Final Bugatti Veyron 16.4 spoken for

“In the Veyron the Bugatti team has created a vehicle that has already become an icon of automotive history. Both technologically and in terms of design, the Veyron is still far ahead of its time. The Grand Sport is a further pinnacle of achievement in the open-top sports car segment, and we intend to maintain the same standard in our future Bugatti products.”

The development of the Bugatti Veyron represented one of the greatest technical challenges and engineering achievements in automotive history. Volkswagen bought the rights to the Bugatti brand in 1998, and just one year later the company presented its fourth concept vehicle, the close-to-production study EB 18/4 Veyron at the Tokyo Motor Show. Barely six years down the line, on 29 April 2005, a Veyron exceeded 400 km/h for the very first time, and six months later was presented to its global audience.

The Veyron was and remains a synthesis of superlative technical achievements. It was the first production vehicle to have a full carbon-fibre monocoque, and its torsional rigidity of 60,000 Newton meters per degree remains unparalleled to this day. The 7,993 cm3 capacity sixteen-cylinder engine with its four continuously variable camshafts and four turbochargers is capable of a top speed of 407 km/h, developing 1,001 PS (736 kW). The seven-gear twin-clutch gearbox governs an unbelievable 1,250 Newton meters of torque, and is one of the fastest transmissions in the world with shift times of less than 150 milliseconds. Acceleration from 0 to 100 takes place in a legendary 2.5 seconds.

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Ford Focus Titanium sedan, an AutoWeek Drivers Log Car Review

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY:

After spending an evening in the upmarket 2012 Ford Focus Titanium, I'm decidedly torn. My feelings about the chassis, brakes, steering--everything about the driving dynamics--remain the same as with our SE Sport tester a few weeks back: brilliant. For a C-segment car (granted, one tickling $27,000), the Focus is incredibly composed and unflappable in all but the most ridiculous street driving. The interior is beautifully crafted with quality-feeling materials, and the seats offer a perfect blend of side bolstering and lower cushion for my sometimes awkward, lanky frame.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: 

I spent a lot of time logging miles all over town in this hot sedan, blinged out sportily in Titanium trim. I was impressed with the drive character of this car, and it's mainstream, agreeable and generally well done. Ford will sell a ton of these things, I'd say. Enthusiasts will like the chassis and composed body, which maintain bearing and a civil demeanor. The suspension is tight without being abusive. I found the steering to be light, but it returns plenty of feel for most regular drivers. 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: 

At long last, the United States gets the Focus the rest of the world receives--and we'll be getting a hot ST version, too, which is very cool. I live close to the plant where they build these things in Wayne, Mich., so I've been seeing a ton of them running around. They are sharp-looking cars with a front end featuring large air dams, which is good for the class. It's a welcome change from the drab and uninspired looks on the majority of the usual suspects like the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla.

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Video: Chevrolet Racing Track to Street Season 2 Episode 5

In addition to the lap around the track, Chevrolet has also provided a second video featuring in depth interviews with drivers like Richard Westbrook as they describe what it’s like to be on and off the track. This video came out before the team’s win at LeMans, but after watching the Gavin make the quick lap around LeMans, it seemed necessary to go into the the team’s preparations for the 24 hour long event.

 

In Chevrolet’s latest Track to Street series, Corvette Racing takes us along on a hot lap around the LeMans track. This is the very same track where driver Oliver Gavin received first place in the GTE Pro division of the 24h endurance race a little over a week ago.

Let’s just say that we envy the thrill of being a part of such a famous event, but are in awe of the endurance these drivers have to have in order to complete the race.

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Video: McLaren MP4-12C vs. Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Mercedes

In this video, the MP4-12C is pitted up against the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Audi R8 V10, the Mercedes SLS, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, and the Lamborghini Gallardo Performante, all driven by Ex-Stig Ben Collins to make it as fair as possible. At the end of each drive, Collins goes into detail about each supercar, making this a must see!

