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Top Ten Modern Super Cars with the Most Investment Potential |
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2005 - 2011 Bugatti Veyron
16.4 |
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In 1998, the Volkswagen
Group purchased the trademark rights on the former car manufacturer
Bugatti in order to revive the brand. Starting with the Bugatti
EB118, they presented at various international auto shows a total of
four 18-cylinder concept cars. At the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show, the first
study of the Veyron was presented. At the time, the name of the
concept car was "Bugatti Veyron EB 18.4," and it was equipped with a
3-bank W18 engine engine instead of the 2-bank W16 engine engine of the
production version. While the three previous prototypes had been styled
by Giugiaro, the Veyron was designed by the Volkswagen stylists. The decision to start production of the car was taken by the Volkswagen Group in 2001. The first roadworthy prototype was completed in August 2003. It is identical except for a few details to the later series variant. In the development to series production, however, considerable technical problems had to be addressed, so that the start of production was delayed repeatedly, until September 2005. The Veyron features an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 cylinder engine, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the VR8 configuration of each bank allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cc (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 by 86 mm (3.39 by 3.39 in) bore and stroke. Obviously these are considered the fastest production cars on the planet. With new price tags on the base model well over $1.5 million most of these are sold to oil sheiks and hedge fund executives. But sooner or later one of these rare cars finds it's way back to market. So if one can get a Veyron for considerably less than a million dollars, I think they might be good investments in the long term. The prices of the newer and faster models will continue into the stratosphere well beyond $2.7 million. There are so few made that owning one is similar to owning a Picasso or Rembrandt. |
