Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport smashes fastest car record

The production model of the car is able to generate 1,200-hp with a maximum torque of 1,500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 258mph - to protect the tyres

The land speed world record for a production car has been smashed by a Bugatti sports car.

In a flash of orange and black, the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport achieved an incredible average top speed of 267.8mph - far exceeding the expectations of Bugatti's engineering team.

Bugatti’s chief engineer Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber said: 'We took it that we would reach an average value of 264mph but the conditions today were perfect and allowed even more.'

It was accepted into the Guinness World Book of Records by officials.

The previous top speed for a production car had been 256.1mph which was set by a SSC Ultimate Aero in 2007.

Driven by Pierre-Henri Raphanel, the redesigned Veyron 16.4 Super Sport hit 265.9mph when driven against the wind and 269.8mph with the wind at a racetrack in Ehra-Lessien, Germany.

The production model of the car is able to generate 1,200-hp with a maximum torque of 1,500 Newton metres and a limited top speed of 258mph - to protect the tyres.

The twin-clutch, seven-speed gearbox allows for precision turning and braking and accelerating stability.

Overall control of the car has improved with the raised main-spring travel, stronger stabilisers and new shock absorbers.

The skin is made entirely of carbon-fibre composites to reduce its weight and body modifications include expanded and reshaped front air intakes and a re-shaped rear.

The new all-carbon fibre structure also provides maximum torsion rigidity, crucial when hitting extremely high speeds.

Four enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers have been used to boost the power of the 16-cylinder engine

The first five Super Sports to come off the production line will constitute a special series with the same set-up as the land speed record car.

The Super Sport will begin production this autumn at Molsheim along with the Veyron and the Grand Sport.

The first five cars – known as the World Record Edition – are in a special black exposed carbon and orange finish and have already been sold.

The remaining production models will feature enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers for the 16-cylinder engine. Bugatti has sold 260 Veyron and 35 Grand Sport.- www.dailymail.co.uk

Driven by Pierre-Henri Raphanel, the redesigned Veyron 16.4 Super Sport hit 265.9mph when driven against the wind and 269.8mph with the wind at a racetrack in Ehra-Lessien, Germany

Top spot: The certificate showing the world record has been broken is handed over

Fancy a ride in my Lambor-teeny?

Owning a Lamborghini supercar is the stuff of dreams for most young men, wherever they live.

And if you happen to be a twentysomething lorry driver from rural China, that dream would seem all the more unattainable.

But that fact only served to spur on 25-year-old Chen Jinmiao.

Realising he would never earn enough money to buy the real thing, Chen decided to build his own.

Chen Jinmiao posing for a photo with his home-made sports car

Chen's replica Lambo even has the Italian marque's distinctive scissor doors... although it doesn't have the speed

A year and the equivalent of £2,000 building later, he had his very own 'Lamborghini'.

And Chen is more than happy with his replica of the famous Italian sports marque - even if its 60 mph top speed is some 150mph behind the real thing.

Chen, of Binzhou in Hunan province, said: 'I downloaded the drawings from the internet, then bought the materials from the market.'

His bright yellow car even has the original's signature scissor doors.

But Chen, who has no formal engineering training, has yet to hear whether he will be allowed to drive his 'baby Lambo' on public roads.

Chen built the car after downloading some plans from the internet and buying the materials in his local market

On the road: Chen is waiting to see whether he can get a full licence to drive the car on every road in China

Chen was inspired to build his car after falling in love with cars like this Lamborghini Diablo pictured above

McLaren MP4-12C - 'An F1 car for the road'

The Formula One drivers unveiled the supercar at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking

A gull-winged 200mph supercar dubbed 'an F1 car for the road' was launched yesterday by UK racing specialists McLaren.

The cars will be made in a new £40million factory designed by Sir Norman Foster and will create 300 jobs.

The £150,000 McLaren MP4-12C is Britain's answer to Italy's legendary Ferrari and is the long-held dream of boss Ron Dennis to produce an 'affordable' supercar with the greenest credentials.

Pulling off the dust-sheets to reveal the car were Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Pulling off the dust-sheets to reveal the car were Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. McLaren aims to make the £150,000 MP4-12C Britain's answer to Italy's legendary Ferrari

Using a one-piece carbon-fibre chassis McLaren plan to offer the car for around half the £300,000 price tag that would normally be expected of a car of this calibre.

A 32,000 square metre plant at Woking in Surrey will be completed in 12 months to produce the high-performance MP4-12C car and is a welcome boost to Britain's waning car manufacturing sector.

The car industry has suffered a collapse in sales since 2008 but McLaren is confident it can claim a share of the high-end sports car market.

McLaren expects to make up to 1,000 cars in 2011 with annual manufacturing of vehicles reaching around 4,000 by the middle of the decade.

The company plans to sell the 12C in 19 countries, with North America expected to account for around 30 to 40 per cent of the market

The company plans to sell the 12C through McLaren retailers in 19 countries, with North America expected to account for around 30 to 40 per cent of the market.

With aerodynamic styling designed to keep it on the ground at high speed, the new McLaren two-seater will accelerate from rest to 60mph in just 3.4 seconds.

Hi-tech fabric in the bucket seats 'breathes' to help driver and passenger stay comfortable

It is powered by a massive 3.8 litre V8 twin turbo engine which develops 600 brake-horse-power of pulling power - equivalent to about six Ford Fiestas. Read more

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Wrong pedal: Driver reverses car over 21ft drop after stepping on the accelerator

By Wil Longbottom - 29th January 2010

Jokes about reverse parking are usually reserved for female motorists.

But this lucky driver in China had a miraculous escape after plunging his car 21 feet tail-first into an alleyway.

The man, from Xiamen in China's southern Fujian province, was reversing his car into a parking space when he mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.

Lucky escape: The driver and his five-year-old son miraculously emerged unscathed from the accident in Xiamen, China

His automatic white car shot backwards through wire fencing and toppled over the edge of the car park before dropping to the alleyway below.

Luckily, the embarrassed motorist and his five-year-old son, who was sat in the passenger seat, were unhurt in the accident. There was no-one in the alleyway at the time.

But his car was not so fortunate after the boot was crushed flat by the impact and the bonnet was badly damaged as the car toppled into a nearby building.

The vehicle, which was written off by the crash, had to be removed from the alleyway by a crane.

Wrong pedal: The white automatic lies on its rear bumper after plunging 21 feet into this alleyway from a car park above

Gold Mercedes Benz Value of 9 Million USD

You’re looking at pictures of a Mercedes C63 AMG with a chrome (gold?) paint job in none other than Dubai. While the popular new C63 AMG comes with many options and luxuries from the factory, a chrome paint job is not one of them. These pictures were originally posted on a popular online message board for Dubai car enthusiasts called SupercarsDubai. Maybe this C63 AMG is the the daily driver of the person who owns this chrome Mercedes SLR McLaren. - http://www.exoticsandluxury.com