Bugatti makes only a handful of cars every year, so it is especially painful to see a ride like the Veyron Grand Sport destroyed in a crash.

This photo of the Veyron, which likely cost more than $2 million, was taken in a Bugatti dealership in France and posted to WreckedExotics.com last week. The user had no details of how the accident occurred.

Have you spotted a rare or unusual way of getting around in your travels? Did you take a photo? Do you like sharing? Let me know via e-mail:adavies@businessinsider.com or on Twitter: @adavies47.

SEE ALSO: The Newest Bugatti Veyron Is A Gorgeous Piece Of Nerdy, High-Speed Art

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Yesterday, McLaren brought the P1 to New York City to give potential customers and journalists who missed its Paris debut a firsthand look at the new supercar.

It's a gorgeous vehicle that is sure to be incredibly fast (no official numbers yet), but it will not take the world's fastest production car crown away from the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

That's a good thing for McLaren drivers.

Marcus Korbach, the P1 brand manager, says the automaker did not even try to regain the record formerly held by the McLaren F1. To give the car enough power to break the 267.856 mph record, engineers would have had to add so much weight, the P1's handling would have suffered, he said.

Instead, McLaren wanted to "build a drivable car" that can be handled by non-professionals. It will prove its prowess on corners, not straightaways.

That's what it did with the MP4-12C, a move that made the new coupe one of Business Insider's Most Innovative Cars Of The Year. If the car is impossible to control, the ability to hit 200 mph is not only useless, it's deadly.

McLaren will make at most 500 of the P1, to boost the car's value. For the lucky drivers who get their hands on one, it's sure to be a sublime drive.

The P1 has a lot of styling cues we haven't seen anywhere else. Korbach says they are all there for aerodynamics, not just looks.

McLaren is already taking orders for the new car.

The estimated price: $1.1 million.

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

The New York International Auto Show is in full swing at the Jacob Javits Center on Manhattan's West Side, and journalists have been treated to the debuts of more than a few remarkable vehicles.

But while most of the automakers have hired female models — AKA booth babes — to stand alongside their products, Bugatti took a different approach this year. 

Accompanying the Veyron, the world's fastest production car, is a security guard, whose job consists of keeping interested members of the press a few yards away from the multi-million dollar ride.

According to the guard, someone checking out the Veyron at last year's show accidentally damaged it, costing the company quite a bit of cash. So for 2013 they're not taking any chances — although rumor has it journalists at the show can get closer if they talk to the Bugatti media representative, and set up a time beforehand.

SEE ALSO: 15 Cars We Can't Wait To See At The New York Auto Show

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

The Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has been stripped of its production car land speed record by Guinness World Records, almost three years after the record was granted.

In July of 2010, Bugatti tester Pierre-Henri Raphanel took a 1,200-horsepower Veyron Super Sport to a top speed of 267.8 mph (the average of two separate runs, per Guinness regulations), which at the time was deemed as the new world record for a production car’s top speed.

Unfortunately for Bugatti, the version of the car it chose to sell to the public has a governed top speed of 258 mph, which the automaker says was due to safety reasons.

Thus, to achieve the record, the Veyron Super Sport driven by Raphanel needed to have its top speed limiter disabled, which counts as a modification.

You may be wondering why this has only come to light now.

Last week, America’s Hennessey Performance took its Venom GT supercar to a top of 265.7 mph, and claimed it was the fastest production car available to the public, due to the speed being higher than that of the Veyron Super Sport with its speed limiter in place.

This led to Sunday Times reporters reaching out to Guinness officials. In response, Guinness conceded it made a mistake in granting the Veyron Super Sport the record, and has thus withdrawn it.

“As the car’s speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines,” Guinness officials said in a statement. “Consequently, the vehicle’s record set at 431.072 kmh [267.8 mph] is no longer valid.”

This means that the 255.8-mph Ultimate Aero TT of America's SSC, the record holder prior to the Veyron Super Sport, reclaims the official world record. It also means that the 1,244-horsepower Hennessey Venom GT unofficially holds the title of world’s fastest production car, though it may not be able to bask in the glory for long.

Overnight, Bugatti released this teaser image, along with the statement, “It’s almost time for us to share the latest example of exceptional Bugatti performance.”

