Some cars chase the future, while others redefine it. The Bugatti Veyron established its place in history by showing the world that the grasp of speed, luxury and engineering was incomplete. Its arrival was jarring, showing up almost out of nowhere, making a considerable PR splash, and then it waited for the world to catch up.
The Veyron changed the speed game by taking what many thought was the limit and pushing it even further, while also demonstrating to the world that its pursuit of speed was only just getting started. The man behind the engineering marvel that is the Veyron was Prof. Dr Ferdinand Karl Piëch, and to celebrate 20 years of his masterpiece, Bugatti created a special edition. This is the Veyron F.K.P. Hommage.
In the nineties, 400km/h and 1,000 horsepower (740kW) were remarkable, but in the 2020s, these numbers barely causes a stir. So the Veyron silhouette has returned, and the numbers are once again astronomical. Professor Piëch always demanded that his cars have the latest and most advanced technology. This new Chiron-based homage to the Veyron then should suffice, producing 1,193kW (1,600 horsepower) from its familiar but extensively updated W16 engine.
Thinking back to the media madness that was the Veyron’s top-speed record, a hugely limiting factor was the tyre compounds. Never before had a tyre needed to withstand the forces that come with 400km/h on a road car, so the makers of the Veyron reached out to Michelin for some help. The product was the Michelin Pilot Sport PAX run-flat tyre. It was capable of withstanding 400km/h and was the first of its kind. Since then, tyre technology has come a long way, and with it, the ability to sustain much higher speeds. No top speed has been set for this edition, but our projections sit around the 450km/h mark.
As for its appearance, it retains a familiar exterior dressed in red and black paintwork with a few aerodynamic tweaks, bigger air intakes and an improved grille geometry. Larger 21-inch wheels replace the original 20-inch wheels, which are, of course, wrapped in Michelin rubber. The interior has also been refined, and it now features an updated steering wheel design that aims to retain the original’s character. The transmission tunnel, previously a solid aluminium block, has been re-machined, and custom Paris-woven fabrics give the car a newfound personality and represent Bugatti’s latest advancements in interior personalisation.
The Veyron made its name by pushing the speed narrative, and this homage edition not only honours the car and its achievements but also celebrates the intellect behind the numbers. Prof. Dr Ferdinand Karl Piëch achieved something that seemed impossible, which in turn accelerated the pursuit of speed, and the product of his achievement now sits as a monument to progress. It’s more than an homage piece but also a representation of the Bugatti brand and a reminder of where it’s come from. It’s an epic car with an epic story, one which deserves to be recognised.
