2006 Bugatti Veyron. 980 Miles. Black/red Black Interior. San Diego on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkner Performance S is an RV with a Bugatti in its belly

Going on a long road trip in a Bugatti Chiron is easier said than done: There are a lot of things to love about the hypercar, but cargo space isn't one of them. German recreational vehicle (RV) manufacturer Volkner has a solution in the form of a big, bus-like motorhome with enough space between its front and rear wheels to house a Chiron. Volkner's Performance S looks just like a regular motorhome when you're stuck behind it in traffic. It's as big and as boxy as a tour bus, and its front end features antenna-like mirrors. It's what's inside the box that's impressive. The panel between the front and rear passenger-side wheels flips up to reveal a car-sized metal tray that slides out from the underbody. Controlled by a wired remote, it's big enough to hold a 178.9-inch long and 80.2-inch wide Chiron. Volkner Performance S View 3 Photos It's unclear whether Volkner made structural reinforcements to its motorhome in order to accommodate; the space the Chiron sleeps in is normally reserved for lighter items such as luggage. And, while most promotional material shows a Bugatti emerging from the RV's belly, anything that's smaller than a Chiron fits; one of the firm's images depicts a Porsche 911 parked in the storage space. Don't try to park a Toyota 4Runner under there, however. Inside, the Performance S looks like a five-star hotel, and it's bigger than many college dorm rooms. It boasts leather-upholstered seats, cabinets made with real wood, and LED lighting, among other features. Posh vacationers can work directly with the brand to configure an interior that suits their needs. If you splurged on a Chiron, you may as well order your RV with a Burmester surround-sound system that costs nearly ˆ300,000 (about $355,000). Volkner charges around ˆ2 for the Performance S, which represents approximately $2.3 million at the current conversion rate. Bugatti priced the Chiron at around $2.9 million, so the full package is worth over $5 million. Related video:

Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo sounds as ferocious as it looks

The Vision Gran Turismo program lets auto designers go wild on special creations for the PlayStation game. Bugatti went a little further with its entry by unveiling the full-scale hypercar at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The company even put a ferocious sounding engine in it – as you can hear in his video. Even at very low revs, the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo is incredibly loud, and its quad pipes make a raw sound. The hypercar only idles around an exhibition center in this clip, but the concept still exudes an aggressive presence at such low speeds. We'd love to hear the Bugatti on the open road because the engine note probably improves as the speed climbs. The Vision Gran Turismo was a one-off, but the concept provided an early preview of the upcoming Chiron's styling. Based on spy shots, they share similar noses with narrow headlights. Both also put a visual emphasis on the oval that the A-pillar forms as it flows into the massive side intake. The Chiron cleans up the shape by removing most of the oversized ducts and spoilers, though. The brand's new hypercar finally debuts at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Bugatti Veyron hybrid successor rumors surface anew

If you had told us when the Bugatti Veyron debuted nine years ago that its successor would be a hybrid, we would have responded that you were out to lunch. In fact, we didn't quite believe it two years ago when the rumor first surfaced. But that was all before Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari proved that hybrids could not only be quick, but entertaining drives, as well. And when we say "quick," we mean Nürburgring-conqueringly, 0-60 in under three seconds quick. Today, the idea of a hybrid hypercar doesn't seem far-fetched at all. And so we bring you new reports that the next Veyron - whether it carries the same name or not - will pack an electric assist.
This according to Reuters, which notes that Bugatti's old-is-new-again CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer is keen on hybrid propulsion as evidence that the Alsatian marque is likely to pursue such a powertrain for the Veyron's replacement. The system wouldn't help curb the Veyron's portly weight, of course, but it would likely help cut down its prodigious fuel consumption. The current car, by the way, would run dry after 12 minutes at its 250+ mph top speed (by which point the special Michelin tires would have melted anyway). More importantly - and more likely - the hybrid assist will make the new car even punchier at low revs.
Of course, even assuming Reuters is correct, there's no telling to what internal-combustion engine the electric motor in the next Veyron will be paired with. However, considering the massive sums of cash Volkswagen spent on developing the unique 6.0-liter quad-turbo W-16, we'd bet it'll use some form of the same - just with an extra jolt of electric power thrown in for good measure.