bugatti

The World's Greatest Automobile Aficionados

From James Dean to Gianni Agnelli and Paul Newman to Steve McQueen, automotive journalist Robert Puyal presents portraits of eighty icons of the automobile world in his lavish, stylish new book Behind the Wheel from Flammarion. The cover (above) features the coolest photo of the ill-starred Dean driving his famous Porsche 550 Spyder that we've ever seen, demonstrating Puyal's penchant for finding the image juste. Organized by decades, the book begins with pioneers of the automotive industry such as Louis Renault and the ultra-stylish Jean Bugatti, progressing to the likes of Agnelli, Enzo Ferrari, McQueen and Newman, to modern-day aficionados such as Horacio Pagani, who designs his own supercars, and famed Ferrari collector Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. Amongst them are champion racing drivers and a couple of fictional characters as well. Even director Quentin Tarantino rates a mention for giving muscle cars so much screen time.

Gallery: Behind the Wheel

Tags: books, Bugatti, cars, classic cars, coffee table books, Enzo Ferrari, Gianni Agnelli, James Dean, Pagani, Paul Newman, Porsche, Renault, Steve McQueen

$2 Million Bugatti & Three Other Supercars Smashed in Wild Autobahn Weekend

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Crimes and Misdemeanors

A recent weekend in Germany saw the wanton destruction of a small fortune in supercars in a series of unbelievable smashups on the Autobahns. In the space of a mere 48 hours a Bugatti, two Lamborghinis and an Audi R8 were all totaled while traveling at eye-popping speeds. The first two casualties were a rare $2 million Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport (above) and a Lamborghini Murciélago Roadster, involved in separate incidents mere hours apart. The Lamborghini was driven by a 32-year-old who lost control of the car in Vaterstetten in lower Franconia but miraculously walked away unharmed. The driver of the Grand Sport lost control while passing another car at 125 mph, causing some $560,000 worth of damage. Then a black Lamborghini LP670-4SV driven by a couple of mechanics who'd just performed an oil change on the vehicle spun out and got pretty badly banged up. And finally a limited edition $200,000 Audi R8 GT, one of only 333 built, burned to cinders after crashing near Denkendorf on the A9.

Tags: Audi R8, Audi R8 GT, Autobahn, Bugatti, Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, car crash, Germany, Lamborghini, supercar

The Classicist: Win a Private Tour of Ralph Lauren's Car Collection & More

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Events, Charity, Sports, Big Givers, Men's Style, The Classicist, Luxury Shopping

From now through Oct. 21, Ralph Lauren is auctioning off a number of extraordinary items and experiences to mark the 10th anniversary of Pink Pony, the designer's global initiative to raise awareness and funds in support of the fight against cancer. The online auction, the first of its kind for the Pink Pony cause, is being produced in partnership with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz. Highlights of the incredible event include several once-in-a-lifetime forays into the private world of the famed fashion designer and his luxury empire, including classic cars, polo, chauffeured Bentleys, sexy models and shopping sprees. You check out full details and register to place bids at www.charitybuzz.com/RalphLauren; meanwhile, here are The Classicist's top picks:

1. A private tour of Lauren's incredible car collection, estimated at $150,000: You and a friend will be shown the cars, including the ultra-rare 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic (above), worth an estimated $40 million, a $28 million Ferrari 250 GTO, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, McLaren F1LM and more, by Lauren himself at his lavish estate in Bedford, New York. You'll also get a ride in one of these world-class driving machines and take home a signed copy of Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection.

2. A weekend at Lauren's private Round Hill Villa in Jamaica, estimated at $150,000: A priceless opportunity to spend four days and three nights for you and up to three guests at the designer's personal Jamaican paradise. The fully staffed villa, which sits on a magnificent, picturesque cliff over the crystal blue Caribbean Sea, has been featured on the covers of House & Garden and Architectural Digest. Enjoy a swim in the villa's infinity pool and private beach access, as well as complimentary tennis lessons and a yoga session.

3. Play polo with Nacho Figueras and stay at The Breakers in Palm Beach, estimated at $15,000: Take a lesson from Nacho Figueras, world class polo player and Ralph Lauren model. You and a guest will refuel afterward during lunch with Nacho, and you'll also spend three nights at the exclusive Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, including a spa treatment for two at the Breakers Spa; a round of golf for two; a $1,000 private shopping experience at the Ralph Lauren store at the Breakers; and VIP access to the U.S. Open at the International Polo Club.