The automaker will be sharing something new with the world in a few days, though we can’t be sure what it’s planning just yet. With the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show taking place next week, it’s possible Bugatti has a new, more powerful Veyron special edition.

There have also been reports of a new ‘super’ Veyron putting out as much as 1,600 horsepower and capable of a 288-mph top speed, although this new version isn’t expected until the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

As for losing its record, a Bugatti official said the automaker would seek clarification from Guinness and is standing by the record, since Guinness was fully aware that the Veyron  Super Sport's speed limit would be restricted yet still gave the title back in 2010.

Stay tuned for an update in just a few days.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Fastest Street Legal Cars On The Market

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

The week hasn’t been good for Bugatti.

It started off with its Veyron Super Sport being stripped of its production car land speed record by the officials at Guinness World Records due to the version of the car being sold to the public having its top speed limited below the 267.8 mph record figure.

In response, Bugatti revealed it was just days away from unveiling a new performance offering.

But less than 24 hours after Bugatti’s announcement, photos of the new performance offering leaked onto the Internet.

Today, Bugatti has released the official details: The new performance offering is a special edition model called the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Car.

And, it was recently driven to a top speed of 254 mph on the Volkswagen Group’s Ehra-Lessien test track, renowned for its 5.6-mile straight, by Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu.

You may recall that the regular Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse already had a claimed 255 mph top speed. However, this was with a fixed roof piece in place. Remove the roof and the speed was limited to 233 mph.

Liu’s 254 mph run was completed with both the roof and speed limiter removed, and it was independently tested. However, not by officials at Guinness but by Germany’s TÜV organization for vehicle inspection and certification.

Nevertheless, this means that the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Car is now the world’s fastest open-top production car.

“The car is even at such high speeds incredibly comfortable and stable,” Liu said after his run. “With an open top, you can really experience the sound of the engine and yet even at higher speeds I did not get compromised by the wind at all.”

All Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse models, including the speed-unlimited World Record Car, are powered by a 1,200-horsepower version of the Veyron’s quad-turbocharged, 16-cylinder 8.0-liter engine.

Eight examples of the World Record Car will now be built, each priced from 1.99 million euros (approximately $2.61 million).

It makes its official world debut at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show next week. For more on the show’s highlights, visit our dedicated show hub.

SUPERCAR BATTLE: McLaren's P1 Vs. Ferrari's LaFerrari

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Bugatti now has two world records under its belt: the production car land speed record and the production car land speed record for an open-top car.

While the first record, which stands at 267.8 mph, was set almost three years ago by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, the second was set only this month by Bugatti’s aptly named Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Car.

The World Record Car was driven to a top speed of 408.84 kilometers per hour (254.04 mph) on the Volkswagen Group’s Ehra-Lessien test track, renowned for its 5.6-mile straight, by Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu.

This video captures all the action from Liu’s epic run and is proof that the Veyron has been engineered to such a magnitude that the car’s stability and cabin ambience remains pleasant even when driving roofless at speeds faster than that of a passenger jet at takeoff.

The World Record Car isn’t exactly a new model, as it is essentially a Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse with its speed limiter removed. The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse’s top speed was limited to 233 mph in the interest of safety.

It features the same quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W-16 engine found in all Veyrons, but its peak output of 1,183 horsepower (1,200 in metric figures) and 1,106 pound-feet of torque matches that of the Veyron Super Sport.

The record-breaking car was recently presented at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show and will spawn eight additional examples, each priced from 1.99 million euros (approximately $2.61 million). Unlike the Veyron Super Sport, which had its speed limited to 10 mph below the 267.8-mph record when sold to the public, all eight examples of the new World Record Car destined for public sale will be able to reach the 254-mph record for an open-top car.

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

As if one supercar were not enough, the Dubai Police Department has added a Bugatti Veyron to its already impressive fleet of vehicles.

Dubai Police Chief Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, an outspoken lieutenant general, tweeted a picture of the $1.4 million car, which boasts a beastly 1,001-horsepower engine.

The Veyron is the most expensive in a fleet that already includes two Ferrari FFs, a Bentley Continental GT, a Lamborghini Aventador, a Mercedes SLS and an Aston Martin One. Total combined value: around $4 million.

One of the more valued vehicles in the supercar world, the Bugatti Veyron carries a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph) and was named "Car of the Decade" (2000–2009) by the BBC television show “Top Gear.” The Bugatti brand is owned by Germany's Volkswagen Group, which has a dedicated manufacturing plant in the French town of Molsheim.

