Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 2011

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, 2011

 

 

 

 

On a beautiful sunny day at 25 degrees the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport achieved a new landspeed world record for production cars, on the proving grounds of the Volkswagen Group at Ehra-Lessien (nearby its headquarters at Wolfsburg). In the presence of the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) and a representative of Guinness Book of Records the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport achieved an average top speed of 431 km/h.

Saturday, 2 pm - Bugatti's Pilote Officiel Pierre Henri Raphanel puts his helmet and gloves on, pulls the safety belts tight whilst the engineers check the car a very last time: tyre pressure, temperature, all systems go. Then the orange black Bugatti Veyron Super Sport crosses the light barrier, from now on the time will be taken, within one hour the car has to drive from South to North and then in the opposite direction. No one but the driver is allowed to touch the car during this time. The tension rises. A few minutes later we can hear from the left side the sound of a starting jumbo jet coming closer towards us. First we perceive the headlights of the Veyron, then we can recognize the shape of the car, a loud wooosh…. and Raphanel dashes in top speed past us. The GPS-tachometer stops at 427, 933 km/h. Now the same procedure from the opposite direction. This time the car reaches 434, 211 km/h. As average top speed the representatives of the "TÜV"and Guinness generate a value of 431, 072 km/h (268 mph). This even hit Bugatti's engineering team by surprise.

The climax of the Veyron series: the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
Had a model been especially popular or highly successful in races, Ettore Bugatti's customers often pushed the master to tease out of the engine a few horsepower more for their future car. Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. had been in a similar situation when their existing customers asked the company to not only design their second model optically differently but to also create a version with a sportier and more extreme driving experience. The result is a car with a uniquely high performance of 1,200-hp (882 kW) offering experienced drivers a whole new dimension of excitement, with a maximum torque of 1,500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 415 km/h (to protect the tyres) but, the technique of the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is identical to the record car. The first five Bugatti Veyron Super Sports to come off the production line will constitute a special series of their own, with the same configuration as the landspeed record car.

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is a consequent of the further development of the classic exclusive 1,001-hp Bugatti Veyron 16.4, launched in 2005. This model offers a stunning set of specifications, such as the twin clutch gearbox with seven speeds, the extraordinarily precise driving performance in bends and excellent stability when braking and accelerating.

Continuous work in extreme performance ranges lead to constantly new conclusions, which enabled the engineers at Bugatti to develop the Veyron into a direction in which the driver can reach new dimensions. Every modification is designed to produce an even more powerful car for an agile ride. Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine, and the chassis has been extensively redesigned to maintain safety at extreme speed - thanks to slightly raised main-spring travel, stronger stabilisers, and new shock absorbers with a complex architecture originally developed for racing cars. This gives noticeably more precise control of the wheels and the car as a whole. With lateral acceleration of up to 1.4 G and improved interaction between the tyres and the intelligent all-wheel drive system, the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport offers perfect handling and even more powerful acceleration of 1,500 Newton metres on corner exits.

The body has been fine-tuned to improve aerodynamic efficiency and maintain perfect balance in every situation, while the new fibre structure of the all-carbon monocoque ensures maximum torsion rigidity and passive safety - at reduced weight. The skin is made entirely of carbon-fibre composites, and the new Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is available in 100 per-cent clearlacquered exposed carbon on request.

Dynamic exterior
Every detail of this car, and not just its use of advanced motorsport technology, harks back to the pioneering spirit of company founder Ettore Bugatti. This brilliant designer came from a family of artists, and his philosophy was always to combine mechanical perfection and exterior beauty. This ethos remains alive and well at the company, and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport is wholly unmistakeable, with every external modification serving to coax greater performance from the car.

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport's flat, elongated silhouette is immediately recognisable. The 16-cylinder engine gets its air from two NACA ducts integrated into the roof, rather than from scoops above the engine. The front air intakes have been expanded and reshaped, with the lower one extending elegantly around the sides to the wheel arch. The revised back looks sportier due to the double diffuser and a centrally arranged exhaust system.

