Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport makes world debut

The new £1.2m Bugatti Veyron has made its debut to become the world’s fastest and most expensive convertible.

Crowds got to see the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, California – one of the world’s most exclusive car shows.

View our slide show of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport convertible

With 1,001bhp courtesy of its 8-litre engine, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport will accelerate from 0-62mph (100km/h) in 2.7 seconds and have a top speed of more than 250mph with the roof on.

All this power means enormous carbon dioxide emissions with the Veyron emitting 999g/km in town – as much as ten Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion superminis – and an average fuel consumption of 11.7mpg.

To stop the Veyron Grand Sport at these speeds, Bugatti has fitted 400mm disc brakes on the front wheels and 380mm on the rear.

Remove the lightweight transparent roof and a top speed of 225mph is possible.

Leaving the removable roof at home may seem risky in British weather conditions – but the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport has a plan B.

There is a folding fabric roof stowed in the boot which can be put in place quickly in a shower, keeping the car and passengers dry at speeds up to 85mph.

View more pictures of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

Exterior tweaks include a new wheel design, LED headlights and re-designed carbon-fibre air intakes and roll-over hoops.

Removing the roof of the Veyron has required considerable re-engineering by Bugatti, and the body has been reinforced and cross-stiffened to cope with the topless design.

Inside there are some differences too – the leather is now moisture-resistant and there is a reversing camera with a 2.7-inch screen mounted in the rear-view-mirror and a ‘Puccini’ sound system. 

Read about the first Bugatti Veyron for sale on Auto Trader

Only 150 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport will be built, with a price tag of £1.2m before tax.

It’s not the first new Veyron model – the exclusive Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang, Sang Noir and Hermes have all sold out, despite their huge prices.