While the Bugatti Veyron was once the fastest street-legal production car in the world, just last month the car was stripped by the Guinness Book of World Records of that acclaimed title. An investigation by Guinness revealed that the Veyron Super Sport breached the rules in its record-setting attempt, which clocked the car’s top speed at 267.856 mph. Findings reportedly concluded that the driver of the vehicle deactivated a speed restrictor in an effort to achieve top speed.

Dubai's maximum speed limit is capped at 75 miles per hour, with strict penalties for excesses. The city's police have warned motorists not to be distracted by the vehicles on the road and not to take pictures while driving.

The supercar team is tasked with patrolling tourist spots around the area of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. It was not clear when the new car would hit the road.

SEE ALSO: The Ridiculous Police Cars Of The Dubai Police Force

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Director Michael Bay has confirmed that Transformers 4 will feature a new cast including Mark Wahlberg, but it appears some new vehicles will also join the Autobots on the big screen.

According to photos posted to the official Transformers Facebook fan page today, it appears the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse will join the Autobots.

And after three movies it's apparently time for Optimus Prime to receive an upgrade, too, with a new design featuring a massive power bulge on the hood, six exhaust stacks along with two side pipes, and a snazzy new flame paint job.

The C7 Corvette Stingray appears to be sporting Chevrolet's Synergy Green paint, unannounced wheels, body skit, graphics package, and a large rear wing. Let's not forget about the concept-car mirrors. While we could do without all the extra stuff seen on this C7 Corvette, we do kind of like this green paint and hope it'll become an option later in the C7's model cycle.

The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse features 1,200 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque. That should be more than enough power to outrun any Decepticon that it may encounter, that is unless it can hit 255 mph.

While there clearly will be a few new Autobots on the screen, it appears Bumlebee will be going retro as a highly modified 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS. This won't be the first time in the Transformers saga that Bumblebee is a vintage Camaro. For those who remember, Bumblebee was originally a 1977 Camaro in the first film before changing into a Camaro Concept.

Transformers 4 will hit cinemas nationwide on June 27, 2014. Stay tuned for more updates.

See All 4 Cars At Motor Authority >

SEE ALSO: The Ridiculous Supercars Of The Dubai Police Force

Please follow Getting There on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

In the realm of supercars — where prices, top speeds, and horsepower are all sky high — it can be hard to know what's truly the best.

To help you decide which is the stronger ride — McLaren's F1 (the former fastest car in the world) or Bugatti's Veyron Super Sport (the current champ), there's supercar comparison site TwinRev.com.

Rather than focus on the look and feel of the cars, TwinRev provides a full, numbers-driven breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of each, drawing on testing numbers and professional reviews.

The Bugatti's better. Here's why:

SEE ALSO: The 50 Sexiest Cars Of The Past 100 Years

Join the conversation about this story »

Bugatti’s sole model, the Veyron supercar, has been around since 2005 and is likely to be replaced within the next couple of years.

We know orders for the car's unique Ricardo-built seven-speed dual-clutch transmission have been extended through to the end of 2014, suggesting we have at least one more year of production.

To help send out the Veyron, there’s been talk Bugatti is planning to unleash a much more powerful version.

The last we heard, the new version would develop upwards of 1,600 horsepower, weigh roughly 550 pounds less than the 4,200-pound Veyron Super Sport, accelerate to 60 mph in a mindboggling 1.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 288 mph.     

Speaking with Autocar, an insider revealed Bugatti has several options on the table for its final Veyron but said all planned versions of the regular Veyrons could be sold out so there is no need for such a car.

“The reality is that we are not under time pressure because we are confident of selling out the full Veyron production run regardless,” the insider said.

If the alleged ‘super’ Veyron is built, pricing is expected to be much higher than the already exorbitant pricetags of the existing Veyron models. But as Lamborghini’s $4 million Veneno has proven, there are buyers willing to spend extraordinary sums of cash on rare autos.

One possibility for increasing performance of the car is hybrid technology, though Bugatti is expected to reserve this for a future model. As for what comes after the Veyron, it remains to be seen. Possibilities include a production version of 2009’s Galibier sedan concept or a new supercar.

We should know more following this September’s 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, where Bugatti has previously been reported to be presenting its final Veyron.

Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

SEE ALSO: The 26 Craziest Custom Vehicles In The World

Join the conversation about this story »

A new supercar is brewing, one with the performance and looks to rival a Bugatti Veyron. The project is taking place in Australia, of all places, and right now is in its very early stages.

The new supercar, which hasn’t even received a name yet, is the brainchild of Australian entrepreneur Paul Halstead.

The 67-year-old, who made his fortune in the IT business, has long dreamed of building his own car and came close to accomplishing it during the 1980s.

Back then, Halstead was running a performance car dealership and attempted to build and sell Alfa Romeo Sprint coupes modified to fit a mid-mounted V-8. The car was called the Giocattolo and was extremely advanced for its day, coming complete with Kevlar body panels, Brembo brakes and suspension developed by former McLaren F1 engineer Barry Lock.

Unfortunately, Halstead only managed to build 15 examples before he had to fold operations due to poor sales. Now, 30 years on since the Giocattolo, Halstead is working on a new mid-engined supercar.

Halstead is also in charge of an automotive design and engineering firm, HAL, which among its numerous duties supplied De Tomaso with Ford V-8 engines and built a Pantera race car. More recently HAL built a Holden Monaro concept powered by a 7.0-liter V-8 sourced from the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.

It is this engine, the race-bred LS7, that will serve as the basis of Halstead’s new supercar, albeit it with a twist: two of the engines, rolled over at 45 degrees, will be bolted together and used to power the wheels. Instead of merging their internals to form a single crankshaft, like in the aforementioned Veyron, which essentially features two W-8s on a common crank, Halstead explains that a “trick” transfer case will allow the two separate crankshafts of the LS7s to match up with a single six-speed sequential gearbox.

An estimated peak output of 1,200 horsepower will be derived from the 14.0 liters of swept capacity, which will then be channeled to the rear wheels via the sequential ‘box and a limited-slip differential. The mighty powerplant will be mounted to a lightweight carbon fiber tub and housed in a svelte body composed of more carbon fiber and Kevlar.

Looking at the official drawings, it’s clear Halstead and his design team were influenced by the McLaren F1 as well as some modern Maseratis. The front, in particular, is reminiscent of a Maserati GranTurismo, while inside there is a central driver’s seat with a passenger seat to either side, just like in the iconic F1 supercar. Instead of doors, Halstead’s design calls for a jet fighter-style sliding canopy.

As for production, Halstead says the project is simply a bit of fun and not a serious business venture. He plans to show the completed version, due in 2016, at the Detroit Autorama hot rod event where he hopes to win the prestigious Ridler Award. The final performance of the car and the level of interest, particularly from potential investors, will dictate whether a small run will enter production.

Halstead is a great admirer of men like Horacio Pagani and Christian von Koenigsegg, who have achieved their dream of building world-class supercars, but concedes it’s a very difficult business.

“I have been there with the 15 Giocattolos I built in the ‘80s and I really do understand just how difficult it is to become a Pagani,” Halstead explains. “That man is a true legend for what he has achieved.”

Follow Motor Authority on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

SEE ALSO: The 50 Sexiest Cars Of The Past 100 Years

Join the conversation about this story »

Bugatti will launch six new special editions based on its Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, celebrating the men that have shaped its history.

The series is called the Les Légendes de Bugatti (Bugatti Legends) and the first of the six planned cars has been revealed today.

This first ‘Legend’ has been named after racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille and will make its formal debut at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance taking place in California in just a couple of weeks.

Wimille helped achieved Bugatti’s two victories in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans: in 1937, driving a Bugatti 57G Tank co-piloted by Robert Benoist, and repeating the feat in 1939, this time supported by Pierre Veyron in a 57C Tank.

The winning race car from 1937 is the inspiration behind the design of the Bugatti Legend ‘Jean-Pierre Wimille’ Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. The original car appeared in the racing blue finish that habitually identified French racing cars. Accordingly, the special Veyron now shines in blue clear-coated carbon fiber and a light Wimille Bleu paint color.

No changes have been made to the mechanicals which means peak output from the car’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 remains at 1,184 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is limited to 233 mph, though we know the car is capable of hitting 254 mph--with its top down. The 0-62 mph run takes 2.6 seconds.

