Editor: Jaap Horst
a new company with a great tradition
Contents | Page | |
Summary | 2 | |
Full version | ||
BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. founded | 4 | |
Present: The new Board members | 5 | |
Future: The EB 16.4 Veyron comes in 2003 | 5 | |
Technology: The 16-cylinder in detail | 6 | |
History: Pierre Veyron and the 51 A | 8 | |
Technical data | ||
Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron | 10 | |
Bugatti 51 A | 11 | |
Bugatti -fascinating automobiles | ||
from 1898 to 2001 | 12 | |
Address |
The decision stands: the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron is coming. Over 90 years have passed since Ettore Bugatti first built his own cars in Molsheim, Alsace - for decades the most fascinating cars of all time. For nearly 50 years now, no more Buqattis have been produced. But now the newly-set-up BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. of Volkswagen AG marks the start of a new age, bringing the spirit of a great past into the present, and adapting it to the future. The first car to be produced as of 2003 will be the super-sports car 16.4 Veyron.
As it was originally, the headquarters of the company is at Molsheim near Strasbourg. To mark its foundation, BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. is showing the EB 16.4 Veyron super-sports car at the 71st Geneva Motor Show with its definitive engine, a 736 kW / 1001 bhp 16-cylinder direct injection unit. At Geneva the new-age Bugatti paired with an impressive vehicle of the thirties: the Bugatti 51A. The racing driver Pierre Veyron made this car the most successful motor-sports Bugatti with numerous Grand Prix wins. The man and the machine are a legend. For this reason Pierre Veyron is invoked, as patron for the Bugatti EB 16.4. In this way Geneva 2001 will become an interface between past, present and future.
The future of BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. is represented by the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron exhibited in Geneva, a production sports car which is utterly unique in the present automotive landscape. Its highly-innovative W16 alloy engine is entirely without parallel. The heart of this 16-cylinder unit is two very closely-set banks of eight cylinders apiece. Four exhaust turbochargers provide the 7,993 cc direct-injection unit with the sort of thrust that would give any Formula 1 car impressive lap times. Between 2,200 and 5,500 rpm it develops an incredible torque of 1,250 Newton-metres. No other production car in the world can offer this kind of power development. The only physical force that can noticeably affect the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron is gravity. The actual top speed and maximum acceleration values will be announced by BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. at a later date. There is no doubt that this sports Car will continue the fascinating tradition of the company.
The decision stands: the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron is coming. Over 90 years have passed since Ettore Bugatti first built his own cars in Molsheim, Alsace -for decades the most fascinating cars of all time. For nearly 50 years now, no more Bugattis have been produced. But now the newly-set-up BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. of Volkswagen AG marks the start of a new age, bringing the spirit of a great past into the present, and adapting it to the future. The first car to be produced as of 2003 will be the super-sports car EB16.4 Veyron.
As it was originally, the headquarters of the company is at Molsheim Château St. Jean near Strasbourg. To mark its foundation, BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. is showing the EB 16.4 Veyron supersports car at the 71 st Geneva Motor Show with its definitive engine, a 736 kW / 1001 bhp 16-cylinder direct injection unit. At Geneva the new-age Bugatti is paired with an impressive vehicle of the thirties: the Bugatti 51A. The racing driver Pierre Veyron, winner of the 1939 Le Mans 24-hour race, made this car the most successful motor-sports Bugatti with numerous Grand Prix wins. The man and the machine are a legend. For this reason Pierre Veyron is invoked, as patron for the Bugatti EB 16.4. In this way Geneva 2001 will become an interface between past, present and future.
BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. was founded on 15th December 2000. As of this date, Dr. Karl-Heinz Neumann was appointed President and Board of Management member for technology, and Reinhold Kopp Board of Management member for commercial matters. This means that both now exercise a dual function within Volkswagen AG: Dr. Karl-Heinz Neumann also heads-up Volkswagen drive unit development, and Reinhold Kopp, ex-economics minister of the Saarland, the government relations division. The two Board members are linked not only by their long association with Bugatti, but also by a great passion for the marque: Dr. Neumann presided, over the creation of the engine for the 16.4 Veyron; Kopp was responsible for coordinating all the activities of the exclusive marque even prior to the setting-up of BUGA TTI Automobiles S.A.S.
The future of the BUGATTI marque -
starting 2003 with the 1001-bhp EB 16.4 Veyron
The Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron exhibited in Geneva is a super-sports car which is utterly unique in the present and the historic automotive landscape. In this class, probably only the Bugatti Atlantic, on account of its uniquely progressive body design with its riveted roof fin which continues to inspire the world´s designers to this day, can be considered to have similar significance as a sports car. This roof fin is to be seen again on the EB 16.4 in stylised form.