4. Front row seats to the Ralph Lauren fashion show and an outfit from the runway, estimated at $25,000: Bring along a friend when you meet the designer and sit in the elite front row at his Fall 2011 Fashion Show in New York. Then, select your favorite look from the runway to add to your own personal collection. Enjoy two nights at a penthouse suite at The Setai Fifth Avenue hotel, including breakfast for two and one signature spa treatments. [continued]

Gallery: Ralph Lauren Pink Pony Auction

Tags: ad campaign, auction, Bedford, Bentley, bespoke, Boris Becker, Bugatti, car collection, Caribbean, Carlyle Hotel, charity, charitybuzz, classic cars, designer, fashion show, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GTO, Jamaica, London, mens style, Mercedes-Benz, Nacho Figueras, Palm Beach, Paris, Pink Pony, polo, Ralph Lauren, Rhinelander Mansion, Setai, tennis, The Breakers, The Savoy, villa, Wimbledon

Continue reading “The Classicist: Win a Private Tour of Ralph Lauren's Car Collection & More”

VIDEO: Arab Playboys Race Their Supercars Around London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Video

It seems that Bloomberg News finally caught up with our report last month on the cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys who made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in the UAE. As we noted at the time, Bugatti Veyrons have been seen cruising in Knightsbridge and making Mayfair seem more like Le Mans, while both the Bugatti a Pagani Zonda Cinque, one of only five in the world, are often parked at the Dorchester Hotel where some of the super-rich studs are staying. Rolls-Royces, custom Mercedes-McLaren SLRs, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris and more are commonplace in certain posh neighborhoods, where protest groups have been formed to combat the problem. Of course, all those powerful machines in a densely populated area sometimes leads to trouble. Check out some of the video footage assembled by Bloomberg on the subject.

Tags: Bugatti, London, Pagani, Rolls-Royce, supercar, UAE, UK, wealth

Buyer Renegs on $700,000 Bid for a Bugatti Veyron

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

If you're going to place a bid at an auction, you'd better make sure you have the cash to back it up. Especially if its an item as high-value as a Bugatti Veyron.

One such supercar went across the auction block recently at Barrett-Jackson, where a prospective buyer on-premises placed a $700,000 bid, beating out several rivals calling in their bids by phone. But then the winner refuses to pay, claiming that he didn't mean to bid but was just trying to help.

The renegging bidder was escorted off the premises, but to save face, Barrett-Jackson's own CEO Craig Jackson pledged to buy it himself, until one of the phone bidders took it off his hands. Seriously, people...we couldn't make this stuff up.

Source

Tags: auction, barrett-jackson, bugatti, bugatti veyron

British Baron's 1930s Bugatti to Fetch $1.8 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A rare 1933 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix Two-Seater (above) owned by the late Fitzroy John Somerset, the 5th Baron Raglan, former Patron and Chairman of the Bugatti Owners' Club and trustee of the Bugatti Trust, is to be sold at Bonhams' Paris sale of Motor Cars on 5 February 2011. The auction will be held at one of Paris' most impressive venues – the Grand Palais on the Champs-Elysees. Lord Raglan, whose great-great grandfather, the 1st Baron, was the General in command of British troops in the Crimean war – and forever associated with the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade – was renowned for his love of Bugattis. "My passion for Bugattis started when I was 18 and I have raced around the world," he once said. Lord Raglan bought the Bugatti Type 51 in 1979 and restored it himself over the next two and a half years, subsequently racing it for the next 20 years. It is now expected to sell for an estimated $1.8 million.

Tags: aristocrat, Bonhams, Bugatti, Champs-Elysées, classic cars, Paris, UK

Big Block Winder by OriginTimes

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos

They say that the man with two watches is never sure exactly what time it is. If you have sixteen, though, your problem probably comes closer to keeping them all wound up all the time and ready to wear. Solution: you could get sixteen individual watch winders. Or you could get this.

Starting with the engine block from the Bugatti Veyron, German manufacturer OriginTimes has created a sixteen-cylinder watch winder. Each combustion chamber has been fitted with an individual winder, each calibrated individually according to each timepiece's needs and lined in goatskin to keep them in pristine condition. The price? A cool €75,000 (nearly $100k before taxes), but if you've got sixteen automatic timepieces, we have a feeling the cost won't be an issue.

Source

Tags: big block, bugatti, bugatti veyron, origin times, watch winder

101 Years Of Bugatti Cars At Monterey 2010

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Founded in 1909, Bugatti has had a fascinating history as one of the most important collector's cars in the world. Starting in the 1990s, the brand was due for a major comeback led by then owner the Volkswagen Group. Today with the Veyron, Bugatti produces the most expensive new production car in the world with a starting price of about 1.7 million dollars. Several of its highly coveted vintage models yield far more than that at auction.