Three examples of the Bugatti Legend ‘Jean-Pierre Wimille’ Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse will be built and we suspect all have already been accounted for. The remaining five special editions will be revealed over the next 12 months.

According to Bugatti CEO Wolfgang Schreiber, the latest special editions help tell the story of the brand and at the same time create a link between its illustrious past and the present form.

Stay tuned for the car’s reveal at Pebble Beach and for our complete coverage of the event be sure to visit our dedicated hub.

From left to right: Pierre Veyron, Jean Bugatti and Jean-Pierre Wimille.

SEE ALSO: $1.5 Billion Worth Of Aston Martins Got Together For The Company's 100th Birthday

Join the conversation about this story »

Bugatti celebrated the world premiere of its Legend "Jean-Pierre Wimille" Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse vehicle in Pebble Beach, California last week.

The two-toned blue stunner was designed to pay tribute to the 1937 Bugatti 57G Tank, and is named after its LeMans-winning driver.

The car is part of Bugatti's exclusive six-part Legends edition series of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. Each model will be limited to just three vehicles.

This particular car has about 1,200 horsepower and can reach 253 miles per hour — with the top down.

Here you can see the new Wimille Legend (left), along with its predecessor, the 57G Tank, in Pebble Beach.

Jean-Pierre Wimille took home Bugatti's first victory in the 57G Tank at the famed Le Mans 24-hour race in 1937.

The "JP Wimille" is a powerful car; it hit a top speed of 253 miles per hour in April 2013.

The gorgeous Bugatti Veyron is the fastest and most powerful production car on the planet.

And it's an absolute money pit.

According to a recent report from Wall Street research firm Bernstein Research, Bugatti (and its parent company Volkswagen) loses a whopping $6.24 million for every Veyron it sells.

Take that number with a big grain of salt. The authors of the report warn, "Don't take these numbers too seriously," explaining that their estimates "are obviously very, very approximate."

But, they say, "we've tried to be reasonably systematic about it."

A spokesperson for Bugatti said the company does not supply financial data, but added, " The quoted figures of Bernstein Research are not plausible."

The report calls the Veyron "the most ambitious and complex vehicle ever put on sale," and "a tour de force of engineering." Last month, BBC Top Gear magazine editors and readers named it the greatest car of the last 20 years. It's easy to argue it's the most impressive car ever made.

So how could a great car with a price tag around $1.5 million lose so much money? The analysts put the blame on enormous R&D costs (about $1.62 billion), and very low volume (Bugatti has sold about 40 Veyrons annually since 2009).

SEE ALSO: The 50 Sexiest Cars Of The Past 100 Years

Join the conversation about this story »

Despite the best efforts of automakers, some cars lose money.

A lot of money.

To find the "most loss making cars," analysts at Wall Street research firm Bernstein Research crunched the numbers. They restricted their scope to Europe and the modern era, and the final results are rather surprising.

The analysts warn, "Don't take these numbers too seriously," explaining that their estimates "are obviously very, very approximate."

But, they say, "we've tried to be reasonably systematic about it."

The top ten (ranked by total, not per unit, losses) are an eclectic lot, including the Bugatti Veyron (the world's fastest production car) and the Audi A2 (small and economical, but not especially cheap).

Altogether, Bernstein estimates, these ten lost about $27.16 billion. The top spot goes to the Smart fortwo (between 1997 and 2006), which cost Mercedes about $6,000 per car sold, for a total of $4.6 billion.

Particularly stunning is the Veyron, which lost Bugatti (owned by Volkswagen) about $6.25 million for every unit sold. But because so few of the cars reach customers (about 40 per year), it came in at number six on the list.  A Bugatti spokesperson said "the quoted figures of Bernstein Research are not plausible."

Here, to be taken with a grain of salt, are the top ten European loss making cars. (Click to enlarge.)

SEE ALSO: Famous French Philosopher Perfectly Explains What Cars Mean To Modern Culture

Join the conversation about this story »

Taking place in the Middle East this week is the 2013 Dubai Motor Show, and one of the highlights of the event is a new Bugatti special edition, the Bugatti Legend ‘Meo Costantini’ Grand Sport Vitesse.

The car is the third of six planned special edition Veyrons celebrating the men that have shaped Bugatti’s history.

The first was the Jean-Pierre Wimille revealed back in August, which was followed by the Jean Bugatti just one month later.