The technology of the 16-cyl. engine in the EB 16.4 Veyron -
direct petrol injection, four exhaust turbochargers, 7,993 cc
The design of the innovative W16 alloy engine, with roller rocker fingers and four overhead camshafts with variable valve timing, is already - even before the first production example has appeared - absolutely unique in international engine construction. Two very close-set banks of eight cylinders apiece joined at 90 degrees form the heart of this 736 kW / 1001 bhp 16-cylinder unit. The W16 placed ahead of the rear axle, measures only 710 millimetres long by 771 millimetres high. The V-V, or W, configuration makes possible not only such compact dimensions, but also excellent engine rigidity, and as a consequence high volumetric efficiency.
Four exhaust turbochargers provide the 7,993 cc direct-injection unit with the sort of thrust that would give any Formula 1 car impressive lap times. Two charge air coolers are situated above the cylinder head. A total of 64 valves control the inlet and exhaust functions. The fuel is injected via electro-magnetic injection valves directly into the combustoin chambers on the principle of FSI (fuel stratified injection), which is highly efficient and reduces emissions.
For the perfect coordination of all the parameters of the W16 engine, BUGATTI utilises a master-slave system derived from computer technology for electronic control; two independently-functioning computers per cylinder bank are managed by a central control unit.
The synergies between cubic capacity, charging, direct injection and computer control make possible an incredible torque of 1,250 Newton-metres between 2,200 and 5,500 rpm. No other productoin car in the world can offer this kind of power development. It is almost impossible to describe it. The only physical force that can noticeably affect the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron is gravity. And that is only because the aluminium space-frame body develops enormous downward pressure on account of perfectly-balanced underfloor and overall aerodynamics. By contrast, wind resistance, or the mass to be accelerated, are practically insignificant for this car.
The power is transmitted via a rear axle differential flanged directly to the engine and a permanent four-wheel drive to the 20-inch wheels. New aluminium wheels have been developed for the version of the EB 16.4 Veyron shown in Geneva. The front tyres are 265/30 R 20, the rear 335/30 R 20. The sophisticated drive system and a brake system derived from motor racing ensure that the power can be transmitted to the road in sovereign fashion. The actual top speed and maximum acceleration values will be announced by BUGATTI Automobiles S.A.S. at a later date.
The mystique of Bugatti came into being in the first half of the last century. Ettore Bugatti, and later his son Jean, designed vehicles which were far ahead of their time in styling and technology. Types such as the T 57 SC Atlantic or the many versions of the T 41 Royale were then, and still are, legends, and some of the most valuable motors of all time. But the mystique is not founded solely on those coupés, roadsters, convertibles and saloons which were driven by the most prominent people of the twenties and thirties - the Bugatti mystique also developed in the racing activities of those decades.
Particular success was enjoyed by the works driver Pierre Veyron in the years between 1933 and 1937 in a Bugatti 51 A. With this eight cylinder compressor racing-car, which developed an output of 140 bhp from a cubic capacity of 1,493 cc and had a for that time sensational top speed of 210 km/h, he and two other drivers set six international speed records on 23rd January 1934 at the historic circuit of Montlhery near Paris. A year later, on 30th and 31st March 1935, three further world records were set up on the same circuit. In addition, eight times the Bugatti 51 A with chassis number 54 went through the chequered flag as winner of Grands Prix, including on its first ever outing the Grand Prix at the Avus in Berlin on 20th May 1933. In these years Pierre Veyron and the Bugatti 51A established for good and all the legendary name of an automobile marque and a designer of genius: Ettore Bugatti, EB.
Engine | ||
Principle | W-engine, 2 V-banks at 90 degrees | |
Configuration | Mid-engine, longitudinal, ahead of rear axle | |
Number of cylinders | 16 | |
Cubic capacity | 7 ,993 cc | |
Bore x stroke | 86.0 mm x 86.0 mm | |
Valves | 64 (4 per cylinder) | |
Output | 736 kW /1001 bhp at 6000 rpm | |
Torque | 1250 Nm at 2200 rpm -5500 rpm | |
Compression ratio | 9.0 | |
Effective mean usable pressure at rated output | 18.4 bar | |
Effective mean usable pressure at max. torque | 19.7 bar | |
Mean piston speed | 17.2 m/s | |
Fuel injection | Direct injection, FSI system | |
Charging | 4 exhaust turbochargers | |
Drive/wheels | ||
Gearbox | Six-speed | |
Final drive | Permanent four-wheel drive | |
Wheels (alloy) front | 9.5 J x 20 | |
Wheels (alloy) rear | 13 J x 20 | |
Tyres front | 265/30 R 20 | |
Tyres rear | 335/30 R 20 | |
Bodywork | ||
Construction | Unitary aluminium body | |
Length | 4380 mm | |
Width | 1994 mm | |
Height | 1206 mm | |
Wheelbase | 2650 mm | |
Track front | 1712 mm | |
Track rear | 1640 mm |
Engine | |
Principle | In-Iine |
Configuration | Front longitudinal |
Number of cylinders | 8 |
Cubic capacity | 1493 cc |
Bore x stroke | 60.0 mm x 66.0 mm |
Valves | 16 (2 per cylinder) |
Output | 103 kW / 140 bhp at rpm |
Charging | Compressor |
Performance | |
Top speed | 210 km/h |
1881 Ettore Bugatti, son of an Italian family of artists is born in Milan. After school and a short period at the art academy in Milan, he starts training at the bicycle manufacturer, Prinetti & Stucchi. The technology and mechanics of the new automobiles are of great interest to him. While still only 17, Bugatti fits two engines to a tricycle and participates in a number of races.
