Showing posts with label Bugatti. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bugatti. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

1934 Grand Prix de Monaco

As the first �Grande �preuve� of the 1934 Grand Prix season, Monaco was, and has always been, a dramatic venue on the Mediterranean Sea.

It is one of few city courses in the world and considered the most prestigious of all the Grand Prix�s. The Monaco Grand Prix�s started in 1929 and it is still run today.




Guy Moll in an Alfa Romeo P3 rounding the Station Hairpin ahead of Ren� Dreyfus in a Bugatti Type 59
Pen&ink, markers, and pencil on archival white stock 12�x 9� 
� Paul Chenard 2010

Original art & limited editions available.

For this April 2nd race, a few of the cars running needed modification to meet the new 750kg rules. Both the Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams decided they would not participate in any racing until the May 27th Avusrennen.

From the flag, the race lead changed hands quite often between the Bugatti T59 of Ren� Dreyfus and the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo P3�s of Louis Chiron and �Guy� Moll.

Pen&ink � Paul Chenard 2010

Later in the race, while Chiron was in front, he had a slight off at the Station Hairpin, relinquishing his lead to Moll, who kept his position till race end.

It was a great start for this talented and popular 24-year-old Algerian rookie Scuderia Ferrari driver.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Bugatti Queen

Hell� Nice (born Mariette H�l�ne Delangle) was born on 15 December 1900 in Aunay-sous-Auneau, Eure-et-Loir, France.

At the age of 16, she moved to Paris and eventually became a successful dancer in the city's music halls. As her fame and popularity grew, she performed throughout Europe, and spent time with the rich and famous, such as Philippe de Rothschild, Jean Bugatti and Count Bruno d'Harcourt.

She love speed, and was an avid skier. Unfortunately a skiing accident damaged her knee and ended her dancing career. She quickly turned to racing cars, winning some races and breaking some speed records.

Markers on plywood
� Paul Chenard 2011

After a tour through the United States, where she raced a Miller racing car, she was introduced by de Rothschild to Bugatti. This lead Nice to race Bugattis, usually against men. Between 1931 and 1936, she raced Bugattis and Alfa Romeos.

In Brazil for two Grand Prix races, she had a major crash in her Alfa Romeo, but miraculously survived after a three-day coma.

After recovering, she competed in various endurance trials for Yacco, breaking ten records that still stand today.

During World War II, Hell� Nice moved to Nice. In 1949, Nice attended a party celebrating the first post-war Monte Carlo Rallye. During the evening, driver Louis Chiron publically accused Nice of being an agent of the Gestapo.

With these accusations, Nice was dropped by her sponsors and her friends. Her life collapsed around her and she live out her last decades in a back-alley apartment in complete poverty, under a fictitious name. She died penniless and alone in 1984.

In 2001, author Miranda Seymour came across some material on Nice and decided she should be honoured with a biography The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor-Racing Legend in 2004. In her research, Seymour found no evidence of Chiron's claims.

In September 2010, a proper grave marker was placed at her grave in a celebration of her life and great accomplishments.


In doing renovations recently in our home, I was left with a blank canvas after I pulled up our old carpet. I decided to honour Hell� Nice's accomplishments with a sketch.


Markers on plywood
� Paul Chenard 2011
The new carpet was laid down over the sketch, waiting for years from now when new owners will discover this important personality.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Mansory Bugatti Veyron Linea Vincero d�Oro




German tuning company Mansory only version 'blinged out' of the French car company Bugatti Veyron 16.4 LL's d'Oro. This is a modification bejeweled, with gold-colored wheels, front end overhaul, style LED running lights and artsy 'V ' (for Vincero) in the radiator grille. The 2010 Bugatti Veyron Stone Vincero Linea d'Oro is crowned with glory, a gold sports black-and-coupe.

For improve cooling, 2010 Stone Bugatti Veyron Vincero Linea d'Oro has a new side skirts and / larger side air outlets behind. Luxurious redesigned rear diffuser. The golden section is the Bugatti Veyron: turbine wheel, door handles, fuel filler cap, radiator surround, and headlamp washer nozzles. The 2010 Bugatti Veyron Interior Stone Vincero Linea d'Oro's also 'blinged out'; skin and trim, door trim, dashboard, detail on the parts of carbon fiber and the LED is placed in a car seat. The 'd'Oro' in the sport coupe is a literal.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

1934 Belgian Grand Prix

Race enthusiast had great expectations for the Belgian Grand Prix, held on the stunning Spa-Francorchamps track.

Unfortunately, Belgian customs officials demanded a heavy duty from the German Grand Prix teams for their alcohol-based racing fuel. The result was a withdrawal of both the Mercedes-Benz and the Auto Union teams from the race.

This made for a very small grid of seven cars; three Bugatti T59s, two Alfa Romeo P3s, a Maserati 8CM and a Montier-Ford Special.



Pen&ink, markers, and pencil on archival white stock 12�x 9� 
� Paul Chenard 2010
Original art & limited editions available.

Raymond Sommer was the only Maserati driver present, so that the real race was going to be between the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos and the Bugattis.

As the typically rainy race began, Louis Chiron took the lead in the Alfa Romeo, with the Bugattis pitting with fouled plugs.

It looked very much like another Scuderia Ferrari win in the works. Unfortunately, Chiron�s racer slid off the track and overturned; he was luckily uninjured in the incident.

Achille Varzi took comfortably over his teammate�s lead, and at the same time, the track record. This was not to last, with his smoking Alfa Romeo coming in with a blown engine.

With their only real opposition out of the way, the Bugattis of Ren� Dreyfus and Antonio Brivio cruised in first and second, with Sommer a distant third for Maserati.

It was to be one of the very rare top-level wins for Bugatti in 1934.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Debuts, Will Hit 10mph Less Top Speed than Record



Bugatti showed their stuff to the public at the Concours d'Elegance, when they brought out the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.� The new world's fastest car was seen wearing blue colored carbon fiber body panels during the weekend event when it also served as the pace car for the Bugatti Rally at the Laguna Seca Raceway.

In the presence of the German TUV and officials from Guinness World Records, the Bugatti Super Sport was tested on the VW circuit in Ehra-Lessien, where it managed an average speed of 431 km/h. At first attempt, the Bugatti has reached a top speed of 427.933 km/h and on the way back recorded a speed of 434.211 km/h. TUV and Guinness World Records have calculated an average speed of 431.072 km/h (268 mph).

Bugatti says the consumer vehicle will have identical specs, but the limitation was necessary to protect the car's tires.� Its engine is tuned to deliver 1,200 hp (882 kW), a 20 percent gain over the already massive Veyron 16.4, and up to 1,500 Nm (1106 lb-ft) of torque.� The extra power comes from bigger turbochargers and intercoolers, which meant the chassis needed to be adjusted to cope with the added power and speed.

Besides the larger air intakes at the front the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has received a series of redesigned components at the rear end, which are both meant to improve aerodynamics and distinguish it from the previous version.


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Press Release

Bugatti Presents Veyron 16.4 Super Sport to Public

World record car to be pace car at Monterey Historic Races

Further versions to be seen at The Quail and the Concours d'Elegance at Pebble Beach Molsheim/Monterey, August 13, 2010 - On the 3rd of July, the new Veyron 16.4 Super Sport achieved a new landspeed world record with 431, 072 km/h (268 mph) on Volkswagen Group's proving ground at Ehra-Lessien, close to the Wolfsburg headquarters. Bugatti presents this new car for the first time to the public at the three events The Quail, Monterey Historic Races
at Laguna Seca, and on the Concept Lawn of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. On Saturday, Bugatti's Pilote Officiel will drive in the world record car as a pace car for the historic Bugatti Rally at Laguna Seca.

The climax of the Veyron series: the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

In the past, had a model been especially popular or highly successful in races, Ettore Bugatti's customers often pushed the master to tease out a few more horsepower for their future car. Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. was in a similar situation when their existing customers asked the company, not only to design their "next model" optically different but also to create a sportier version with a more extreme driving experience. The result is an extremely powerful car with 1,200-hp (882 kW) and a maximum torque of 1,500 Newton meters, offering experienced drivers a whole new dimension of excitement. Top speed is limited to 415 km/h, to protect the tyres, but the specifications of the Super Sport will be identical to the world record car. The first five Super Sports to come off the production line will constitute a special series, with the same configuration as the land speed record car.

The Super Sport is a result of the continuous development of the classic 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 precise driving performance and excellent stability when braking and accelerating.

Constant development over the past 10 years has lead to advances, which have enabled the engineers at Bugatti S.A.S. to develop the Veyron to reach new dimensions. Every modification is designed to produce greater performance and a more agile ride. Larger turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to increase the power of the eight litre, 16-cylinder engine. The chassis has been extensively tweaked to remain safe, in order to cope with the additional power and increased speed. Revisions include a slightly raised main-spring travel, stronger stabilisers, and new shock absorbers with a complex architecture similar to which used in racing. This gives the car a more precise control of the wheels and the car as a whole. With lateral acceleration results of up to 1.4 g and improved interaction between the tyres and the intelligent all-wheel drive system, the Super Sport offers perfect handling and even more powerful acceleration.

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 a reduced weight. The skin is made entirely of carbon-fibre composites, and the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport is available in full body clear-lacquered exposed carbon on request.

Dynamic exterior

Every detail of this car, and not just its use of advanced motorsport technology, stems 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 today, where every modification to the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport serves to coax greater performance from the car.

The Super Sport's flat, elongated silhouette distinguishes itself from the standard car. Rather than scoops above the engine, the 16-cylinder engine is now fed air from two NACA ducts integrated into the roof. The front air intakes have been expanded and reshaped, with the lower one extending elegantly around the sides to the wheel arch. The revised rear end 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 versions was the type 55 and type 57S; with around forty of each built.

Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. has now sold 260 Veyrons and 35 Grand Sports, of which 249 Veyrons and 22 Grand Sports had been delivered. The Super Sport will begin production this autumn 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.


