2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Bugatti hints at upcoming Vision Gran Turismo design

This is a NACA duct. You used to see them on supercars left, right, and center – including the Bugatti EB110. You don't see them as much as you used to, but if this teaser is anything to go by, they could be making a comeback to the blanks and surfaces of the next Bugatti hypercar. Strictly speaking, the component rendering previews Bugatti's upcoming Vision Gran Turismo design – taking the Alsatian marque into the virtual world to let its fans drive a Bugatti on PlayStation. Which is all well and fine, of course, and we're looking forward to seeing it unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. But the bigger development is that the Vision Gran Turismo concept is set to preview the brand's new design language that will be embodied in the metal of the upcoming replacement for the Veyron. Expected to be called the Chiron, the new Bugatti supercar promises to surpass even its illustrious predecessor. Look for a revised version of the Veyron's mammoth 6.0-liter W16 engine to adopt some manner of electrical assist – likely in the form of electric turbochargers – to produce even more power while returning better fuel economy. Of course the solitary image of the NACA duct released together with the announcement isn't much to go on. But we're looking forward to seeing what the Volkswagen Group's most illustrious brand has cooked up for the Frankfurt show – and the video game console – next month. Related Video: "This is for our fans" – Bugatti creates its first vehicle for "Vision Gran Turismo" - Virtual concept car coming exclusively to PlayStation's Gran Turismo video game series - President Wolfgang Durheimer: "This will make Bugatti accessible for our countless fans throughout the world." - "Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo" gives an outlook of the brand's new design language - Bugatti to showcase virtual project at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) Molsheim, August 19, 2015. Following the sale of the 450th and final Veyron this spring, Bugatti is embarking on a new chapter in its corporate history which is to reach its climax with the presentation of the next Bugatti super sports car. The first stage in the process will be a virtual project developed by the luxury super sports car brand in cooperation with Polyphony Digital Inc., creators of the Gran Turismo video game franchise. For the first time, Bugatti will be represented in the "Vision Gran Turismo" category.

Volkswagen posts quarterly profit despite drop in sales

Volkswagen returned to profit in the third quarter as surging Chinese demand for luxury cars helped offset a 1.1% drop in vehicle deliveries due to the pandemic, sending its shares as much as 3% higher on Thursday. The German automaker's return to the black comes amid spiking coronavirus cases in Europe that led governments in France and Germany to order their countries back into strict national lockdowns on Wednesday. "The coronavirus remains a central problem," Volkswagen Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said in a conference call with reporters. "This situation now is anything but relaxed." But Witter said the group expected the economic recovery to continue and did "not anticipate any nationwide lockdowns in larger markets." Witter said the takeover of U.S. truck maker Navistar International by Volkswagen's trucking unit Traton was an important acquisition, but the "current economic climate will not make this easy." Volkswagen reiterated it expects to post a profit for the full year, saying its business "recovered noticeably" in the third quarter as sales in China of premium vehicles, including Audi and Porsche sports cars, rose 3%. The quarterly performance was also aided by a series of cost-cutting measures launched earlier this year. Volkswagen said its net liquidity rose to 24.8 billion euros from 18.7 billion at the end of the second quarter. Excluding one-time items, third-quarter operating profit was 3.2 billion euros ($3.8 billion), down from 4.8 billion euros a year earlier, but up from a second quarter loss of 1.7 billion. In a note to clients, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois described the results as a "solid performance with strong cash, but relatively muted in the context of the (auto) sector recovery." Last week, German rival Daimler reported a record 24% jump in Chinese demand for its Mercedes-Benz cars, boosting its margins in the third quarter. Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Peugeot manufacturer PSA Group both also posted solid results this week. Witter said Volkswagen could not say for sure whether it would meet EU CO2 emissions targets this year, adding "it will be a tough race." At 1030 GMT, Volkswagen shares were up 2.9% at 129.20 euros. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Porsche Volkswagen

Short-tailed Bugatti Chiron Super Sport spied testing

One of our spy photographers has caught a rather odd Bugatti Chiron prototype out testing. It features no camouflage, which reveals that it seems to fuse a regular Chiron with the Chiron Super Sport 300+. And that begs the question, what is this? The front of the car is all Super Sport 300+. It has the revised air intakes, clusters of round vents in the hood, and big vents in the fenders. But unlike that top speed challenger, this has a normal, truncated tail from the regular Chiron. In fact, everything from the front fenders back appears to be regular Chiron. The one difference is the exhaust, which consists of two oval tips that most resemble the tailpipes of the Chiron Pur Sport. But the rear fascia is definitely regular Chiron, not the revised design of the Pur Sport. So what is it? It could simply be a mash-up of leftover Chiron parts for some kind of test mule. It could also be shortened Chiron Super Sport 300+ that will share the same 1,600-horsepower engine as the high-speed car, but without the cost of the extra aerodynamics. Whatever it is, Bugatti's testers evidently weren't happy about the spy photographer catching the car, as he reports the car was hurried into a trailer and security sent to confront the photographer and stop him from sharing the photos. So it seems Bugatti has something interesting coming, whether it looks exactly like this or just has this car's underpinnings. Related Video