2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Man who drove Bugatti Veyron into lake pleads guilty, faces 20 years in prison [w/video]

Remember the guy who caught on video driving a Bugatti Veyron into the Gulf Bay in Texas? Well, he's now facing a few decades behind bars. You might wonder why some seriously bad driving in a million-dollar supercar could lead to such a long stint in the slammer. Well, Andy Lee House of Lufkin, TX, pled guilty to wire mail fraud in federal court in the Eastern District of Texas. As it turns out, crashing the car was all about getting an insurance payout.
According to The Lufkin Daily News reporting on the case, House wrecked the Veyron in November 2009 after purchasing it for $1 million and insuring it for $2.2 million. His plan was allegedly to ruin the Bugatti, pay back his loan and pocket the rest. After crashing it, House left the car running in the salt water to make sure the supercar's engine sucked in enough H2O to thoroughly destroy it. Of course, the incident was captured on video by passing motorists, and that messed up his scheme. House hasn't been sentenced yet, but he could face up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to our earlier story on the case, House at one point tried to use the creative alibi that the reason he left the Veyron running for so long was that he was being bitten by mosquitos and didn't want to go back to the car to shut it off. Before the crash, he also reportedly tried to pay someone to steal the car and torch it. This Bugatti didn't stand a chance. Scroll down to watch the video that started it all. Warning: it does contain some explicit language.

One and only Bugatti Chiron Profilee is headed to auction

Bugatti has shed light on a never-before-seen variant of the Chiron named Profilee. Designed with production in mind but ultimately canned, the coupe was envisioned as "a less radical interpretation" of the Pur Sport, and the only existing example is headed to auction in 2023. Customer requests shaped this otherwise fruitless evolution of the Chiron: Bugatti explains its clients asked for a toned-down version of the Pur Sport that focuses more on touring than on handling. Designers gave the coupe a new aerodynamic profile that's characterized by wider air dams and a bigger grille up front, a redesigned front splitter, and a relatively small rear wing with a hollow middle section. The wing's distinctive shape was chosen because it adds stability by providing the rear end with downforce while giving hot air a path out of the engine bay. Bugatti also made changes to the steering and suspension systems, and it gave the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission 15% shorter gear ratios. In turn, the Profilee stands proud as the fastest-accelerating member of the Chiron range: it takes 2.3 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop. Keep your foot down and the speedometer will indicate 124 mph in 5.5 seconds, 186 mph in 12.4 seconds, and it will keep going until 236 mph. These numbers are provided by a mid-mounted 8.0-liter W16 engine quad-turbocharged to 1,500 horsepower. Bugatti Chiron Profil?e View 16 Photos Executives planned to cap Profilee production at 30 units but ended up canceling the project. "We started with the design and development of the Chiron Profilee in autumn 2020. By the time we saw the pre-series vehicle coming out of production, all Chiron slots limited to just 500 were assigned," explains Bugatti president Christophe Piochon.  Profilee production was never launched, but the only example built is fully street-legal in European markets. It's finished in a shade of silver called Argent Atlantique that was created specifically for it, and the bottom part of the car features bare carbon fiber that's tinted in Bleu Royal Carbon. Inside, the Profilee is the first Chiron fitted with woven leather on the dashboard, the center console and the door panels. Bugatti notes that completing the interior required using over 2,600 meters of leather strips. The cabin is fitted with a pair of comfort seats. RM Sotheby's will auction off the Chiron Profilee in Paris, France, on February 1, 2023.

Kawasaki H2R races Bugatti Veyron, MP4-12C, and 1,350-hp GT-R

The Kawasaki Ninja H2R ranks among the modern marvels of the production motorcycle world. The bike is only for the track, but with a 1.0-liter, supercharged, four-cylinder engine making 300 horsepower, it's ludicrously quick. Super Street decided to put that acceleration to the test by staging a half-mile race against a Bugatti Veyron with the 1,200-hp tune from the Super Sport. We aren't going to spoil the winner, but according to Super Street this bike is the only H2R that Kawasaki USA currently has. The magazine also staged similar races against a McLaren MP4-12C and a Nissan GT-R with a claimed 1,350 hp, and you can check them both out below. If you're curious to read more about this event, there's an in-depth piece online about it all, as well.