During the auto festivities around Monterey, CA 2010, Bugatti celebrated 101 years of passion and car making, as well as the release of their new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport car - which was a follow up, higher performance model of the Veyron which was originally released in 2005. The Veyron Super Sport claims a top speed of close to 270mph, and will cost about $2 million. Highly collectible vintage models are valued in the several million dollars each. Bugatti also saw the debut of a new watch - the Bugatti Super Sport timepiece presented by their watch making partner Parmigiani.

Bugatti and Bugatti owners brought out their best to Monterey, especially at the Laguna Seca raceway for the Concorso Italiano. Beautifully restored Bugattis (and a few in original condition) were brought out to be seen and driven. You can see the famous luxury auto maker through different eras, and observe the loving care their owners bestow upon them. I've put together a pictorial showing some of the coolest Bugatti's seen in Monterey at the Quail Lodge event, at Laguna Seca, and at the Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance. Check out the rest of them below in the image galley. Fantastic to see so many rare and beautiful Bugatti cars together - chances like this are extremely rare.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: 101 Years of Bugatti Monterey 2010

Tags: 101 years, 2010, bugatti, Concorso Italiano, monterey, pebble beach, Quail lodge

Continue reading “101 Years Of Bugatti Cars At Monterey 2010”

Bugatti Details New Veyron Super Sport at Pebble Beach Debut

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Visitors to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this summer were treated to a wide variety of octane-drenched eye candy, but arguably none as enticing as the new Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

The ultimate Veyron was announced a few weeks ago when Bugatti took it to a record 268 mph top speed on a closed track. Now that the Super Sport has made its debut, however, the prestige auto marque has graced us with a few more details to fill in the remaining blanks.

To start with, Bugatti will build only 40 examples of the Super Sport, those forty counting towards the 300 total Veyrons that will be built in all before the model rumbles off into the history books. Second, customer models of the Veyron SS will be speed-restricted to 258 mph – which is still faster than just about anything else out there, but 10 mph short of the record speed. Sources speculate that the reason behind the limit comes down to fuel consumption and tire durability, though we doubt any owners will be putting it to the test, anyway.

Source

Tags: bugatti, bugatti veyron, bugatti veyron super sport, pebble beach, Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, veyron, veyron super sport

Arab Playboys Ship $80 Million Worth of Supercars to London for the Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Video

A cabal of mega-rich Arab playboys have made London the world's supercar capital this summer, shipping an estimated $80 million worth of eye-popping vehicles to the city while waiting out the heat in their homeland. The bored billionaires get their kicks by racing around London's crowded streets, the London Sun reports. Bugatti Veyrons have been seen cruising in Knightsbridge and Mayfair, and both the Bugatti a Pagani Zonda Cinque, one of only five in the world, are often parked at the Dorchester Hotel where some of the super-rich studs are staying. Rolls-Royces, custom Mercedes-McLaren SLRs, Lamborghinis, Koenigseggs, Ferraris and more are commonplace in certain posh neighborhoods.

"Forget Monaco or Monte Carlo - London is now the supercar capital," Matt Master of Top Gear tells the paper. "Most owners are in their 20s or early 30s and from amazingly rich families. The amount of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugattis with UAE plates is unbelievable." Most do 200 mph-plus but they have to drive them around in first gear, though some cut loose and take the consequences – check out a video of one man being pulled over in a pink Lamborghini amidst a number of other exotics after the jump. Others like the supercars belonging to Qatar's Royal Family get "clamped" by the cops. Given the fact that the cars had to be flown to London from the UAE, the sheer amount of money being wasted is simply stupendous:

Tags: Arab, Arabs, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, London, Mayfair, Pagani, Qatar, Rolls-Royce, supercars, UAE, wealth

Continue reading “Arab Playboys Ship $80 Million Worth of Supercars to London for the Summer”

Mansory Announces Linea Vincero d'Oro for the Bugatti Veyron

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

With the dozens of special-edition Veyrons which Bugatti itself has rolled out, it's hard to imagine anyone needing to make theirs stand out even more. But for those few, German tuner Mansory has announced the Linea Vincero d'Oro line of accessories.

Upgrading on the existing Linea Vincero, which features glossy carbon-copper bodywork and even more aggressive aerodynamics than the stock Veyron, the Vincero d'Oro features – you guessed it – gold trim. And there's plenty of it, coating the wheels, grille, door handles, mirror housings, fuel filler cap, headlight washer nozzles, headlight surrounds, the roof and various parts of the interior. Mansory has only built the one example, but will be glad to upgrade any existing Veyron to the same effect.

