EDITORIAL: Leaked (if not forged) 'internal memo' hints at Bugatti Veyron GT

Early this week, a Danish automotive blog published an image of a memo confirming the production of a high performance, end-of-the-line Bugatti Veyron GT.

The memo claims that the GT tuning program would increase output of the Veyron's 8.0 liter quad-turbo V-16 to 1,350 horsepower and 1,018 pound-feet of torque. Additional GT spec upgrades would be applied to the car's carbon-ceramic brakes, electronic stability control program and the car's active aerodynamics.

The increased power would theoretically cut the Veyron's 0-60 mph time by two-tenths of a second to 2.4 and raise the Veyron's top speed from 252 to 264 mph. The tuning program would also be made available for any Veyron currently in production.

But take off the rose-colored glasses, folks.
There are plenty of reasons why this "memo" isn't worth the paper it's presumably printed on.

For an internal memo, there's a lot of irrelevant puffery injected into the copy.

The self-congratulatory tripe covers topics such as the GT's "ingenious aerodynamics, which keeps [sic] it on the road even at full speed." God forbid the laws of aerodynamic lift were to suddenly fail at 250 miles per hour. How on earth would an airplane fly in such a case?

On the subject of braking, where one would expect specifics such as rotor dimensions or piston count, the memo nebulously defines the GT upgrades as follows: "Such a super sports car may not seem to be brought to a halt easily, but the Veyron's ceramic special GT brakes slow it down faster than it can accelerate."

All of this is irrelevant to an engineer; reading it would do nothing but waste time. And if the memo was directed toward marketing the tuning program, why the numerous grammar errors and failed logic?

Lastly, considering that Bugatti SAS is a French company wholly owned by the Volkswagen-Audi Group, why was this "memo" written in English?

Suspending a veritable Mount Everest of disbelief, the memo sets March 2009 as the delivery date for the Veyron GT, which would coincide with the Geneva Motor Show.

Daydreamers and Russian oligarchs alike, don't hold your breath.

[Memo source: Autoblog.nl]
[Image courtesy: Bugatti SAS]

VIDEO: Pebble Beach Auction - 2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport

Jumping from the sublimely capable to the ridiculously unobtainable, we wrap up this week with a clip from last weekend's auction at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

This year, the much-anticipated targa version of Bugatti's Veyron hypercar stole the headlines.

Self-evidently, a removable polycarbonate and carbon fiber roof panel replaces the fixed roof. And while the top speed has dropped to a dawdling, languid 224 miles per hour, the exclusivity of al-fresco motoring in chassis number one pushed the opening bid to $1.7 million.

And far, far beyond by the time the gavel fell.

At a time when many are struggling to make ends meet, it may seem a little disingenuous to waste time watching plutocrats bid for the newest, biggest toy. Ignoring the car's function as a monument to net worth, the Veyron remains a technical marvel. Bugatti's blend of titanic power and consummate luxury may be a ludicrous spectacle, but as automotive art it stands alone.