to be designed with utterly no compromises. Under Piëch’s leadership, Volkswagen purchased the rights to Bugatti in 1998 and then instructed its engineers to design a car capable of reaching a top speed of over 400 km/h and an output of over 1,000 horsepower. Many believed that such a request was impossible to fulfill, but such requests were typical of Piëch, who, in 2002, had pressured engineers to produce the Volkswagen Phaeton, a car that Piëch insisted must be capable of being driven all day at 300 km/h in 50 degrees Celsius, while also maintaining an interior temperature of 22.2 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, the engineers ventured into uncharted territory when designing and engineering a road car capable of such speeds, but the resulting automobile proved to be nothing short of extraordinary.
Many believed that since the Veyron was simply such an incredibly well engineered and designed car, its performance simply could not be topped. However, five years after the original Veyron went into production, Bugatti introduced the Super Sport, which replaced the Veyron as the fastest car ever made. The Super Sport, which now boasted 1,200 horsepower and 1,500 Newton meters of torque, was capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, arriving at 186 mph in 16.6 seconds, and achieving an electronically limited top speed of 257 mph. In order to add an additional 199 horsepower to the standard Veyron’s already incredible power output of 1,001, two additional fuel pumps, as well as four larger turbochargers and air coolers, were fitted, and engineers were able to reduce its exhaust back pressure, resulting in a car that could both inhale and exhale more easily. At the same time, reducing the exhaust back pressure also helped to improve the fuel economy over the standard Veyron. Additionally, the car benefitted from improved aerodynamics, which helped to increase its stability at high speeds and increase airflow to the engine and brakes.
As the convertible Grand Sport followed the original Veyron, it was only natural for the Bugatti to introduce a topless version of the Veyron Super Sport: the Grand Sport Vitesse. This car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012, and it offered customers the opportunity to experience the speed and performance of the Super Sport in a whole new way. Performance remained remarkably similar to the Super Sport, as it was capable of achieving 0–60 mph in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 255 mph, making it the fastest production roadster ever built. Bugatti’s engineers also took the time to strengthen the chassis in order to reduce body roll during hard acceleration, deceleration, and cornering, ensuring that the car’s performance would not be compromised due to its lack of a fixed roof.
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Robert Myrick Photography