Gallery: Bugatti Veyron by Mansory Linea Vincero d'Oro

Source

Tags: bling, Bugatti, Bugatti Veyron, gold, Linea Vincero, Linea Vincero dOro, Mansory Linea Vincero, Mansory Linea Vincero dOro, Vincero

World's Most Expensive Car Goes on Display

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Back in May we reported on the ultra rare 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic that set a new record as the world's most expensive car when it changed hands in a private transaction valued at close to $40 million. Now the incredibly valuable vehicle is going on display at California's Mullin Automotive Museum, an institution that celebrates the Art Deco and Streamline eras, adding fuel to insider speculation that the museum's founder, financier, philanthropist and Bugatti boffin Peter Mullin, was the purchaser. The car, which has seldom been seen publicly, will go on display August 3rd. "I am honored to have the opportunity to display the Bugatti Atlantic at our Art Deco museum," Mullin says. "The Art Deco Movement was driven by people who were fascinated by invention and innovation – by the exotic nature of new technology and materials, by art and design, by speed and by the machine – no automobile captures this spirit more than the Bugatti Atlantic. In the historic pantheon of automobiles the Atlantic is without peer."

Tags: Art Deco, Bugatti, California, classic cars, Mullin Automotive Museum, museum, Peter Mullin, worlds most expensive

Presenting the new Bugatti Veyron Super Sports: the World's Fastest Car

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, on the new Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Now we know what you're thinking: Bugatti's rolled out dozens of special editions of its iconic supercar over the past few years. But this is a different kettle of fish altogether.

For the long-anticipated Veyron Super Sports – which follows in the tire tracks of upgraded Super Sports models from the marque's history – Bugatti has tweaked the engine to produce an extra 200 horsepower over the "standard" model's 1000. The resulting 1200-horse output, combined with revised aerodynamics, was enough for Bugatti to claim the land speed record at 267.81 miles per hour, achieved at parent company Volkswagen's proprietary Ehra-Lessian test track in the presence of officials from the Guiness Book of World Records and the German Technical Inspection Agency, making it official.

The Veyron Super Sports will be unveiled officially next month at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, after which full details of customer availability will be announced. For now we know that the first five production models will be painted the same black and neon orange paint scheme as the test vehicle you see here.

Source

Tags: bugatti, bugatti veyron, bugatti veyron 16.4 super sport, bugatti veyron super sport, guiness book of world records, land speed record, record, veyron, veyron super sport

Take a Ferrari Tour of Central Switzerland

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos

On Sept. 9 – 12, Loeven Sportwagentouren, organizers of the Bugatti tour we wrote about last summer, is offering a driving tour of Central Switzerland 's scenic Rigi, Reuss and Rütli Oath regions in the new Ferrari 458 Italia. The tour offers three adrenaline-filled day trips from the luxurious base camp of the Bürgenstock Resort perched above Lake Lucerne. You'll power through famous mountain passes like the Grimsel, Gotthard, Furka, Nufenen and Ächerli – a steep, single-track lane with sharp ascents, hairpin turns and narrow bends. If classics are more your cup of tea, Loeven can arrange to get you a Ferrari Dino, or you can even bring your own car as long as it can keep up. The 458 Italia costs about $6,500 and the Dino about $3,200 on top of the $2,800 per person base price for the tour. Bookings are now open, but be quick about it – space is limited to about 10 cars.

Tags: Bürgenstock Resort, Bugatti, driving tours, Ferrari, Ferrari 458 Italia, Ferrari Dino, Lake Lucerne, Loeven Sportwagentouren, supercar, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, tour

Solid Gold 1:18 Scale Bugatti Veyron

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

1:18 scale Bugatti Veyron replica in solid gold – Click above for image gallery

The Bugatti Veyron is one of the most expensive automobiles in the world. Somewhat paradoxically, a couple of enterprising fellows have managed to craft a replica that's even pricier than the original on which it's based, and they've done it by downsizing.

Of course, the fact that it's made from 24 karat gold and encrusted with 7.2 carats worth of diamonds adds mightily to its £2 million ($2.93 million at today's exchange rates) asking price. Yes, that is indeed a higher sum than it would take to put a real, full-size Veyron in your driveway.

Robert Gulpen of Munich & Stuart Hughes of Liverpool only plan to craft three examples of the 1:18 scale solid gold Bugatti Veyron replica, so we suggest you get on the ball if you've decided your living room mantle. See it in all its fully functional glory in our image gallery below.

Gallery: Solid Gold Bugatti Veyron Replica