Source: Jmvdesign , Via: Carpictures
The bean counters over at the Volkswagen Group are still gauging customer reactions to the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept to see if there's enough interest to build a production version, but just to be on the safe side - we all remember the Chinese Rolls Royce Phantom clone - they decided to trademark the design of the sports saloon at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
The trademark was applied for the concept model, so there's new to be seen in the design sketches.
If the 16C Galibier receives the 'green light', it will most likely go on sale after Bugatti ends production of the Veyron production in 2012.
The almost production-ready concept model features a 16-cylinder, 8.0-litre flex-fuel engine with two-stage supercharging that is believed to produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 horsepower.
Power is channeled to all-four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission while Bugatti also developed a unique suspension and special ceramic brakes for the sports saloon.
Limited to just five units, the Veyron Nocturne sports a black finish with polished aluminum body parts and custom rims along with galvanized side windows. Inside, this special edition Veyron features a black nanocoated magnesium dashboard and a centre console in galvanized Platinum.
Moving on to the one-off specials, the Veyron "Sang d'Argent" coupe combines a silver paint finish with polished aluminium parts and a Havanna interior with quilting pattern on seats and saddle and other personalized items.
The Grand Sport "Soleil de Nuit" features a two-tone paint scheme with the Black Blue Metallic color enriched by mirror shine body parts and trim while the interior is finished in a strong burnt orange shade.
All three cars will be available for delivery to their Middle East owners in the first quarter of 2010 with prices ranging from €1.45 million for the "Sang d'Argent" and €1.55 million for the "Soleil de Nuit", the Veyron and Grand Sport one-off models, to €1.65 million for the five car "Nocturne" series.
In what could be described as one of the most well documented exotic car incidents on the net, following the actual crash footage of the Bugatti Veyron and video of the vehicle as it was being pulled out of the saltwater pond in Texas, our friends from 'Jalopnik' have now secured photos of the 1,001 horsepower supercar in all its soggy glory. Click through to see how a Veyron looks like after taking an accidental dip into a lake.See the Rest of the photos here: Jalopnik
You've probably heard about the Bugatti Veyron that crashed into a Texas saltwater pond earlier this week with the driver claiming that he lost control of the $1 million + supercar when a "low-flying pelican distracted him". Well, guess what; someone, who happened to be traveling in a car on an adjacent road, was filming the Bugatti Veyron and actually captured the incident as it occurred! We looked at the video multiple times, heard the folks in the car repeating the 'S' word more times than we can remember, but a pelican we never saw... Check out the video after the break.Thanks to Greg for the tip! (Source Youtube)
Evidently, the Bugatti Veyron wasn't made to drift on water. Too bad that the driver of the 1001HP, 16-cylinder quad-turbocharged supercar had to find out the hard way... But seriously now, according to media reports, the unnamed driver lost control of the Veyron as he was traveling north on Interstate 45 in Texas when a "low-flying pelican distracted him".The report goes on to say that the man" jerked the wheel, dropped his cell phone" and ended up, or rather in, a saltwater lagoon. While the driver wasn't injured, the same can't be said about the Veyron which carries a $1 million + price tag.
Sources: Jalopnik and Galvestondailynews
Instead of exhibiting its new 16C Galibier concept car at international motor shows for us plebeians to see, Bugatti has chosen to display its four-seat limousine exclusively to selected customers and what the firm describes as "opinion-makers" from around the globe. Following the presentation of the concept at a private event at its Molsheim headquarters on the eve of the Frankfurt Show in September, the VW Group owned company now brought the 16C Galibier, which is named after an alpine pass along the Tour de France, to Los Angeles at the Beverly Hills Ace Gallery.
Designed to be if not the, one of the most exclusive and powerful limousine in the world, the 16C Galibier packs a 16-cylinder, 8-litre engine with two-stage supercharging that was developed as a flex-fuel engine that can optionally be run on ethanol. It also features four-wheel drive, specially developed ceramic brakes and a new suspension design.
There's still no official word if the concept will head into production but if VW's decision makers give the green light, expect to see the car making its market debut in the next three to four years.