The new Meo Costantini is dedicated to Bartolomeo Costantini, born in 1889, who served as Bugatti’s head of motorsport for an eight-year stint.

Costantini worked for Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti as a racing driver and advisor. As a member of the factory racing team in 1925 and 1926, he won the Targa Florio in Sicily. In 1926, he also drove to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Milan, and took second place in Monza. Shortly afterwards he ended his active racing career in order to manage the Bugatti racing team, a post which he held from 1927 until 1935.

The body of the Meo Costantini special edition is primarily constructed of carbon fiber. The wings, doors and corners of the front bumper are rendered in aluminum. These are hand-polished and coated with clear lacquer. The blue paintwork on the carbon fiber parts references France’s classic motorsport color, as well as the Bugatti Type 35 race car which Costantini achieved almost all of his victories in.

As a reference to Costantini’s victory at Targa Florio, the silhouette of the historic race course is painted on the underside of the rear wing. Another feature that pays tribute to the illustrious racing driver is his signature, which is laser-engraved into the aluminum tank and oil caps and painted in silver.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's Cousin Could Do For Solar Power What Tesla Did For Cars

Join the conversation about this story »

There are plenty of car collections scattered across the globe, and they range greatly in terms of their value, quality, and quantity.

They also range greatly in terms of their accessibility. Some folks are happy to share what they've got and celebrate their own collections.

Look at the Mullin Museum in Oxnard, California, or the Marconi Museum that's also in California, just a bit further south. Other collections become the stuff of legend as they are housed behind large doors and locked off from the outside world.

Somewhere in between that wide range sits the following collection, which was captured on video by YouTube user 4WheelsofLux.

It's an extremely high-end exotic assembly of vehicles, and it's an expensive and impressive one at that. An Aston Martin One-77 shares the floor with a sea of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Ferrari products. The very first 599XX is on display, as is an ultra-rare Porsche 911 GT1. A Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR roadster is parked near a Maserati MC12, while a Lamborghini Reventon sits angrily awaiting a drive.

MUST SEE: Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo: 2013 L.A. Auto Show Video

Those vehicles alone would add serious value to any collection. It's the five (five!) Bugatti Veyron examples, however, that push this collection into the price stratosphere. Why five you ask? Well, it appears that each is a different Veyron version that Bugatti offered up, including a Pur Sang and a Sang Noire. So if you're going to collect something as extraordinary as Bugatti Veyrons... you may as well collect them all.

Join the conversation about this story »

Since 2005, Bugatti has been producing various models and special editions of one of mankind's greatest automobiles, the Veyron.

Today, the luxury brand, owned by Volkswagen, announced it has sold its 400th Veyron — and it will sell only 50 more.

Of the 400 purchased so far, 300 were the Veyron 16.4 or 16.4 Super Sport, both coupes. The Super Sport is the fastest production car ever made.

Bugatti won't make any more of either car, so new owners will have to settle for the roadster Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport and 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse. 

The 400th Veyron sold was the third and final Vitesse "Jean-Pierre Wimille" special edition, for a whopping €2.13 million ($2,91 million), before taxes.

So if you forgot to put your name down for the Ferrari Laferrari before it sold out, and you've got to find another use for that huge wad of cash you've been saving up, move quickly.

SEE ALSO: What It's Like To Drive A $370,000 Rolls-Royce Through The Arizona Desert

Join the conversation about this story »

As automakers and technology firms steer towards a future of driverless cars, a Swiss think tank is at the Geneva Motor Show this week showing off its vision of what vehicles might look like on the inside when people no longer have to focus on the road.

"Once I can drive autonomously, would I want to watch while my steering wheel turns happily from left to right?" asked Rinspeed founder and chief executive Frank Rinderknecht.

"No. I would like to do anything else but drive and watch the traffic. Eat, sleep, work, whatever you can imagine," he told AFP at the show, which opens its doors to the public Thursday.

Google is famously working on fully autonomous cars, and traditional car-makers are rapidly developing a range of autonomous technologies as well.

With analysts expecting sales of self-driving, if not completely driverless, cars to begin taking off by the end of this decade, Rinderknecht insists it's time to consider how the experience of riding in a car will could be radically redefined.

Patting his shiny Xchange concept car, Rinderknecht says he envisages a future where car passengers will want to do the same kinds of things we today do to kill time on trains an airplanes.