Bugatti has a tradition of making super-sport versions of successful models, usually with racing chassis and supercharged engines. These cars were considered as true racing machines for diehard Bugatti devotees. The most successful were the type 55 and type 57S; only around forty of each were built.

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. has sold 260 Veyrons and 35 Grand Sports by now, of which 249 Veyrons and 22 Grand Sports had been delivered. The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport will begin production in the autumn of 2010 at Molsheim along with the Veyron and the Grand Sport. The first five cars - known as the World Record Edition - are in a special black exposed carbon and orange finish and have already been sold.

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport will appear for the first time in public in California at the Pebble Beach Concours weekend in mid-August and will be featured at The Quail, Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca and on the concept lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Aston Martin One-77, 2010

Aston Martin One-77, 2010

 

Aston Martin One-77 technical showcase made its debut the Geneva Auto Salon on 3 March 2009. Chassis no.1 was on display as an exposé throughout the show detailing the quintessence of Aston Martin engineering and design expertise.

The One-77 is Aston Martin's definitive sports car, one that epitomises everything Aston Martin from technology, the hand-craftsmanship of the hand rolled aluminium panels to the attention to detail. A culmination of all the marque's know-how, the Aston Martin One-77 delivers effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with performance potential eclipsing any previous Aston Martin.

With the performance and durability phase of the Aston Martin One-77's intensive development programme soon to commence, the 79th Geneva Auto Salon provides the perfect stage on which to reveal the remarkable engineering, advanced technology and exotic materials that lie beneath the Aston Martin One-77's extraordinary exterior.

For Aston Martin's Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, revealing the Aston Martin One-77's secrets is a proud moment: "Right from the very beginning of the project the vision for Aston Martin One-77 was very simple: It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and technical partners.

Consequently the Aston Martin One-77's structural core is a lightweight and immensely rigid carbon fibre monocoque. Conceived and designed at Aston Martin's Gaydon HQ, the monocoque, or 'tub', has been built in partnership with Multimatic (MTC). As world leaders in carbon composite technology, advanced vehicle analysis and dynamic simulation, MTC brings unrivalled specialist capabilities to the exacting challenge of the Aston Martin One-77 programme.

Employing the classic formula of double wishbones at each corner, the Aston Martin One-77 features inboard suspension front and rear, with pushrods employed to transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted spring/damper units. A practice taken directly from racing car design, the main advantages of inboard suspension are a reduction in unsprung weight and the ability to package the suspension components more effectively.

The dampers are fully adjustable and feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology; a world-first for a road car application. These special valves are state-of-the-art even at the highest levels of motorsport, and use high-precision machined components to enable the shock-absorbing characteristics of the damper to be changed without having to remove them from the car, as is the norm.

Underlining the truly bespoke nature of the Aston Martin One-77, once delivered to its owner, the car's suspension characteristics will be precisely set-up by Aston Martin engineers to suit their exact requirements, from settings suitable for the ultimate long-distance GT, to a machine capable of conquering the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

While functionality and efficiency are paramount in the design and construction of the Aston Martin One-77, so too is aesthetic beauty. To this end every single component has been crafted from the finest materials with absolute attention to detail. From the mesmerising weave of the glossy carbon fibre tub and the abstract, sculptural beauty of the dry sump's oil reservoir, to the unerring precision of the billet machined aluminium suspension mounts, the Aston Martin One-77's rolling chassis is an automotive masterpiece.

Of course the irony is that the vast majority of these exquisite components will be hidden from view in the finished car, yet each and every piece is a work of art in its own right. It's this extraordinary workmanship and money-no-object commitment to quality that makes the Aston Martin One-77 unique.

Naturally, such a spectacular chassis demands - and gets - an equally exceptional drivetrain. It comes in the form of an immensely potent 7.3-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine. Thanks to the adoption of a dry-sump oil system the engine is mounted 100mm lower than in any previous V12-engined Aston Martin road car, which helps keep the Aston Martin One-77's centre-of-gravity as low as possible. To further aid agility and endow the Aston Martin One-77 with progressive handling and stable, predictable on-limit behaviour, the engine is also mounted 257mm aft relative to the front wheel centreline. In so doing the front-mid-engined layout shared by all of Aston Martin's current road car range has been taken to a new level.

