2012 Bugatti Veyron on 2040-cars

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Watch a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport hit 246 mph during road rally

The Bugatti Veyron might be getting on in years, but it's still an engineering marvel capable of truly insane velocity. There are tons of videos of the Veyron doing its super-high-speed trick of reaching 200 miles per hour with seemingly no effort. But do you know how much ground the coupe is actually covering at full chat? Let's just say it's mighty impressive.
According to the YouTube description, this video was shot at the 2014 Sun Valley Road Rally in Idaho. The event shut down a portion of highway and allowed cars to hurtle down that stretch at ludicrous speeds, and a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport with 1,200 horsepower on hand showed the crowd what fast really looked like. Thankfully, the organizers monitored the vehicles' speed, confirming that this supercar managed a massive 246.4 miles per hour.
The way that the Veyron reaches that momentum is just as impressive, though. At first, all you see is a fast-moving white spec, but it doesn't sound like a car. It has more of the constant note of a jet but with a little audible grumble as it streaks by. Scroll down to see what nearly 250 mph looks like on a deserted stretch of highway.

Rimac is reportedly close to buying Bugatti from the Volkswagen Group

Croatia-based Rimac is finalizing a deal to purchase Bugatti from the Volkswagen Group, according to an unverified report. If the rumor is accurate, the sale would propel Rimac to the top of the automotive industry, guarantee that Bugatti's future is electric, and mark the beginning of Volkswagen's efforts to divest its empire. Executives in Wolfsburg gave the deal the green light in September 2020, according to anonymous sources who spoke to British magazine Car, but the company's supervisory board hasn't approved it yet. Selling the French company isn't as simple as sending company founder Mate Rimac an email with an account number. Insiders explained Volkswagen would likely trade Bugatti and all of its assets for a significant stake in Rimac that would be transferred directly to Porsche, which already owns 15.5% of the brand. Officials hope to increase that figure to about 49%, meaning Bugatti is theoretically worth about 33.5% of Rimac, which was founded in 2009. Bugatti told Autoblog it can't comment on speculation. Mate Rimac gave us a similar answer. Rumors of a Bugatti sale have hovered around the automotive industry for several years, and they've never materialized. In theory, spinning off the brand would be relatively easy because it's not as deeply integrated into the Volkswagen Group as its sister companies. It doesn't share its W16 engine with another carmaker, for example. And yet, Car speculates Lamborghini, SEAT, ItalDesign, Bentley, and Ducati will also be sold in the coming years, leaving Volkswagen with its namesake division, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Scania, and MAN. Volkswagen is having an estate sale to fund the development of electric, autonomous, and digital technologies. Its downsizing will send ripples through the auto industry. Porsche could move upmarket if it doesn't have to worry about stepping on Lamborghini's toes, for example. Spinoffs are always risky, so some companies may not survive if they're not bolstered by economies of scale. As of writing, there's no word on who will pick up the brands being divested under this scenario. And, keep in mind none of this is official. Volkswagen hasn't commented on the report. We'll update this developing story as more information becomes available.

Watch the first Bugatti Chiron media ride-along

Bugatti has been ramping appearances for its new Chiron hypercar since it debuted earlier this year at Geneva. Last weekend, during the Nurburgring 24, that meant giving out the very first media ride-along. Our friends at CarThrottle got to go for a spin around the Nurburgring in the 1,500-horsepower Chiron, and their chauffeur was none other than Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Durheimer. The 13-minute video covers plenty about the new car before climbing into the cabin with Durheimer, who talks through the start procedure and the detailed controls on the steering wheel. He also talks top speed, telling CarThrottle that the Chiron's Guinness World Record attempt won't come until 2018. We're going to be waiting a bit. After a lengthy chat, the pair set out on the track, escorted by a Bentley Bentayga. But at Bergwerk, Durheimer opens a gap and proceeds to punch it. Hard. It's difficult to comprehend the acceleration from watching a video, but hearing the angry whistle of the four turbochargers and the brutal upshifts give a sense of how much power is being deployed. Needless to say, he has no trouble catching up to the Bentley. Later on, Durheimer runs the Chiron up to around 200 miles per hour on the Dottinger Hohe straight. Related Video: