# The Bugatti Veyron's not so hot **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 5, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531 "2011-08-05T02:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/1 "2011-08-05T02:24:08Z")
I’ve been reading up on the Bugatti Veyron recently, mainly because I thought the one in my copy of Forza 3 on XBox 360 handled like crap, huge amounts of oversteer, and it feels like driving a house around the track, I’m sure it was either my lackluster driving skills or a poorly simulated car in the game However, what I found led me to conclude that it’s not me,and it’s not the game, the Veyron just really _ISN’T_ a good handling car, the general consensus of racing sim drivers _and_ people who have driven the car IRL and can judge it impartially (sorry Top Gear, you’re not impartial, you love the Veyron too much) is that it’s far too heavy, and has a terminal case of understeer at speed, the Veyron was designed to do one thing, and one thing only, and be the best it can at that one thing… Going \*VERY, VERY FAST (Ludicrous Speed?) in a _STRAIGHT LINE_, precise, crisp handling was an afterthought and had to be sacrificed at the Altar of MOAR SPEED! Don’t get me wrong, if you want to go as fast as humanly possible in a straight line and not break the Laws of Physics / the Warp Barrier / the Light Barrier, the Veyron is one of very few cars that can do it, and do it easily, however, once you encounter some twisties, or even a simple sweeping corner, all bets are off and it’s into the weeds… I decided to perform a kind of impromptu “road course” handling test… One lap of Maple Valley from a dead stop on cold tires Here’s the results; Bugatti Veyron; 1:47 - the V handled like a _BOAT_, with a terminal case of understeer, heavy, but did feel wonderfully solid and planted if that makes any sense, the vaunted top-end speed would not come into play on Maple Valley, as the longest straightaway could be traversed in under 2 seconds, thanks to the V’s massive W-12 engine, still, the whole driving experience felt kinda’ …sterile and disconnected, a mundane blah if you will McLaren F-1; 1:43 - the F1 felt far livelier and responsive, yet sharp and precise, none of the bloat and mass of the V, the F1 felt like a real \*driver’s \* car, and required more attention to the chosen line for maximum performance, also, I could steer it with the rear tires, enter a corner, give the throttle a little goose and powerslide through the corner, not the most _efficient_ way to corner, mind you, but definitely the _coolest_ and most fun, if I won the lottery and had to choose between these two cars, the McLaren F1 would be my choice, it just felt more _connected_ to the road The Veyron may be faster in a straight line, but the F1 hands it it’s bloated, overstuffed arse in the corners, and we all know that on a road course style track, races are won in the corners, and the corners are where the _fun_ is… In fact, I enjoyed the F1 so much that I took a second lap at speed and was able to bring my lap time down to 1:42ish, shaved off another second… Ferrari F40 Competitione; 1:38 - Take the McLaren F1, make the handling a _leeetle_ more precise, and the engine just a _little_ stronger and you have the F40 Comp., another supercar that just feels _right_, with just a tad more punch than the F1, and the ability to obliterate the bloated pig of the Veyron Okay, okay, so it’s not fair to compare a “S” class car like the V to a “R3” class car like the F40 Comp, _FINE_, I’ll take the street stock F-40 out for a spin; Ferrari F-40 street stock; 1:44 - Yes, you read that right, a _bone stock_ F-40 _BEAT_ the "fastest car in the world\* on a cold lap around Maple Valley by THREE seconds, _AND_ was a heck of a lot more fun as well, I had forgotten how much I love the F-40, everything is perfectly balanced, the handling is sharp and precise, the engine sings that _wonderful_ Ferrari Aria, and dammit, the car just feels…_RIGHT_, even moreso than even the McLaren F-1 Ferrari F-50; 1:45 - Unbelievable, a newer car, with newer engine and handling tech than the venerable F-40 is actually .01 seconds slower, the handling actually felt far twitchier than the razor-sharp and precise F-40, in this case, newer is clearly not better Still faster and better handling than the Veyron, though Lamborghini Countach; 1:55 - Okay, the first car _slower_ than the Veyron around the Maple Valley track, it had a similar solidity and mass to it, it _felt_ solid and heavy, _BUT_ it also _HANDLED WELL_, it had no oversteer or understeer, it was balanced, it just needs to shed some unnecessary weight and it’d be able to trounce the Veyron in short order Shelby Cobra 427; 1:54 - The Cobra is an interesting serpent, many novice gamers find it to be a handful, that is, until you grok the secret of the Big Snake (Dear Og, did I just use “grok” in a sentence?..), that secret is, it actually has _TWO_ forms of steering, the big round thing in your hands that controls where the front tires are pointing is only to give the car a vague sense of direction as to where you want it to go, the detail and _finesse_ of the steering is performed by modulating the gas pedal to induce controlled wheelspin and produce a controlled powerslide, you need to “feather” the gas through the turn, you actually steer it more with the rear wheels than you do with the front… once again, the Veyron is faster than it, not by much, but it is faster around the MV track, that said, you won’t find a much more spirited, fun to drive experience than you will behind the wheel of the Cobra, the Cobra’s “fun factor” is off the charts, the V feels “sterile”, the Cobra, ALIVE! TVR Cerbera Speed 12; 1:39 - Another extremely difficult car to drive, Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson is fond of saying that if in the Speed 12, you do one tiny thing wrong, the car will try to kill you, the Speed 12 is _definitely_ high strung and twitchy, even nudging the gas at the exact wrong time will make the rear wheels try to snap out and the car perform a _ground loop_, yes, even at speed, the secret is to make that trademark TVR (Twitchy Vehicle Rapide? ; ) ) twitchiness work _for_ you, not against you, knowing how much the rear tires would rather be the front tires, you can use it’s propensity to spin out to give that little extra _blip_ of throttle, just enough to break the rear-end grip and induce a powerslide think of it as an offshoot of the Shelby Cobra/Dodge Viper technique of “steering it with the rear wheels” and you’ll get the point, it may take a few tries, and yes they may be “throw your controller at the screen” frustrating, but once you get the technique down, it’ll be worth it, the Speed 12 goes from “Scary Handful of Terror” to “Dear OG is this Car FUN!!!”, plus, there’s nothing cooler than gliding around a corner in a powerslide, smoke pouring from the rear tires, the car seeming to float and glide through the turn, much like with the cobra, the steering wheel is to give the car a vague sense of direction, the finesse comes from feathering the gas pedal and letting those huge, meaty rear tires determine the direction of the turn Last two cars; Porsche 911 (heavily modified, 615 HP); 1:45 - what can I say, I love this car, it’s not the fastest, and I’m still tweaking the handling and downforce settings, but it’s just plain fun to run, as well as .02 seconds faster than the Veyron (it better be, after all those in-game-credits I put into it, for what I put into it, I could have probably bought a Veyron/F1/F40 in the first place, but there’s just something fun about trouncing “newer, better” cars with a “lowly” '83 911 And finally, a dose of “reality” (or as near to it I can get in the game…) Saturn Ion Redline (mine’s a non-redline base model Ion 2); 2:10 - Bleah, what a _horrible_ performance, windy, asthmatic, power comes on at around 3K and only lasts 'till 5K, and a _MASSIVE_ case of understeer, yep, it drives like a _REAL_ Ion, all right… And here’s how they stack on my “Power Board”, Fast to Slow; Ferrari F40 Competitione; 1:38 TVR Cerbera Speed 12; 1:39 McLaren F-1; 1:43\*\* Ferrari F-40 street stock; 1:44 \*\* Ferrari F-50; 1:45 Porsche 911 (heavily modified, 615 HP); 1:45\*\* Bugatti Veyron; 1:47 Shelby Cobra 427; 1:54\*\* Lamborghini Countach; 1:55\*\* Saturn Ion Redline ; 2:10 Cars marked with a \*\* were the first supercars I fell in love with growing up ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/2 "2011-08-05T02:28:04Z")