The Aston Martin One-77's magnificent power unit is an extreme evolution of the 6.0-litre V12 engines fitted to the Aston Martin DBS, DB9 and new V12 Vantage models. Like the collaboration with MTC for the build of the chassis, Aston Martin has chosen a world-leading partner with which to develop the motor: legendary engine builders, Cosworth. It has proved to be the perfect collaboration, as Chris Porritt explains.

Wearing Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) developed specifically for the Aston Martin One-77, all 700+bhp is transmitted to the road through the rear wheels via a new six-speed gearbox. Controlled via column-mounted paddles behind the steering wheel, this robotised sequential manual is a new generation of Aston Martin's familiar transmission. Though it is made specifically for the Aston Martin One-77 and features specially strengthened internals to cope with the tremendous power and torque, the lessons learned in its development will ultimately find their way into the company's series production models.

It's a mark of the inherent capabilities of Aston Martin's acclaimed lightweight Carbon Ceramic Matrix brake technology that it has been used as the basis for the Aston Martin One-77's braking system. The internals of the callipers have been re-engineered to transmit less heat from the brake pads into the brake fluid, while the discs themselves have been developed to ensure the maximum possible contact area between the face of the disc and the brake pads for improved stopping power. Due to the Aston Martin One-77's increased performance, special attention has also been paid to brake cooling, as the brakes have less time to cool between bursts of acceleration.

With a projected weight of 1,500kg the Aston Martin One-77 will occupy the very highest echelons of road car performance. Top speed is confidently predicted to be in excess of 200mph, with a 0-60mph time in approximately 3.5sec. Perhaps more importantly, thanks to the purity of a front-engined, rear-drive layout, the responsiveness and immense tractability of a naturally aspirated V12 and the low mass, high-rigidity properties of a carbon fibre chassis, the Aston Martin One-77 promises a driving experience of unrivalled intensity and excitement while representing the world's most desirable automotive art form.

Aston Martin DBS Volante, 2010

Aston Martin DBS Volante, 2010

 

 

 

Aston Martin DBS Volante makes its debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Salon. Completing the Aston Martin DBS line-up, the new Volante will afford customers the combination of the DBS's already-established benchmark sports car characteristics with all the thrills of open-air motoring.

Broadening the DBS's character, the Aston Martin DBS Volante will appeal to drivers who wish to combine the excitement of driving a finely-tuned sports car with the invigorating feeling of being open to the elements. This juxtaposition of ultimate performance and openness stirs the senses on any drive whether an exhilarating jaunt on favoured roads or cruising on lengthy journeys. 'Volante', meaning 'moving with light rapidity', perfectly defines the performance potential and the dynamic characteristics of the Aston Martin DBS Volante.

Featuring a motorised retractable fabric roof, the DBS's beautiful profile is preserved whether up or down. When the roof is closed, it provides a warm comfortable ambience and when open, it neatly disappears behind the new tonneau cover at the touch of a button.
Aston Martin's Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: "The Aston Martin DBS Volante delivers the utmost relaxed driving experience with the hood up or down. It combines engineering excellence with design perfection.

Conceived as a Volante from the outset, Aston Martin engineers opted for a fabric hood to closely follow the silhouette of the DBS coupe and due to its lightweight properties, minimise overall weight gain. Fully retractable in only 14 seconds and at up to speeds of 30 mph (48 km/h), the roof will automatically stow under the newly sculpted tonneau, maintaining the Aston Martin DBS Volante's perfect form - hood up or down.

Power is provided by Aston Martin's hand-built all alloy 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. The nature of the V12, and in particular the torque available at all engine speeds, serves to provide effortless driving in all situations.

