I remember reading that article, very well written

 

Now we are talking!

 

Welcome to the fanboy club.

Having the car shuffled around a makeshift course on an entertainment program does not make it a well-handling sports car.

Talking to a few people who own them and likely have very little racing experience does not make it a well-handling sports car.

It quite simply is not. It's a technical achievement, and I'll give it all the accolades it deserves in that respect, but the car simply does not deserve the royal knob-slobbering the fanboys give it.

 

ya what he said and they don't float!

I wish I had a yardstick to measure this one. I never review cars I've not driven, but the car just doesn't look or feel the part close up for a cornering beast. It gives me the same feeling a Murci does and I've driven too many of those. Can I use "River Barge" or is it copyrighted

The Zonda looks like a Daytona prototype with a cool skin. I can't imagine that chasis doesn't handle a lot like a CGT and respond similar. Again just a comparison but in a blind taste test as I can only do with either I'd pick a Zonda 1000 to 1 over the Veyron. But hell I don't like straight line speed I just wanna take a corner on the edge

 

Yes, I am a Veyron fan and it is not in a blind way. With all my respect to you as well to every single TS member I would like to recomend you not to say such words about people you absolutely nothing about, its a bit wrong way to go. Both of them are true petrolheads having a supercar collection and using supercars in the way they are made to used. And after such praise to yourself you expressed, can I ask you to share what race/track experience do you have yourself? What was that track and under what circumstances that Veyron was driven by you especially with the stability control off? My knowledge and personal experience do not let me to be an easy believer. Your position is now opposite to the whole automotive community like press, I mean credible press, including some german pilots I personally know, and owners, so can I ask for some additional clarification?

 

I've been making things go fast for about 16 years, on and off the track. I've driven everything from karts to GT3 cup cars to Lotus Elans to Formula Atlantic cars and so on and so forth-- put simply, while I'm not what I would label a "professional" driver, I have a comprehensive understanding of chassis and suspension dynamics, having built and run several race cars over the years.

In short, I know what understeer is, and I know what a heavy car feels like to drive. The Veyron has both of these things in spades, and while it is very, very fast, it's about as interesting to drive in anger, for me, as is eating a plain cheese pizza.

Now, as I've said more than once now: I respect the car for its accomplishments, which are significant. However, it is not a car that was designed for any kind of endurance, nor any kind of honest track driving. It was designed to look cool and go fast on the street, while offering bragging rights to the glitterati.

There's nothing wrong with that, per se, just as there's nothing wrong with the Murcielago handling like it's drunk. However, to gloss over the shortcomings of the car out of some effigy to its prestige or price tag is silly, and a great many people do it.

A car is the sum of its parts to me. I don't care who made it, how much it cost, or who's been seen pulling up to a club in one. I care how it drives, and while the Veyron is all sorts of fun to rip around on the highway with, it all but falls over its fat ass and useless gearbox when trying to shuffle it through any kind of twisties at speed.

 

Perhaps Ron should have bit his tongue until McLaren builds a car as accomplished as the Veyron is from an engineering standpoint. That is "Builds" as in current production.

Let's hope for Ron's sake the F1 replacement looks "better" than the MP4-12C as well...

 

I think DJ needs to buy a Veyron and 5 of us ( yep me included in that us ) shall meet somewhere to test it's prowess. I will bring my Scud and GT3RS and see how it stacks up against em. Someone get DJ on board and lets get this test going. I would like it on the Westcoast if possible but will send my cars elsewhere.

side note I wish I had one of the old 997Cups to send that Veyron off the track the old fashioned way with a good old fashioned punt

 

Thanks for your answer, Simba, my respect to you. And thanks for a honest opinion about cars. While I still do not agree with you that Veyron can not handle corners well, I agree that it does it in a manner that is not for everyone to appreciate.

I was thinking the same, how he dare to say anything about any other supercar when his own creation MP4 is looking like Mitsuhyndayota crap.

 

I have a great deal of respect for Ron, he tends not to say things unless he has the facts to back them up but I must admit on this occasion he could have used less inflammatory language.

But if you look past the language he does have a point. As has been said the Veyron is a technical master piece to a point but lets get things in perspective. The Veyron requires 4 turbos and 1000hp to do 254mph, the F1 15 years previously only needed 600+hp to do 243mph, now is that progress?

Let’s looks a little deeper. BMW have stated that a well maintained F1 engine is good for 250,000miles without a major strip down, the Veyron engine on the other hand is a time bomb unless it has very regular maintenance.

Now check this out, this info was compiled by EVO magazine that do have a reputation for getting their facts right:



At the end of the article there is a little table that gives some info on the costs of servicing, a clutch, tyres, wheels (but only for the Veyron), depreciation, total costs and then cost per mile, this is where it gets interesting. Figures are based on 3000 miles a year over 4 years of ownership buying from new.

Despite an Enzo costing £14k to service over a 4 year period, £9k for two clutches (they only last 6000 miles), £3600 for tyres it's actually gone up in value to such a degree that even with these costs it actually pays you £18.53 a mile to drive it (minus other costs like fuel). It’s gone up £250,000 in value from new.

The Zonda S is equally nice; it only pays you £4.02 to own it each mile but "only" costs £4320 for services, its increased £55k in value from new. Minor service is £1800, major £2520; plugs last 36,000 miles and valves clearances never need checking because they are self-adjusting.

"One owner describes running Zonda as being like owning a 3-series; having covered 19,000 trouble-free miles in his car since buying it new 6 years ago, his cost per mile works out at 55p including servicing and tyres"

Then we start losing a bit.

Carrera GT, £12,000 for services (only one official service centre in the UK, £1200 for an interim, £2784 for a main and then £6000 for the big one every 4 years where the engine comes out and the £5000 clutch is probably replaced), £80,000 depreciation, cost £7.87 per mile. If you need a new wheel expect to pay £5500 each, magnesium costs money.

Mercedes SLR, £14,400 for services (£2100, £3700 and £6500), £163,465 depreciation, costs £19.97 per mile.

And the big one...

Veyron, £56,000 for services (£13,465 for the first service, £6000 of that is labour), £101,200 for tyres (need to be replaced every 2500 miles according to Bugatti), £29,900 for 4 new wheels (replaced on every third set of tyres as recommended by Bugatti), £275,000 depreciation - £38.51 per mile, popping to the shop for a loaf of bread is expensive stuff!

An F1's costs by comparison dont even come close, like the Enzo, if you bought from new it is paying you