We don’t know if British magazine, CAR, saw it coming, but they have released a video stacking the McLaren MP4-12C supercar against many of its rivals just in time for the announcement that the supercar has been sold out for the next three years.

So, is the McLaren MP4-12C all that it’s cracked up to be, or would people be better off purchasing one of the other supercars tested? Watch the video to see what a professional thinks, then tell us what you think in the comments section below

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Tag Heuer Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch

The special edition timepiece is based on the steel 44mm wide Tag Heuer Formula 1 Big Date watch with a Swiss quartz movement and a time, subsidiary seconds dial. It features a black dial with a light gray cross-hatching pattern and contrasting Gulf racing stripes in orange and blue, as well as the orange and white Gulf logo. The Formula 1 Gulf Edition is available in either a steel or rubber strap.

Tag Heuer has been rather busy this year coming up with several special editions to celebrate their partnerships. So far, we’ve seen the Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium Chronograph, the TAG Heuer Limited Edition Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph, and the TAG Heuer McLaren MP4-12C Chronograph. Their latest ode is the limited edition Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch which celebrates the timepiece company’s partnership with both Monaco Gulf and Formula 1.

The Tag Heuer Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch sells for somewhere in the $1,000 range.

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Could Strikes Threaten The Launch Of The 2012 Chevy Sonic?

That’s exactly what’s happening, as workers for supplier LINC Logistics have voted to authorize a strike if a labor deal can’t be reached after five days of negotiations. LINC employees have been working at the plant without a contract since joining the UAW this spring, and the eighty-eight LINC staffers represent almost half of the non-GM employees at the plant. 

Chevrolet has gone to great lengths to remind buyers that their upcoming Sonic will be the only B-segment vehicle built in the United States when it launches later this year. They’ve even linked the subcompact’s genetic material back to their flagship Corvette, as a way of reminding buyers that the Sonic will be entertaining as well as economical. There’s a lot riding on this product launch, so the last thing that Chevrolet and General Motors need is a labor dispute at their Orion Assembly Plant, where the Sonic will be built.

A GM spokeswoman denied that a strike would impact the launch of the Sonic, which is scheduled to begin production in August. That assumes that the plant’s UAW workers would be willing to cross a picket line if a strike is called, something that unions typically frown on. We’re guessing the matter will be resolved before a strike is called, since the Sonic is too significant a product for GM to delay.

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2011's Worst-Quality New Cars

Automakers are smart to crow when they earn coveted quality awards. But when the hammer comes down--particularly on brand-new vehicles--the results are usually kept a little more quiet.

One of the benchmark studies of new-vehicle quality has been released for the 2011 model year, and this time, J.D. Power's 2011 Initial Quality Study found that the marked progress made in the past four years is over. While the overall number of problems per 100 vehicles fell, the number of problems for brand-new models was higher than usual.

Crossovers and SUVs

While crossovers dominate the shopping lists of American car buyers more than ever, the newest crossovers are experiencing some teething troubles. The problems with the Ford Edge, Ford Explorer and Lincoln MKX were called out in particular by Power--but the Nissan Juke and MINI Countryman also have reason to be concerned, since their low ratings are matched by the low overall rankings of their brands.

Minivans and Pickup Trucks

Utility vehicles often have lower initial quality, because they're made to be more rugged--but buyers tend not to rate them poorly because they expect them to be more basic. It's notable here than none of the brand-new minivans for the 2011 model year--Odyssey, Quest or Sienna--were rated poorly by surveyed owners.

Sports Cars

 None of the brand-new sports cars for 2011 were included in the lowest of J.D. Power's initial-quality ratings, but the presence of BMW's Z4 and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe suggests those companies will have to revamp their flagship sporty offerings to continue to build their reputations against the likes of the Ford Mustang and Porsche Boxster.

Sedans and Luxury Sedans

There's trouble in the Power IQS survey for Buick and Audi. The volume sellers for both brands landed squarely at the bottom of this year's initial quality study. Infiniti's M and Jaguar's new XJ also haven't fared well, though the cars have been well-received by the automotive press.

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