1898 Bugatti assembles his first four-wheel vehicle for Prinetti & Stucchi. Type 1, as it is later called, has four engines, two in front of and two behind the rear axle.
1901 Bugatti's Type 2 wins a medal at the Milan Automobile Exhibition. Baron de Dietrich, a vehicle manufacturer from Niederbronn in Alsace, is so enthusiastic about the vehicle that he gives Ettore Bugatti a contract. Approximately 100 automobiles of the Types 3, 4 and 5 are produced between 1902 and 1904 with the name Dietrich-Bugatti.
1904 Bugatti constructs a car together with Emil Mathis. It has a four-cylinder engine with a four-speed manual gearbox and chain drive. This car was called "Hermes" and acted as the prototype for the Type 6 and Type 7.
1907 Bugatti moves to Cologne and procused two models with long-stroke four-cylinder engines, Types 8 and 9, for the "Gasmotoren-Fabrik Deutz".
1909 Ettore Bugatti starts production of automobiles on his own at the Molsheim plant, near Strasbourg. The Bugatti emblem is now used on all models. The "Bugattis" are very well received at the Paris Motor Show in 1910. The vehicles are characterised by progressive technology, high quality workmanship and aesthetic design. They are in keeping with Ettore Bugatti's motto: "Nothing is too beautiful, nothing is too expensive."
During the next 47 years, vehicles with four, eight and sixteen cylinder engines are made in the factory in Molsheim. Unique body shapes make the vehicles legendary. Amongst them are the "Tank de Tours" (Type 32), a racing car built in 1923 whose design is reminiscent of an aeroplane wing, the luxurious Bugatti "Royale" (Type 41) from 1926 and the beautiful Atlantic Coupe (Type 57S) from 1936.
Racing successes are important for Bugatti: He uses experience gained through them in the development of new vehicles. He also benefits from the publicity, which promotes sales of his touring, racing and sports cars.
Bugatti has success in races as early as 1911 with the two-valve per cylinder engine in the Type 13. In 1921, Bugatti´s team takes the first four places at the race in Brescia with the four-valve per cylinder engine. The Bugatti Type 35 takes to the racetrack for the first time in 1924 at the Lyon Grand Prix.
1939 The war stops production in Molsheim.
1947 There are only tentative attempts to restart production up to Ettore Bugatti´s death on 21 st August 1947.
1956 The attempt to relaunch the marque with a racing car of Type 251 is a failure. The armaments group Hispano-Suiza-Mericier takes over the plant. An overall total of 7 ,950 Bugattis left the factory in Molsheim (Type 13 to Type 101 )
1991 A businessman from South Tyrol, Romano Artioli, revives the Bugatti marque. The fastest sports car of its day, the EB 110 (352 km/h), is produced in Modena, Italy. The running gear is produced from carbon fibres based on a monocoque construction. The body is made from alloy.
1993 The research prototype EB112 has its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. It is a saloon with four-wheel drive and a 6-litre, 12 cylinder engine with 460 bhp. The saloon was constructed under commission from Artioli. Its sporty and powerful design lends it a striking appearance.
1999 The Volkswagen Group presents the Bugatti EB 218 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Bugatti EB 18 / 3 "Chiron" at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) and the Bugatti EB 18 / 4 "Veyron" at the Tokyo Motor Show.
2000 The Volkswagen Group presents the Bugatti EB "Veyron" at the North American International Auto Show, Detroit and Geneva Motor Show. This study is again shown by the Volkswagen Group in the autumn at the Motor Show in the French capital, Paris: With a 16-cylinder engine and the name Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron.
2001 Decision to put the Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron into production. The car is presented at the Geneva Motor Show.
The address is:
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S
1, Château St. Jean
Dorlisheim
67120 Molsheim France
Press contact:
Liaison office Lausanne
Phone: +41 21 601 4141
Fax: +41 21 601 4142