That’s fast… cruel, but fast

A reader who knows of my not so secret yearning for a Bugatti Veyron sent this, from IOL:

The world’s fastest convertible is… a Bugatti.

Following on the speed of 431.072km/h set by the the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport coupe in 2010, a Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse has set a benchmark for open-top production sports cars at the Volkswagen proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien.

German standards organisation TÜV confirmed that the 885kW Vitesse, driven by the Chinese entrepreneur and passionate racing driver Anthony Liu, reached a top speed of 408.84km/h.

Bugatti boss Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber said: “When we introduced the Vitesse, we established the top speed that was practicable for open-top driving was about 375km/h, but we couldn’t let go of the possibility of reaching the 400km/h milestone with this car as well – and now we’ve done it!”

[…]

Read the rest there.

Frankly, it is cruel to send a guy looking for a new car an article about a Bugatti Vitesse.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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46 Comments

  1. RafkasRoad says:

    But Father, But Father!!!…I fear you are mistaken…Is not the most spectacular, beautiful and terror-striking, awe-inspiring vehicle known to man that has ever been created the…Coenigsegg???

    Alternatively, Would Father not be best complimented by a Lotus Elfin?? Would not the traditional priest about town (rightly attired in fine cassock, beretta and all the trimmings cut an elegant, faith-filled yet somewhat dangerous figure in such??

    For said outrages on my part perhaps confession (for me) is in order…:-)

    Might we pray that the equally awe-inspiring and reveared Jeremy Clarkson be courted to our cause??? and is it possible to commence canonisation procedings whilst an individual is still alive???? :-)

    I shall back quietly out of the room now…

    Blessings,

    Aussie Marounite. )

  2. frjim4321 says:

    Dude, you would look AWESOME in that car! Time to buy some Mega Millions tickets!

  3. RafkasRoad says: rightly attired in fine cassock, beretta…

    I don’t have a Beretta, alas. I have a Glock .9mm and Springfield Arms .45. I’m open to a Beretta. Any suggestions?

    But we Yanks have to watch out for open or concealed carry in vehicles. The concealed carry weapon license makes this simpler.

    And while those other cars, slow as they may be, are nice, I like that Bugatti… a lot.

    Jeremy Clarkson? The Stig, perhaps.

  4. frjim4321 says: Time to buy some Mega Millions tickets!

    Dude.

  5. StWinefride says:

    But Father! This little macchina is soooo much easier to park, no?

    http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1085/1388024928_b6ab4c9047.jpg

  6. 62 mph in 2.6 seconds?

    I think I would have to have the Black and Red edition:

  7. frjim4321 says:

    50 minutes to go!

  8. frjim4321 says:

    {picture}

    I think I just had a near occasion of sin.

  9. mamajen says:

    That would make a perfect Z-Mobile! In the Say the Black, Do the Red edition, of course.

    Happy to see some fellow Top Gear fans here–my husband and I enjoy that show immensely.

  10. Art says:

    Fleet vehicle for the Rubricians perhaps? I can see it now: zooming out of the top secret HQ, fully armed to deal with any liturgical abuse worldwide…

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  11. joecct77 says:

    If I was driving it, I would need faith in its good works.

  12. Dr. Edward Peters says:

    Single guys. They never change. I’d explain, but I gotta take the mini-van in for an oil change, you know, before soccer practice. It’s our turn to…oh never mind.

  13. disco says:

    No more town car father?

  14. disco: It’s a ’92 and … well… it’s time.

  15. Suburbanbanshee says:

    Re: Jeremy Clarkson —

    “This week on Catholic Gear… we test-drive the new Porsche Biretta… set fire to the road in a Bugatti Thurible… and parade around the archdiocese for Rogation Day in the back of three monster trucks… and the new Ferrari Cappa, driven by the man the Pope calls… Cardinal Stig.”

    Actually, it occurs to me that perhaps Pope Francis is going for a Stig look….

  16. RafkasRoad says:

    Suburbanbanshee ,

    Flat on back laughing!! This is brilliant!!!!!!!!