So Rinspeed has revamped the interior of Tesla's Model S electric car to show carmakers how they might turn standard-sized vehicles into entertainment centers, offices and meeting spots wrapped into one.

The seats can slide, swivel, and tilt into more than 20 positions, allowing passengers to turn to face each other or a 32-inch screen in the back.

Up front too, an entertainment system lines the entire length of the dashboard, and the steering wheel can be shifted to allow passengers a better view of the screens.

- Espresso anyone? -

And of course there is an espresso machine.

While brewing coffee, video conferencing and keeping an eye on your email at 120 kilometres an hour may sound like a fantasy today, Rinderknecht is convinced it could happen in the not too distanced future.

"We think this is what things could look like in a few years time," he said.

Driving, he said, is on the cusp of being redefined, allowing people to take the wheel for pleasure, for instance while going over an Alpine pass, but handing over control of the car on tedious stretches.

"If I have to go three hours from Geneva to Zurich and it's congested, I'm not doing anything… I want to be doing something else," he said.

Car-makers at the Geneva Motor Show seemed to agree that vehicles that drive themselves, at least to a certain extent, are on the horizon.

"Autonomous driving is an inevitability that we are approaching very rapidly," Hyundai Europe COO Allan Rushforth told AFP.

He stressed though that "full automation" was not a priority.

Ford Europe chief Stephen Odelle also said the technology was speeding forward, but added that he believed "the technology will be ready before legislation and consumers are."

"How comfortable will consumers be with fully automated cars?" he asked, adding that legislating for liability would be quite tricky with no driver behind the wheel.

Rinderknecht acknowledged there are obstacles, but insisted "they can be overcome."

He pointed out that accident reduction is actually a major argument for automation, since once the technology is finalized the machines should be far more reliable than humans.

And while it will be an upward battle to redefine liability legislation, "I think it can be done, because laws must adapt to life, and life as we all know changes," he said.

Join the conversation about this story »

The penultimate edition in a series of six special edition Bugatti Veyrons honoring the most important people and cars that have shaped Bugatti’s history has been revealed ahead of a scheduled debut at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show on April 20. Part of the Les Légendes de Bugatti (Bugatti Legends) series, this fifth car is reminiscent of the famed Bugatti Type 18 affectionately known as Black Bess, which at one point was the fastest road car in the world.

The Type 18, built between 1912 and 1914, was one of the most important Bugattis of the pre-war era. It was powered by a 5.0-liter four-cylinder engine that delivered close to 100 horsepower, which was enough to see it reach a top speed of 100 mph--a speed previously reached only on race tracks. This makes the Type 18 a legitimate forerunner for the Veyron, and is thus regarded as a Bugatti Legend.

The Type 18 known as Black Bess is one of three Type 18s still in existence. Only seven were built in total. The car was named after an English racehorse and is currently owned by Evert Louwman, who has it displayed at the Louwman Museum at The Hague in the Netherlands. He has allowed Bugatti to show the car in Beijing next week alongside the modern Bugatti Legend Black Bess Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse.

The exterior of the modern version features a carbon fiber exterior, painted black but with 24-carat gold accents. Inside, the car features leather trim on most surfaces, with a mixture of Beige and Havanna tones used. The steering wheel, in red, draws a clear reference to the historic Type 18 Black Bess. This accent has also been picked up and continued in the red decorative stitching on the outer bolsters of the seats and in the seat belts.

As with all of the Bugatti Legends, no changes have been made to the mechanicals of the special Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, which means peak output from the car’s quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 remains at 1,184 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is limited to 233 mph, though we know the car is capable of hitting 254 mph--with its top down. The 0-62 mph run takes 2.6 seconds.

Three Bugatti Legend Black Bess Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse supercars will be built, each priced at 2.15 million euros (approximately $2.98 million). Considering all of the previous Bugatti Legends have been sold, we suspect this one won’t last long. You can read about the previous cars in the links below:

Bugatti Rolls Out First Of Six Legend Edition Veyrons At Pebble Beach

Jean Bugatti Honored With New 'Legend' Veyron Special Edition

New Bugatti ‘Legend’ Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Debuts In Dubai

Bugatti’s Latest Legend Edition Veyron Honors Bugatti Founder’s Brother Rembrandt

SEE ALSO: A Day In The Life Of A Southwest 737

Join the conversation about this story »