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Philippe �tancelin � Private Racer

Philippe  �Phi-Phi� �tancelin was a French privateer racer who started racing in 1926, winning the Grand Prix de Reims. During his racing career, he drove Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, Maseratis, and Talbot-Lagos.

Born in 1896 in Rouen, he was a wool and down merchant through the Winter, and raced in the Summer. His wife Suzanne was his pit manager, giving him signals in French sign language.

In the illustration below, �tancelin is on his way to winning the French Grand Prix de Pau in 1930, driving his Bugatti Type 35C. He also won the race in 1936, driving an Alfa Romeo.

Scratchboard 7�x 5� � Paul Chenard 2010

In 1934, he raced an Alfa Romeo with Luigi Chinetti in the 24 heures du Mans.

After he retired in 1953, the French government awarded him the L�gion d'honneur for his contribution to the sport of automobile racing.

He passed away at the age of 95 years old in 1981.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Bugatti has unveiled the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport [Video]


Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport achieved a new landspeed world record for production cars. the Veyron Super Sport set an average top speed rating of 431,072 km/h (268 mph). Piloted by Bugatti test driver Pierre Henri Raphanel, with German inspection officials (T�V) keeping watch, the car topped out once at 428 km/h and second time at 434 km/h. A representative of the Guinness Book of Records was on hand to witness the new world record.

With output bumped up from 1,001 horsepower to 1,200 horsepower, torque swelling to 1,106 pound-feet and a revised aerodynamic kit, Raphanel managed runs of 265.9 and 269.8 mph for an average terminal velocity of 267.81 mph and a new world record for a production car.

The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport comes with four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers that have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine to a total of 1200 HP, the chassis

Out go the large overhead air scoops, replaced by deep air ducts. The front air intakes are wider, the rear diffuser is larger and the double exhausts are now big enough for large animals to hibernate in. And get this: Bugatti has played with the engine to develop even more power.
The headline figures: 1183bhp, 1106lb ft, 268mph

The new Super Sport, which Bugatti plans to produce in a limited run of no more than 30 units, is set to be the last hurrah for the Veyron 16.4, taking overall production of the flamboyant, quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter 16-cylinder supercar to 300 units since its introduction in 2005.


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Press Release

Land speed world record with the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

The new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport takes production sports cars to a whole new dimension

Wolfsburg/Molsheim, July 4, 2010 - on a beautiful sunny day at 25 degrees the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 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 (T�V) and a representative of Guinness Book of Records the 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 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 "T�V"and Guinness generate a value of 431, 072 km/h (268 mph). This even hit Bugatti's engineering team by surprise.

"We took it that we would reach an average value of 425 km/h," explains Bugatti's chief engineer Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, "but the conditions today were perfect and allowed even more."

The climax of the Veyron series: the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 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 companyto not only design their second model optically differently but to also create a version with a sportierand more extreme driving experience. The result is a car with a uniquely high performance of1,200-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 them tyres) but, the technique of the Super Sport is identical to the record car. The first five 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 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 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 16.4 Super Sport is available in 100 per-cent clear-lacquered 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 16.4 Super Sport is wholly unmistakeable, with every external modification serving to coax greater performance from the car.

The 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 Super Sport will begin production this autumn 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.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Veyron VS GT-R, rematch

Remember the clip of the Veyron VS the two GT-R's (Veyron VS GT-R's).

It's payback time now that the Switzer P800 Nissan GT-R has been fine tuned.


Check out the clip below.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Veyron VS GT-R's

Here's a clip of a Bugatti Veyron taking on two GT-R 35's. Awesome!


Check out the clip below!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Mullin Automotive Museum celebrates grand opening in style


The Mullin Automotive Museum celebrated its grand opening this last week with a black tie event for media and distinguished guests. Of course, museum founder Peter Mullin will tell you that his new museum isn't just about cars. The 50,000 square foot facility, located in Oxnard, CA, was built as a homage to the art deco period, and plenty of historic artwork and furniture can be found throughout the building.

The cars, however, are the main attraction. More than 100 French automobiles with names like Bugatti, Delahaye, Delage, Hispano-Suiza, Talbot-Lago and Voison can be found in the museum. Immaculate restorations are featured alongside original cars from the legendary Schlumpf Reserve Collection. A collection of race cars takes residence on the second floor in a display that mimics the Le Mans pre-WWII.

Read full story from autoblog

Friday, February 12, 2010

Man Made, Bugatti Super Car

Just amazing. The Veyron on National Geographic. Stunning...



The Bugatti Veyron is a "super" super car - part automobile and part airplane. And with a base price of $1,750,000, it is the most expensive production car in the world. Designed with materials and construction techniques normally found in the aerospace industry, this remarkable engineering achievement is one of the fastest street-legal cars ever built. Now, NGC takes an insider look at the Bugatti factory to see how this modern engineering masterpiece is built.










Part airplane, part automobile, the Bugatti Veyron is a work of mechanical art.


At 1001 horsepower, the Bugatti engine has five times the power of a normal car.



Source : National Geographic