One of the most recognizable cars of the modern Bugatti era is the black-and-orange Veyron Super Sport that set a production-car speed record of 267.8 mph in 2010. But the record car was backed up by a fleet of identical Veyrons, one of which was fully restored by the factory under its La Maison Pur Sang program.
This Super Sport prototype was used development of the ultimate Veyron variant, as well as the global launch of the Super Sport World Record Edition, the customer car that replicated the record-breaking car’s spec (including doing away with the standard Super Sport’s speed limiter). After putting in some development miles to help tune various onboard systems, it was used for public appearances, photoshoots, and demonstrations for both customers and the media. In completing those duties it accumulated 43,992 miles— a lot for a hypercar—and was in need of some TLC.
This gave Bugatti an opportunity to show off the capabilities of La Maison Pur Sang (French for “the house of pure blood”), the factory restoration and authentication program the automaker launched in 2020. During the six-month restoration, the interior was refreshed and the exterior paint and exposed carbon fiber were rejuvenated, with a new clear coat for the latter.
Bugatti also updated some components, including radiators and electronics, to production-spec. While that erases evidence of this car’s unique history as a prototype, it’s in keeping with the wishes of the customer whose collection this car is joining. Bugatti also kept the quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission original. Super Sport models got a slight bump to 1,183 hp, up from 1,001 hp in the standard Veyron, and slipperier aero to achieve that higher top speed.
The Veyron was replaced by the Chiron, which had its own moment of glory breaking the 300-mph barrier in 2019 with a top speed of 304.7 mph. However, Bugatti only managed a one-way run, so it didn’t get the two-way average required for official speed records. It also took Bugatti much longer to deliver customer cars based on the record-breaker; the first of those Super Sport 300+ models wasn’t delivered until 2021.
Then-Bugatti president Stephan Winkelmann (now the CEO of Lamborghini) said the 304-mph run would be the last record attempt by Bugatti, but new boss Mate Rimac is chasing records again. The Chiron-based Mistral set a new record for open-top cars in 2024 at 282 mph, and hopefully, we’ll see a record attempt with the new Tourbillon as well.
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