2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Bugatti names former Ferrari, Lotus man its new American chief

After six years running its American operations, John Hill is leaving Bugatti. So the exotic carmaker is going to need someone to fill his shoes - particularly since the United States and Canada account for a quarter of all Bugattis sold (to say nothing of Latin America). Fortunately, it appears to have found just the right person in Maurizio Parlato.
An old hand in moving exotic sports cars in North America, Parlato comes to his role as Chief Operating Officer at Bugatti of the Americas after years in the business. He served as top man in America first for Ferrari and Maserati and then at Lotus, holding numerous other positions at both companies over the years, including the latter's global sales and marketing director. (Lotus, for what it's worth, was once owned by Bugatti, but that was long before Parlato arrived on the scene.)
Parlato assumes his new role at Bugatti at a time when the company is trying to move the last few dozen Veyrons before switching over to its successor. He'll have a network of 13 dealers to manage, satisfy and ultimately expand, but if anyone can do it, Parlato seems to have proven that he can.

Filmmaker explains how to shoot a Bugatti Chiron accelerating to 248 mph

Bugatti set a world record in 2017 when a Chiron traveled from zero to 248 mph (400 kph) to zero in 42 seconds. It caught the record on film, but it has never revealed how it captured footage of a 1,500-horsepower car traveling at nearly four times the speed limit of an American interstate. Filmmaker Al Clark revealed his secrets in a video. It was clear from the beginning of the project that simply placing a GoPro on the dashboard and hitting "record" wouldn't have cut it. Bugatti wanted a feature-quality film that showed the car from many different angles, so Clark worked with some of the most talented names in the automotive film industry to make it happen. The scenes showing the Chiron from above were filmed using an Aerospatiale 355N Ecureuil helicopter because a drone would be too slow to keep up with the car, and it wouldn't be able to stay in the air long enough.  German studio Format67 provided a Caterham Seven transformed into a film car to capture some of the car-to-car footage. The crew also borrowed its hood to use as a shield against reflections during one of the photo shoots. It's quick and agile, so it's well suited to performing camera car duty, but it can't keep up with a Chiron. "I love real speed in shots. I think it's so important that the cars are doing something approaching their real speed, because when you start to speed up stuff everything looks wrong," Clark explained. Putting footage on fast forward wasn't an option, neither was attaching the camera to a cable and pelting it down the track. The answer was surprisingly simple: The crew used another Chiron as the camera car and launched them at the same time. The record was set on Volkswagen's test track in Ehra-Lessien, Germany, which is also where a 304-mph Chiron became the fastest car in the world in 2019. The main straight is long and smooth, so the footage captured was perfectly steady in spite of the head-spinning speed; Clark even chose to dial in a little bit of camera shake during the editing process. It wasn't perfectly in focus, though, because the camera filmed through the exhaust gases, and the system gets extremely hot when the quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter 16-cylinder engine is giving its all. Juan Pablo Montoya, the courageous Indy 500-winning pilot who set the 2017 record, said "it was all quite easy." Clark's firsthand account confirms the same can't be said about capturing the feat on video. Related Video:       Bugatti Technology Gadgets Luxury Performance

Bugatti unveils a $300,000 pool table that stays level on a yacht

Bugatti has solved a problem many of us didn't know existed: How to play pool on a yacht when the sailing isn't as smooth as you'd like it to be. It developed a luxurious pool table made with carbon fiber that can be optionally upgraded with gyroscopic self-leveling technology to prevent the balls from rolling, even on the high seas. Part of the company's Lifestyle Collection, the limited-edition pool table was created through a partnership with carbon fiber expert IXO. Its exposed outer shell is made with the composite material and finished to look like the French carmaker's unique breed of hypercars, while its frame is built with machined aluminum and titanium. Bugatti proudly notes its pool table meets the standards of the equipment that professionals use during tournaments. The self-leveling technology relies on a gyroscopic sensor to keep the table steady on a yacht. According to Bugatti, each leg can move individually to compensate for the movement of a ship. The system makes silent, vibration-free adjustments in five milliseconds. Bugatti charges extra for this technology. It's a must if you want to play while sailing, but buyers who plan to put the table in their house hopefully won't need it. Each table comes with carbon fiber pool cues that have aluminum ends inspired by the buttons found in Bugatti's cars, a wall-mounted cue support with a 13-inch touchscreen that lets users keep track of the score, a dimmable LED ceiling light, a chalk box, a cleaning brush, and a suitcase upholstered with Bugatti leather to carry the balls. Buyers will also receive a USB drive with photos and videos taken during their table's production process. Bugatti will begin delivering its pool table in June 2021. Production is limited to 30 units, and pricing starts at 250,000 euros including all accessories, a sum that represents around $300,000 at the current conversion rate.