Here is the current [Top Gear](http://www.topgear.com/uk/)test track “power board”, the super sport version does pretty well: The Power Board 1:15.1 - Ariel Atom V8 500 1:16.2 - McLaren MP4-12C 1:16.5 - Lamborghini Aventador 1:16.8 - Bugatti Veyron Super Sport 1:17.1 - Gumpert Apollo S 1:17.3 - Ascari A10 1:17.6 - Koenigsegg CCX (with Top Gear Wing) 1:17.7 - Noble M600 (cold) 1:17.8 - Nissan GT-R (2012) 1:17.8 - Pagani Zonda Roadster F 1:17.9 - Caterham Seven Superlight R500 (cold) 1:18.3 - Bugatti Veyron 16.4 1:18.4 - Pagani Zonda F 1:18.9 - Maserati MC12 1:19.0 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce 1:19.0 - Enzo Ferrari 1:19.1 - Ferrari 458 Italia 1:19.5 - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 1:19.5 - Porsche 997 GT2 1:19.5 - Ariel Atom 2 300 1:19.7 - Nissan GT-R 1:19.7 - Ferrari 430 Scuderia > **[Top Gear test track](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_test_track)** > > The Top Gear test track is used by the BBC automotive television programme Top Gear. It is located at Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, United Kingdom. The track was designed by Lotus Cars as a testing facility, with many of its Formula One cars tested there. It is used to test both cars and drivers seen on the programme, mainly in Power Laps and Star in a ... Car. > For the 23rd series of Top Gear the track was expanded with a rallycross section for the "Star in a Rallycross Car" segment, but it wa... ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/3 "2011-08-05T02:42:50Z")
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer steering with steering wheel rather than a “powerslide”. How about a comparison based on the best speed you can get without breaking traction? And get off my lawn! ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/4 "2011-08-05T02:52:54Z")
While I love the idea of the Veyron, give me a Shelby Cobra any day of the week. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/5 "2011-08-05T03:00:23Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Here is the current [Top Gear](http://www.topgear.com/uk/)test track “power board”, the super sport version does pretty well: > > The Power Board > 1:15.1 - Ariel Atom V8 500 > 1:16.2 - McLaren MP4-12C > 1:16.5 - Lamborghini Aventador > 1:16.8 - Bugatti Veyron Super Sport > 1:17.1 - Gumpert Apollo S > 1:17.3 - Ascari A10 > 1:17.6 - Koenigsegg CCX (with Top Gear Wing) > 1:17.7 - Noble M600 (cold) > 1:17.8 - Nissan GT-R (2012) > 1:17.8 - Pagani Zonda Roadster F > 1:17.9 - Caterham Seven Superlight R500 (cold) > 1:18.3 - Bugatti Veyron 16.4 > 1:18.4 - Pagani Zonda F > 1:18.9 - Maserati MC12 > 1:19.0 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce > 1:19.0 - Enzo Ferrari > 1:19.1 - Ferrari 458 Italia > 1:19.5 - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 > 1:19.5 - Porsche 997 GT2 > 1:19.5 - Ariel Atom 2 300 > 1:19.7 - Nissan GT-R > 1:19.7 - Ferrari 430 Scuderia > > [Top Gear test track - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear_test_track) Wow, the only Porsche is a 997 GT2 and there’s no Lotus Elise on there? Interesting. Not surprised by the Ariel Atom though…both versions are on the list, too. I don’t think I’d want the heavier one…the one with the Honda type-r engine at 300 horsepower would suit me just fine (with a windscreen). The Atom is just ridiculous. Its faster than most high-end motorcycle sport bikes and handles better than just about anything. I SOOOO want one when I hit the lottery. Which of course, will happen very, very soon. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/6 "2011-08-05T03:03:57Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Call me old fashioned, but I prefer steering with steering wheel rather than a “powerslide”. > > How about a comparison based on the best speed you can get without breaking traction? > > And get off my lawn! For the most part, all listed cars were driven conventionally, any powersliding encountered was _accidental_ and only lasted long enough to bring power back under control… …now, I won’t deny that at times, I’ve been known to powerslide around the Benchmark High Speed Ring for the sheer unadulterated hell of it, but for the most part, I tend to drive my cars without breaking traction, those virtual tires can be virtually expensive and I’d prefer to not virtually melt them off the rims, virtually speaking\*\*\* And I found a new car that makes the TVR seem composed and controllable by comparison the SCC Ultimate Aero, 1,287 HP, 1,112 TQ, capable of a continuous burnout in the first three forward gears, heck, I shifted the transmission into 6th gear from a dead stop and it was able to accelerate from a dead stop to around 255 MPH without changing gears _once_ If you thought the TVR had touchy throttle control, the SCC UA is infinitely worse… \*\*\*this paragraph sponsored by the word “Virtual”, Virtual, it’s what almost might be for dinner… ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/7 "2011-08-05T03:13:47Z")
