Wednesday 1st August 2007

Veyron Beaten To 200mph

Road and Track Magazine have far too much time on their hands...

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The loons at Road and Track Magazine in the States have been kicking the proverbial

Veyron: Not that quick, actually

puppy. They’ve found a car that’s faster to 200mph than a Veyron.

The lucky journos took a range of tuned and standard hypercars to the 15,500ft north runway of the Naval Air Station Lemoore in California's San Joaquin Valley.

In the collection was a Veyron, an RUF RT 12, an SLR, a Lingenfelter C6 Corvette and a sexy looking ‘02 Murciélago. However, they also took a Hennessy-tuned Venom 1000 Twin-Turbo Viper. As the name suggests, it has two turbos, but it doesn’t have a miniscule 1000bhp. Oh no – it’s got 1100bhp.

Now this may spark up a “But the Veyron has four wheel drive, and the Viper is only rear

1100bhp makes Venom the daddy

wheel drive, so it’s bound to be faster” type debate. But don’t bother because the figures speak for themselves:

0-200mph

Bugatti Veyron 16.4: 24.2 seconds.

Hennessey Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Viper: 20.3 seconds

Source: Road and Track

[Dr S]

Power to weight outperforms AWD methinks

[Road_Terrorist]

Is there is a video of this event?

[Mr Whippy]

And a dragster is faster again, but it's not very driveable or reliable for road use

Dave

[A1GOY]

There is indeed a video: http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/

Enjoy!

A1

[Fire99]

Dr S said:

Power to weight outperforms AWD methinks

absolutely. Over a sprint of that length. AWD in my opinion is great for 0-60 or maybe 0-100 but above that its launch advantage is overshadowed by sheer HP and aerodynamics.

The veyron is pretty heavy plus it will have significant losses through its AWD Drivetrain so it doesn't surprise me one bit.

[dublet]

There is also the fact that the Veyron is a production car, the Venom isn't. AFAIK there are a few other non production cars which are faster than the Veyron, so this isn't a first.

Edited by dublet on Wednesday 1st August 12:26

[Code Monkey]

I know which one i would sooner attempt to drive a long way in with the possibility of those speeds, through some rain and general twisty roads.

Can't imagine the Viper being as easy or relaxing* to drive.

• speaking relatively given 1000+bhp making anything relaxing

[Burnham]

Winningest??? Talk the queens English man!
.....and what the hell is a Porscha Roof?
Where on earth did they find this guy for the video?

[havoc]

dublet said:

There is also the fact that the Veyron is a production car, the Venom isn't. AFAIK there are a few other non production cars which are faster than the Veyron, so this isn't a first.

Edited by dublet on Wednesday 1st August 12:26

True...but €1m buys you a VERY nice base car and a lot of mods...with change in the bank to take the place of a warranty!!!


The Veyron is there for the rich who want to have the cachet of owning 'the fastest car'. The tuners out there will do you a better car for less money, but you'd need to be more of a petrolhead to want it...

[sprinter885]

Code Monkey said:

I know which one i would sooner attempt to drive a long way in with the possibility of those speeds, through some rain and general twisty roads.

Can't imagine the Viper being as easy or relaxing* to drive.

• speaking relatively given 1000+bhp making anything relaxing

I had same thought-& remembered James May's comments about driveability of Veyron after his V-Max run.

[TEKNOPUG]

I'm sure that the Veyron could well exceed 1000bhp (and thus annhiliate that Viper) if you don't mind invalidating the warranty. I'm saving my pennies for the Koenig Veyron Evolution.....

[chevy-stu]

A1GOY said:

There is indeed a video: http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/

Enjoy!

A1

That is quite amazing !!! It doesn't seem to let up accelerating until 180 mph, and even then barely .. truly ridiculous !!!!!

[Conian]

The Veyron does seem a very complicated way to make 1000bhp.

If only Porsche had the bottle to strap some turbos to the CGT.
(Lucky then that Gembella have more bottle than George Best's dustbin.)

[Bizzle]

Im currently building something that should out perform both to 200mph...
However, as previously stated - it's unfair to compare a production car to a highly tweaked tuner vehicle.
Saying that, either car is still shockingly fast.

[Beefmeister]

That thing looks terrifying in that video - its still squirming and wheelspinning at 140mph!

Impressive, but pointless - but then what isn't these days!

[mybrainhurts]

A1GOY said:

There is indeed a video: http://www.roadandtrack.com/video/

Enjoy!

A1

You were doing ever so well...

Until you said enjoy...

Grrrrrrrr....

[mat205125]

Mr Whippy said:

And a dragster is faster again, but it's not very driveable or reliable for road use

Dave

Bet you even if that Viper were to be a little tempermental, and need frequent fettling / servicing, the overall running costs per mile would be tiny compared to the Veyron.

Forgetting speculating whether the Veyron will hold future value, or plumit like a stone when the looks fade and the records are broken, the price per mile for keeping a veyron tuned and serviced must be horrific. Take a Veyron baby cousin for a service (RS Audi, Lambo) and you'd better learn to sh!t money to pay for it. Can't imagine what a basic x mile service costs, let alone consumables like brakes, clutches, tyres, cambelts etc.

[Fire99]

I don't think the point with the Veyron is just that it is the fastest production car on earth,i think its more the fact that you can effectively drive these speeds every day (if you lived on a deserted desert of course )

Watching the Autocar video of doing 227mph on a public road really highlighted just how useable the Veyron is and how amazingly stable it is at mega speed.

That IMO is what distinguishes it from the super-tuned 1 offs..

[sayerbloke]

havoc said:

The Veyron is there for the rich who want to have the cachet of owning 'the fastest car'.

Spot on.

[wab172uk]

Veyron = Standard
Viper = Tuned

Veyron = Warranty
Viper = No warranty

Veyron = Productions car
Viper = Is not

Veyron = Engine Will last 100,000 miles
Viper = Engine Will last 100 miles

I hate all these standard car verses Tuned car. Same as whenever they compare the Impreza with an Evo. They never compare like for like. Always 265BHP Impreza Vs Evo 340. Shock horor, Evo is faster.