Bugatti Veyron: Flight of fancy

Nice article about the world's most exclusive supercar and a lucky guy who is allowed to drive one.

To put the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 into perspective -- hey, who am I kidding? How can you put a 1,001-horsepower, $1.3 million supercar into perspective?

To call it gorgeous, fast, outrageous simply isn't adequate.

To suggest you can buy 139 Chevrolet Aveos, a subcompact built in South Korea, or one Bugatti Veyron, a two-door monster-on-wheels built in France, somehow cheapens the whole experience of driving one.

Last week, parked outside Silicon Valley Auto Group in Los Gatos, was a cream and silver-blue Veyron. Holding the keys was Butch Leitzinger, a 37-year-old race-car driver who has won the 24-hour race at Daytona three times. Here, he said, his role is ``car protector.'' He drives the car for potential buyers, and then switches to the passenger seat to assure that nothing untoward happens to it.

And this is a car that needs protecting. It's unbelievably rare, and much regarded. So far, 30 orders have been placed for it in the United States, and nine have been delivered here.

Mostly hand-built, the Veyron is part rocket ship and part Concours classic car. It has a long, sloping hood. Two air inlets sit aside its massive rear engine. The cabin is cozy, with cocoon-like leather seats. It has a classy analog clock, and a finely patterned metallic console.

Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, Bugatti Veyron

Source: Mercury News

Bugatti Veyron: Flight of fancy

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