Bugatti Veyron : A Quest For Perfection

In 2005, Bugatti launched a car that has single-handedly redefined the notion of a ‘supercar’. It was called the Veyron, was reputed to cost £5 million to build and yet only £1m to buy. It quickly became the most talked about and indeed coveted car of all time. Written with the full co-operation of Bugatti.

The Bugatti Veyron's statistics are mind-boggling: 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds; a top speed of 267 mph; tyres that cost £20,000 a set and an engine with ten radiators and four turbos; a launch control system and even windscreen wipers that create sizeable downforce … all delivered complete with a high-end stereo system, luxurious leather seats and air-conditioning. It was a feat of engineering grandiosity that, in automotive terms, rivals the achievements of the great 19th Century industrialists.

In A Quest for Perfection, no. 1 bestselling author Martin Roach sets out to track down the mythical beast that is a Bugatti Veyron – and ultimately attempts to drive one. He traces the genesis of this remarkable machine through Bugatti’s long and glorious early days and then through its more turbulent modern era. Travelling to the top secret Bugatti Research & Development workshop in Germany, touring the factory and chateau in France where these stunning cars are hand-built, visiting racing drivers, meeting super-rich owners and celebrities, and pondering this mechanical whirlwind with world-leading car designers, the book is a page-turning study of a modern masterpiece.

Interviews with revered motoring names will personalise the book including conversations with figures such as David Coulthard, Dr Kerry Spackman (leading motorsport neuroscientist), Liam Howlett of The Prodigy (supercar fanatic) and a host of other expert eye-witnesses to this unique car’s many achievements.

Bugatti Veyron: A Quest for Perfection will discover and unravel the enigma that is this remarkable car. Part-history, part-personal obsession, part-travelogue, part-humorous quest, altogether a book that will appeal to both fans of cars, and serious petrol-heads, Top Gear viewers as well as anyone who has ever raised an eyebrow as a shiny piece of metal on four wheels drives past in the street. For the first time, Bugatti has allowed access to the Veyron’s Chief Engineer, designers, test drivers, archivists, the Bugatti factory, photographers and the President of Bugatti himself.