Bugatti Veyron production run nearly sold out?

Filed under: Supercars, Bugatti

When Bugatti started production of the Veyron back in 2005, it was supposed to build 300 examples. For a long time, that total seemed pretty ambitious considering the seven-figure price tag on the most super of contemporary supercars, but according to Molsheim, all but 50 have been built and sold. Add to that another 150 examples of the Grand Sport roadster version and you've got 450. Whether special editions like the Pur Sang, Sang Noir and Hermes are counted as part of the original production figures or considered supplemental specials is insignificant, considering that only a handful of each are to be built.

The one wrinkle that has us wondering about all of these million-dollar supercars is that it was only last March when it was announced that Bugatti had sold 220 cars (of which only 132 had been built). Given how long it took them to get to 220, that seems like one heck of an order ramp-up, particularly given the state of the global economy.

The bottom line is that if you've been dragging your feet over whether to spend that extra million on a Bugatti or not, better make your mind up fast. Like, Veyron fast.

Gallery: First Drive: Bugatti Veyron

[Source: Autotelegraaf via Autogespot]

Bugatti Veyron production run nearly sold out? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti M Hybrid to be Released in 2010

Nissan/ Infiniti has been slow to jump on the hybrid bandwagon with the firm's only hybrid being the Altima hybrid, which borrows its hybrid components from Toyota. Well according to a report by the Nikkei business daily in Japan, Nissan/Infiniti is going to release its first in-house hybrid in 2010 as the Infiniti M hybrid.

The hybrid system that will be offered in the Infiniti M differs from conventional hybrid systems since it will be powered by lithium-ion batteries that have more power and quicker recharge times. In addition the hybrid system features one electric motor and two clutches that allows both the engine and electric motor to power the rear wheels at the same time. The hybrid version of the M is expected to be more performance oriented.

Nissan plans to extend its hybrid offerings to other Infiniti models and sports cars.

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Lamborghini Estoque Four-Door Reportedly Killed

Autocar is reporting that Lamborghini has shelved plans to build the Estoque four-door concept, an apparent victim of the current economic situation.

Maurizio Reggiani, Lamorghini's head of research and development stated "The timing and market conditions are just not right for an additional model line."

The Estoque concept was a four door, four seat concept that featured a front/mid engine layout with standard all-wheel-drive.

According to Reggiani, the Estoque has been put on hold for the time being, which means that the project could be restarted once the economy improves.

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Washington Approves $25 Billion Dollar Bailout For Detroit 3

In the wake of the crushed $700 billion dollar emergency financial measure that sparked a historic plunge of the Dow Jones and caused many to wonder about the future of America’s economy, President Bush passed into law Tuesday a revised version of the legislative rescue, this time to the tune of $634 billion. Of that hefty sum, $25 billion has been guaranteed for use in keeping the Detroit 3 afloat in the form of low-cost government loans. Under the bill’s directive, 10% of that $25 billion will be specifically set aside for auto companies whose operating facilities are at least 20 years old as well as for those whose in-house family totals 500 employees or less.

As per the bill’s terms of agreement, the low-cost loans will carry an interest rate of about 5% and a 25-year payback timetable, as well as the option to request a five-year repayment deferment. Heralded by auto industry lobbyists as a much needed measure, the billion dollar bail out could stand to save Detroit’s Big Three more than $100 million per $1 billion borrowed.

What this means to you: Not a damn thing. Please proceed as you were, hording your life savings in your mattress, awaiting the impending financial apocalypse.

[News Source: Detroit News]

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Automotive News is reporting that the Insignia is set to hit US dealerships under the Buick brand as a replacement for the discontinued Regal sedan. But the fact that the Insignia shares the same front-wheel-drive platform as the next-generation LaCrosse, it may not make much sense. Instead GM may bring the Insignia to the US under the Cadillac brand, which could feature both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions.

