For all the power that the Veyron’s engine generates and the fantastic traction of its 4WD system, the star of the show is the bespoke seven-speed DSG gearbox built for Bugatti by Ricardo in the UK. Reputed to cost more than a well-equipped VW Golf R32, it is best operated by the steering wheel paddle shifts, which I found totally instinctive.
Even full-bore upshifts are as fast and seamless as you could wish for. Pulling the left paddle to go down the box under braking is totally natural, and for the experienced driver, better than letting the electronic brain try to sort things out.
The reason for this, as Olivier pointed out, is that if you leave the system in Auto mode, it can catch you out when you force a full-throttle kick down from a high gear. Should the system drop two or three gears, 1,250Nm of torque suddenly tries to escape through the four contact patches, with results that can catch out the unwary!
For 1.1 million Euros plus tax, you expect perfection and the Veyron delivers this in spades. In the new Atelier at the former Bugatti HQ at Chateau St. Jean in Molsheim, eight specialists lovingly assemble each car over a period of nearly three weeks from the best materials.
At this level, art is just as important as engineering, and the Veyron is blessed with some of the most exquisite detailing ever applied to a motor car. The fittings in the cozy cabin delight both the eyes and the fingertips, and quality shines through thanks to an obviously very rigorous remit to design and build every part of this car to perfection, regardless of cost.
Rising expectations mean that someone accustomed to the fantastic blend of comfort and pace from everyday super sedans, including the Audi RS4, BMW M5 and E63 AMG, might be disappointed by a drive in a classic supercar. New cars like this more than any other have forced supercar makers to raise their game.
Only the Veyron has practically every aspect nailed down tight. But it is also the most refined of the crop, and we have to ask if civilizing the supercar to this extent has not also lost us some of the raw involvement in the driving experience.
In the final analysis, while the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 may do without the ultimate spine tingling engine note, the most feel in its steering or the most dramatic shape, it is indisputably the fastest and most capable all-round supercar ever, and the one that leaves you most in awe of its abilities. As an engineering tour de force, it is a towering achievement the likes of which we will likely never see again.
