The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, the exciting new holder of the title of world's fastest roadster, has made its exciting debut at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. While other supercar-level convertible models such as the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster go with a "true convertible" design with a fully stowable roof, the Bugatti goes a different route.




The Veyron Grand Sport offers open top motoring at the supercar level, though it is not a true convertible model. Bugatti determined that releasing a Veyron convertible would not provide the safety at high speed the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is known for, so they opted for a Targa model in the Grand Sport, with a removable polycarbonate roof.



The Grand Sport roadster model is not simply a chop job on a standard Bugatti Veyron 16.4. Bugatti has taken great pains to ensure the structural rigidity of the Grand Sport, making changes throughout the canopy and adding structural enhancements for both stability at speed and safety in the event of a crash. The front windshield is taller with a more upright look, and carbon fiber longitudinal beams and other structural enhancements protect the occupants and the Veyron Grand Sport's sheer speed capabilities.



And fast the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport is. An advantage to going with the targa top is that Bugatti has tuned the Grand Sport to maintain the hard top Veyron 16.4's top speed of 253 mph when the roof is in place, with the top speed dropping to a still-ridiculous 223.7 mph! Imagine the wind blowing your face off at speeds like this, and you can get a feel for why the Veyron Grand Sport should be as exciting as any convertible or other roadster model on the market.



The Veyron Grand Sport base price? A cool 1.4 million Euros, if you can find one. Production will be limited to just 150 units, with 50 earmarked for current Bugatti customers who feel the need to own two Veyrons. Read on for all the details, directly from the technological wizards at Bugatti...