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Volkswagen Tiguan

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Volkswagen Tiguan

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KITT’s cats

After a decade and a half of shooting cars, you’d think you’d seen it all. This past Friday made a liar out of me once again.

My feature-car victim, the original-owner of a 1984 Trans Am 5.0 HO that will be seen in Muscle Machines at some point in the future, has a driveway that backs onto an alley. That alley is the home of, among other things, a family of feral cats (well, really one cat and at least four kittens) that need to keep warm. Much shooing-away of kitties from under the Pontiac has occurred in recent days.

Though not enough, apparently. I invited Hideki, editor of the Japanese magazine IGNITE which is focused entirely on American cars and American car culture, with me on the shoot. We followed the Pontiac in our photo vehicle, and suddenly there materialized a cat in the road: It simply fell out of the back of the car. It tucked and rolled, and shot over to the curb before I could register the strange notion that I just watched a cat fall out of a car chassis. It’s not every day I think to myself “That Trans Am just gave birth! To a cat!”

The owner immediately pulled over, and claimed she heard screaming. All we could see of the second cat (yes, a second one) was its belly, back legs and tail, scrambling for traction and finding none, smack-dab in the geographical center of the car. After jacking up the T/A, Hideki told us that its head was somehow wedged in around the driveshaft, torque arm, transmission cross-brace and driveshaft tunnel. Somehow, up in that metal mishagoss, was one very alert and freaked-out kitty face.

Minutes turn into an hour. We took its occasional plaintive howls as a good sign – it was still alive, right? The fire department wanted nothing to do with it (they get cats out of trees, right? Or is that only in kids’ stories?), so the owner called AAA, Animal Control and her local vet. AAA was on the scene first, and after about ten minutes driver Isaac manages to pull apart a couple of the pieces wedging the kitty’s head in (probably the driveshaft and torque arm) and the kitty dropped to the pavement, free. A minor abrasion on the side of its head, and none the worse for wear.

And then it sought refuge in the front bumper.

We pop the hood and can’t see anything–the radiator support is too huge. Under go Hideki and Isaac again, Hideki brandishing a screwdriver to loosen up the soft front fascia to open up the cavernous area inside the bumper. Eventually, he found the kitty in question – as well as two more – each of which promptly escaped and hid underneath the AAA truck, ran across the street, you name it.  Five grown adults ducking traffic and trying to corral three little fluffballs appeared to be something out of a bad family comedy, but we got ‘em.

This took 90 minutes, by which time it was dark. The car did not get photographed, except for what you see here. The rest will come in a couple of weeks’ time.

When Animal Control confessed that the little guys would be euthanized in their hands (anything under 8 weeks and found after hours is treated thusly, we were told) the owner took them in and, at this writing, found homes for the lot of them.

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Detroit 2009: Hot Stoppers - Internally mounted calipers on Lincoln Concept C

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Tech, Lincoln

To some of us, at least, of the most visually annoying elements of many past concept cars has been the installation of huge wheels on cars with normal size brakes. The resulting product can end up looking ridiculous. As I was checking out the littlest Lincoln, the Concept C on the Cobo Hall show floor today, I noticed something interesting in the wheels. Take a close look at the brake caliper in the photo above. Typically, the brake rotor is attached to the wheel hub and the caliper grips the disk from the out edge. On the Concept C, the braking surface is attached to the inside edge of the wheel rim with caliper wrapping around the inside edge of the rotor. This basic idea has been tried before... mostly on concept cars.

An internal caliper mount has the advantage of allowing a larger effective radius for where the braking force is applied. Since torque is defined as a force applied at a distance from a pivot point, the greater the distance, the greater the braking force. Such a setup allows more brake force with a smaller caliper, which in turn can provide better brake feel since the fluid displacement is smaller. The downside is that changing wheels becomes a much more complicated matter since the brake hardware is mounted on the wheel.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Lincoln C Concept Live

Gallery: Lincoln Concept C

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Detroit 2009: Hot Stoppers - Internally mounted calipers on Lincoln Concept C originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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