Guinness withdraws world speed record from Bugatti Veyron

For almost three years the £1.7m Bugatti Veyron Super Sport has been the fastest production car in the world. Until today.

Guinness World Records announced that it has stripped Bugatti of the title after discovering that the car used to set the record time of 267.8mph had been modified with the result that it had breached the rules. The record attempt, which took place in July 2010 and was featured on Top Gear, was reinvestigated after an enquiry made by Driving.co.uk. It followed suggestions that the record-breaking Veyron did not qualify as a production car because a speed restrictor, fitted to each of the 30 cars sold to the public, had been deactivated.

In a statement released on Friday, Guinness World Records, the British-based company which is recognised as the authority on world record attempts, confirmed that the suspicions were correct. “It has come to the attention of Guinness World Records that there was an oversight in its adjudication of the ‘Fastest production car’ which was set in 2010 by the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport,” said Jaime Strang, PR Director of the company.

“As the car’s speed limiter was deactivated, this modification was against the official guidelines. Consequently, the vehicle’s record set at 431.072 km/h is no longer valid. Following this, Guinness World Records is reviewing this category with expert external consultants to ensure our records fairly reflect achievements in this field.”

The company’s rules state that that the car that sets the record must be mechanically identical to those on sale to the public. The announcement is likely to mean that the title of the world’s fastest production car now reverts to a small company in America, called Shelby SuperCars. Its Ultimate Aero held the record of 256.1mph before the Veyron Super Sport.

Questions about Bugatti’s record were raised by another American car maker, Hennessey, which claims that its Venom GT should be the fastest production car in the world. It has been clocked at 265.7mph but has not recorded a speed under world record conditions, which require an average speed to be set over two timed runs.

Bugatti is standing by its world record. A spokeswoman said, “Guinness knew the Veyron’s speed limiter was deactivated but that for safety reasons, cars subsequently sold to customers would have their speed limiters activated [set at 258mph].”

The spokeswoman said that customers who bought the Veyron Super Sport will have been told it was the world’s fastest production car but insisted the model’s reputation would be safe. “It’s not a hard blow if we lose this title. The Super Sport is more than just a world-record car.”

Bugatti said it would be seeking clarification from Guinness World Records.

Source: Exclusive: Guinness withdraws world speed record from Bugatti Veyron | Sunday Times Driving

 

Meh taking off the delimiter is hardly some kind of tuning...

So yeah Guinness can suck it

 

How is that a modification? It's just a speed-limiter... The car can reach these record speeds and that's all that should matter.

 

This is lame.

 

Exactly.

 

I really hope John Hennessey read this.

A speadlimiter wich you can turn of is not Tuning.
To take a lotus and replace almost everything but still registrer is as a Lotus still only makes it a Lotus on paper.
Thats more tuning then how the exige/elise were when they left the factory. So according by every gouverment agency and insurance company its JUST A MODED LOTUS, Now get down from your high horse john... srsly starting to tick me off.... oh and the agera is faster and a real car. Not just a car you have to ave a 2mile runway to brag about.

 

The question for me is did Guiness award the record at 267 or 258? Because if it was 267, then this is on Guiness. Everyone knew at the time that the cars would be limited to 258. Any car that can go 267 can go 258.

In any case, I'm sure Bugatti can round up an available Super Sport, call their test driver up and have another go at their track. I this is the kind of nits Guiness is going to pick then it shouldn't be long before Hennessey's production car acceleration record is rescinded as well.

 

Well in the eyes of Hennessey, GWR amd the hennessey nuthuggers a modified lotus is not modified enough, but a little tiny speedlimiter is?... haha this is so much BS i cant handle it.

Cant wait for Hennessys record to be disqualified and its just a mather of time, because friend of mine whos dad works for GWR car department says that they have taken in loads of mails of complaints about the bugatti revoke and the hennessey aproval. He said that Venom GT will go under extra controls after all these negative feedback from carenthousiasts all around the world. So lets just sit back and see the ship (hennessey venom gt) sink.

 

Hi,

While I generally agree with you, the way you're going about these posts isn't doing your argument any favours. Your position is well and truly clear. Resorting to some of your sentiments just isn't needed.

Cheers,
Nik

 

Yeah lol i know, got home from a killer legworkout session go guess i let some testosteron steam of in my latests posts.

But yeah i stand firm in my belife.