Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

What the Veyron Super Sport changed

The Super Sport was the answer to a lost title. The first Veyron had reached 408.47 km/h in 2005, but the SSC Ultimate Aero TT later recorded 412.28 km/h. Bugatti responded with a reworked coupé, shown in August 2010 at The Quail, the Monterey Historic races at Laguna Seca and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The changes went deeper than a software update. The engine received four larger turbochargers and bigger intercoolers. The carbon-fibre body was reshaped for lower drag and better balance at speed, and Bugatti said the new shell was both lighter and stiffer than before. The suspension gained more main-spring travel, stronger anti-roll bars and shock absorbers derived from motor racing.

The basic recipe stayed the same as in the original Bugatti Veyron: a mid-mounted engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and permanent all-wheel drive. Visually, the Super Sport is easiest to spot by its two-tone paint, the reshaped air intakes and the twin roof ducts that feed the engine.

W16 engine, gearbox and acceleration

The 8.0-litre W16 is two narrow-angle V8 blocks sharing one crankshaft, with 64 valves and four turbochargers. In the Super Sport it delivers 882 kW (1,200 PS, 1,183 hp) at 6,400 rpm and a flat 1,500 Nm (1,106 lb-ft) between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm. That is 146 kW and 250 Nm more than the original Veyron.

Power reaches all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox developed with Ricardo. Bugatti quoted about 2.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h for the Super Sport. Wikipedia's figures for the faster Veyron versions give 6.7 seconds to 200 km/h and 14.6 seconds to 300 km/h, while about 40 seconds to 400 km/h is an estimate rather than a measured figure.

A simple 1cars calculation shows why the car feels so violent: with about 1,840 kg and 882 kW, each kilowatt has only about 2.1 kg to move. You can try other cars in the power-to-weight calculator. In the 1cars catalogue, the Super Sport's 2.5 seconds puts it second in the quickest coupés ranking, behind only the Bugatti Divo.

The 431.072 km/h run and the 2013 Guinness review

On 4 July 2010, Bugatti test driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel took a Super Sport to Volkswagen's Ehra-Lessien test track in Germany, with Guinness World Records and the German testing body TÜV present. He recorded 427.933 km/h in one direction and 434.211 km/h in the other. The two-way average of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) became the production-car record. Earlier that day, Top Gear presenter James May reached 417.61 km/h in a Super Sport.

In April 2013 the record was questioned, because the record car ran without the 415 km/h limiter fitted to customer cars. On 5 April 2013, a Guinness spokesperson was quoted as saying the record was no longer valid. Five days later, Guinness said it had not been disqualified and was under review. On 15 April 2013 it confirmed the record, stating that a change to the speed limiter does not alter the car's basic design or engine.

The title lasted until November 2017, when the Koenigsegg Agera RS averaged 447.19 km/h on a closed public road in Nevada.

Cabin, space and daily use

Inside, the Super Sport follows the Veyron layout: two electrically adjustable sports seats with strong side bolsters, leather and Alcantara trim chosen by the buyer, and aluminium details on the centre console. Analogue dials sit behind a three-spoke steering wheel, with a central rev counter and a power gauge that shows how much of the engine's output is in use.

Space is that of a two-seat mid-engined coupé. There is a small luggage compartment in the nose, large enough for soft bags rather than suitcases. Ground clearance is low, so steep ramps and speed bumps need care. Despite the figures, the Super Sport is calm at normal speeds and was meant to be driven on ordinary roads as a grand tourer.

Fuel consumption and running costs

The Veyron family was rated by the US EPA at 29 l/100 km (8 mpg US) in the city and 17 l/100 km (14 mpg US) on the highway. At its top speed, consumption rises to about 78 l/100 km, more than three-quarters of a litre for every kilometre, which empties the 100-litre-class tank in minutes.

Running costs follow the same scale. Servicing is done by Bugatti, a set of the special Michelin PAX tyres is reported to cost a five-figure sum, and the tyres could only be fitted in France. These are the costs owners accept for the speed. Exact service prices in euros are not published, so we do not give them here.

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport editions and the Grand Sport Vitesse

Bugatti built 48 Super Sport coupés. Five of them are World Record Edition cars, which copy the record car with exposed black carbon fibre, orange details and orange wheels. Their limiter was removed, so they can reach the full speed.

The Grand Sport Vitesse used the Super Sport engine in the open body and, on 6 April 2013, averaged 408.84 km/h, the fastest figure for an open production car at the time. All Veyron versions together reached 450 cars before production ended in 2015.

Safety and crash testing

Euro NCAP and the IIHS did not crash-test the Veyron Super Sport, which is normal for a car built in such small numbers. Its protection comes from the carbon-fibre monocoque, front and rear aluminium structures and front airbags. Large carbon-ceramic brakes and a rear wing that also works as an air brake help the car stop from high speed. The record car and the World Record Edition also depended on special tyres, which is why customer cars are limited to 415 km/h.

Rivals: how the Super Sport compares

In 2010 only a handful of cars were in the same speed class. The table uses each car's best verified speed figure.

More hypercars are ranked in the most powerful cars list and the most powerful supercars guide.