    Question (and hope this doesn’t get me banned), the fleet for a certain popular faith-based publication that features prominently here wouldn’t happen to consist of Audis would it?? (definitely backing out of room quietly now…meant in good humour, fellow readers)…

    Blessings,

    Aussie Marounite.

  17. Lotto tickets here I come…this would take a substantial financial donation :D

  18. swissguardwannabe says:

    Wow. If I had one, I’d never have to worry about getting to mass on time; I could get there earlier! :-D

  19. danielinnola says:

    ” I woke up in a new Bugatti”
    -Ace Hood

  20. oldcanon2257 says:

    Zuhlio would feel right at home in a 370Z Touring once his old Town Car heads to “Aging Lincoln Paradise”. :D [I’ll pass that along!]

  21. Geoffrey says:

    “Fleet vehicle for the Rubricians perhaps? I can see it now: zooming out of the top secret HQ, fully armed to deal with any liturgical abuse worldwide…”

    How would the Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Pope Francis worked out in such a scenario? Yikes! ;-)

  22. teomatteo says:

    “… but we couldn’t let go of the possibility of reaching the 400km/h milestone with this car as well – and now we’ve done it!”
    For the love of bugnini, don’t let go!

  23. “How would the Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Pope Francis worked out in such a scenario? Yikes! ;-)”

    Maybe Francis’ New Popemobile won’t be as humble as we had expected.

    IDEA: Bugatti should be the Manufacturers of the Next Popemobile.

  24. Andkaras says:

    We will be fortunate if we don’t all need ATVs in the near future.

  25. Supertradmum says:

    When you are pope, you can have one-lex credendi, lex aurigabat

  26. Lucas Whittaker says:

    Father, doesn’t the Town Car have the V8 302 in it? Or do you have the 4.6 liter V6? Both good engines. It might be worth rebuilding. We have a new car that is electronic everything and we wish that we never banged up our good old ’81 Chevy 3/4 ton with a manual transmission. I know that my wife would go in for the Bugatti though. Black and red. Sure!

  27. jhayes says:

    See article for picture:

    “Dubai’s getaway drivers are in for a shock after cops added a $450,000 Lamborghini to its fleet.

    The white and green Aventador has a top speed of 217 mph and can do 0 to 60 mph in just three seconds — stats that are sure to stop crooks in their tracks.”

    Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/dubai-unveils-new-car-450k-lamborghini-article-1.1313530

  28. Lucas Whittaker says:

    Let’s get the blog together and go for a test drive!

  29. Lucas Whittaker says:

    Dr. Edward Peters: What’s all this about a mini-van? What?

  30. Kent Wendler says:

    I’ve been to Italy only once, in 2000, with 5 days in Rome but the Veyron is obviously so eminently practical for those Roman and Italian streets!

    [Snarkiness off:]Compare the Bugatti’s speed with our agility in Paradise.

  31. inexcels says:

    Sporty cars seem awesome, but I’ve heard they’re actually a nightmare to drive.

  32. APX says:

    Fr. Z, if I may make a friendly suggestion as someone who drives about 100,000 km/year and has owned her fair share of cars. If you’re looking for something economical, reliable, spacious, yet not a boat, sharp and sleek, yet modest, not gutless on the highway and can hold its own on the interstates, I strongly recommend a Honda Accord. Mine’s almost at 400,000 kms. I bought it at 132,000 kms. The only major repairs were changing the timing belt ad water pump, and changing the original clutch at 330,000 kms. I just upgraded to a 2002 Honda Accord, but my other car still has plenty of life left in it. Stay away from the V6’s though, as they have transmission issues.

    Jesus drove an Accord, you know. He just did not speak of his own Accord.

  33. HyacinthClare says:

    Inexcels, just a little sour grapes, yes?

  34. APX says:

    Inexcels has a point about driving sports cars. Because of their horsepower, they’re more difficult to control and drive within the city and areas that don’t accommodate high speeds. Your average Joe off the streets would find such difficult to drive. That’s why when you buy/rent them, they have a limiter chip installed to help prevent this. That said, they’re still a lot of horsepower, and if you’re not used to it or trained in driving such cars, you risk smashing it within a very short time frame of getting it. That’s why BMW offers special training courses for driving.