Aston Martin's 16th convertible in 95 years, the Aston Martin DBS Volante draws on the marque's extensive experience in designing iconic 'Volantes' and is a 2+2 featuring two occasional rear seats, ideal for young people or extra luggage. In standard specification, the DBS has a rear-mounted six-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic six-speed 'Touchtronic' option is also available. As with the coupe, the Volante is offered with carbon ceramic brakes as standard providing exceptional stopping power. Benefitting from materials derived from the motorsport and aerospace industries, the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are made from carbon fibre all helping to reduce weight.

The Aston Martin DBS Volante also comes with Bang & Olufsen's renowned 'BeoSound DBS' in-car entertainment system, featuring 13 speakers as standard equipment. The BeoSound DBS has been expertly tuned by Bang & Olufsen's Tonmeisters and Aston Martin's acoustic engineers specifically for the Volante resulting in a system that senses when the roof has been retracted and adjusts the sound stage to compensate for extra wind noise, providing an unrivalled automotive audio experience.

Design
Although the DBS was originally conceived as a two-seater sports GT, the potential for a Volante version was always in the minds of the design team. Holding a purposeful stance, the muscular shapes and forms of the DBS have been retained exuding confidence.

Aston Martin's 16th convertible, learning taken from the engineering of previous soft-top cars has resulted in the Aston Martin DBS Volante possessing Aston Martin's quietest and most refined roof system to date. When raised, the fabric roof is insulated with a layer of Thinsulate® material relieving cabin noise and protecting the inhabitants from the elements. The hydraulic pump has been cocooned in a noise and vibration enclosure reducing noise when raising and lowering the hood.

The newly choreographed hood has resulted in an opening time of only 14 seconds due to a new five-piston hydraulic pump. The roof effortlessly stows below the newly-sculpted tonneau cover which has been redesigned to enhance the muscular attributes of the Aston Martin DBS Volante. Housing the Roll-Over-Protection-System (ROPS) which deploys two roll bars in the event of the car rolling over, the rear humps lead your eye to the new carbon fibre deck lid which has been re-styled for the Aston Martin DBS Volante. Particular to the DBS, a line flows from the leading edge of the bonnet past the elegantly sloped windscreen flowing into the carbon fibre deck lid and to the rear boot 'flip'.

As with the DBS Coupe, the bonnet, front wings and boot lid are formed from carbon fibre. Preventing the weave protruding the paint finish, Aston Martin employs a patented 'surface veil' technology applying a 200 micron thick layer of epoxy glue to the carbon fibre, before the application of seven layers of paint producing a class A level of finish.

The interior of the DBS represents the epitome of Aston Martin's commitment to using materials honestly, without disguise or embellishment. Lightweight materials are used throughout to save weight; door pulls are made from carbon fibre, for example, and the carpet has been woven with lighter fibres to save valuable kilograms.

Delivered as standard with Bang & Olufsen's BeoSound DBS audio system and seamlessly integrated into the Aston Martin DBS Volante's bespoke interior, the system provides the driver and passengers with an unrivalled audio experience. Consisting of 13 individual speakers and Bang & Olufsen's unique Digital Signal Processing system, the system transforms the Aston Martin DBS Volante into an acoustically sophisticated venue, capable of conveying subtle and striking musical dynamics from every source. The BeoSound DBS has been specifically revised for the Aston Martin DBS Volante and senses when the roof is up or retracted and adjusts the sound stage to compensate for wind noise and change in acoustics.

The Bang & Olufsen BeoSound DBS system has been developed exclusively for Aston Martin. The system is acoustically and physically matched to the Aston Martin DBS Volante, with a design that follows the inherent quality and material honesty of the Aston Martin interior. The loudspeaker grilles are finished with smoothly contoured aluminium so as to integrate seamlessly with the fluid lines and curves of the cabin. When the system is turned on, the twin acoustic lens speakers emerge silently and swiftly, adding a touch of theatre and technological panache that is the perfect complement to the Aston Martin DBS Volante.

As with the coupe, the Volante affords customers the prospect of specifying the optional 10-spoke 20" forged aluminium lightweight wheel with diamond-turned surface - available in either silver or graphite finishes. With an overall unsprung mass reduction of 8 kg, the option aids enhanced handling, improved acceleration, and braking performance.