    Fast cars are cool, but I would never want one. I’m all about practicality.

  35. Bob B. says:

    Reminds me driving on the German Autobahn coming back from France to Stuttgart in the passing lane cruising at 120mph, flashing my lights at all the Mercedes to get out of the way, when a Lambo came out of no where flashing his lights (I swear I didn’t see it coming). It took a little while to find a space and back down to 90mph to get over, when I did, the Lambo was not in sight after 10 seconds. Gosh, I miss the driving there.

  36. Mandy P. says:

    My hubby is a gear head, so I’ve been introduced to quite a few super cars and the various Lamborghinis and the Bugatti Veyron are by far my favorites. Especially that red on black one. That is quite possible the most beautiful car I have ever seen.

    Sigh.

  37. Mandy P. says:

    inexcels says:
    13 April 2013 at 9:32 am
    Sporty cars seem awesome, but I’ve heard they’re actually a nightmare to drive.

    This depends more on the driver’s ability and can also vary greatly by the manufacturer. For example, a Lamborghini is beautiful and is a fast machine that handles well (for someone who knows how to really drive, ie, not the average guy booking down the interstate), etc. However it is built specifically to be a fast car. Hence the famous Lambo body style is not about looks but about leveraging the outside of the car to get the most favorable aerodynamics. And the interior is bare as a bone. Bucket seats, steering wheel, pedals, and shifting knob if it’s not a paddle shifter. And not much else. All the normal stuff we have in our economy cars, even in the cheapest ones out there, that serve to give us a comfortable ride and reduce the noise from outside, etc, is non-existent in a Lamborghini because it weighs the car down (which slows it down).

    Now other super cars are more comfortable and I think the Bugatti generally falls into that category but am not positive.

  38. Tristan says:

    Beretta or Glock, .9mm is one small caliber.. that’s like a 19 gauge wire.

  39. Per Signum Crucis says:

    Phone rings in Fr.Z’s presbytery and he picks up.
    FZ: Hello?
    PF: Hello, that is the inestimable Fr.Zuhlsdorf of whom I have heard and read so much in this first month of my Pontificate?
    FZ: Your Holiness, that is you, really you? I’m honoured… temporarily speechless even… how can I be of service?
    PF: I want you to bring back many to the Bride of Christ using whatever means you think appropriate.
    FZ: That is a big task, Your Holiness, and this is a big country. I will need some transportation.
    PF: The Lord will provide. Was there anything you particularly had in mind?
    FZ: Your Holiness may be aware of my personal mantra “Say the black, do the red”? It so happens that this has just been perfectly encompassed in the sublime piece of automotive engineering that is the Bugatti Veyron…
    The phone goes dead. Two weeks later, a large parcel arrives at the presbytery. On opening, it is found to contain copious bus and other public transportation timetables…

  40. APX says:

    Mandy P. is right. Lamborghinis don’t have any extra luxuries. Why anyone would want a car without cup holders is beyond me. Do they even have a/c or cruise? I don’t need a fast car to go fast. My umpteen speeding tickets tell me my cars have been fast enough, and I got rid of my need for speed as a summer student with the RCMP. 200+ km/h lights and sirens down a narrow undivided highway with oblivious drivers killed my love of speed. Scary.

  41. StJude says:

    sigh… gorgeous car.

    WWJD (drive) ? … that!

  42. Nan says:

    @APX is that why people buy Lamborghinis only to crash them a few hours later?

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/19/hours-after-250000-lamborghini-was-purchased-car-abandoned-after-crash/

  43. APX says:

    St. Jude,

    Jesus drove a Honda, plain and simple.
    http://i.imgur.com/tEwBe.jpg

  44. AnAmericanMother says:

    APX,
    So did the Apostles. But it was a tight fit. Acts 5:12.

  45. StJude says:

    @APX.. LOL

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