The OP is forgetting that the Veyron isn’t just built for straight line speed, it’s also built (from what I can tell), to be a **real car**. It has proper upholstery, doesn’t break down every ten feet, comfortable chairs, cruise control, normal tires, sound dampening, etc. As noted, the super sport version does significantly better, and that’s probably largely because they stripped it down to the essentials and put racing tires on it. The Veyron isn’t simply a masterpiece for going so fast, but for doing it without sacrificing it’s ability to be a nice car. I remember reading reviews about the Dodge Viper many years ago, and pretty much every review was negative because the suspension was rock-hard, you burned your leg on the exhaust pipe that went under the door, the interior was crap, etc. While an extreme case, many of the sportiest sport cars are like that (including various Ferraris and Lamborghinis, until Audi bought them). If you owned a Veyron, your driving experience will actually be pleasant, not just fast. Most owners aren’t race car drivers and they aren’t going to take it rallying around with other cars. Gunning it down the Autobahn and picking up chicks are, really, its only purpose. I doubt you’ll find a car more perfectly suited to this task than the Veyron. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/8 "2011-08-05T03:47:46Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The OP is forgetting that the Veyron isn’t just built for straight line speed, it’s also built (from what I can tell), to be a **real car**. It has proper upholstery, doesn’t break down every ten feet, comfortable chairs, cruise control,\*\* normal tires\*\*, sound dampening, etc. As noted, the super sport version does significantly better, and that’s probably largely because they stripped it down to the essentials and put racing tires on it. The Veyron isn’t simply a masterpiece for going so fast, but for doing it without sacrificing it’s ability to be a nice car. > > I remember reading reviews about the Dodge Viper many years ago, and pretty much every review was negative because the suspension was rock-hard, you burned your leg on the exhaust pipe that went under the door, the interior was crap, etc. While an extreme case, many of the sportiest sport cars are like that (including various Ferraris and Lamborghinis, until Audi bought them). If you owned a Veyron, your driving experience will actually be pleasant, not just fast. Most owners aren’t race car drivers and they aren’t going to take it rallying around with other cars. Gunning it down the Autobahn and picking up chicks are, really, its only purpose. I doubt you’ll find a car more perfectly suited to this task than the Veyron. It actually has “airplane tyres” that can only be changed at two facilities in the world. But other than that - yes, exactly right - but I would still prefer an Exige, Aventador or Caterham to the Veyron ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/10 "2011-08-05T04:05:44Z")
Oh, and incidentally, the V in Forza 3 is the 16.4 model, not the Supersport High Speed ring track is 3 miles of twists, turns, rises and falls, it’s not a flat test/race track, it’s a road course, current best time is 1:29 in a Subaru WRX Just for fun, I ran the same cars on the High Speed Ring track (3.96 Miles) to check their numbers, same thing, one lap from a dead stop on cold tires… Bugatti Veyron 16.4; 1:10 @ 238 MPH TVR Speed 12; 1:11 @ 231 MPH Ferarri F40 Comp.; 1:13 @ 218 MPH McLaren F1; 1:17 @ 210 MPH Porsche 911 (modded) 1:20 @ 200 MPH Ferrari F50; 1:24 @ 194 MPH Ferrari F40; 1:24 @ 190 MPH Lamborghini Countach; 1:29 @ 185 MPH Shelby Cobra 427; 1:35 @ 173 MPH Saturn Ion; 1:49 @ 152 MPH :smack: On this high speed test, the Veyron felt the most solidly planted, but had slightly sluggish steering, the TVR was the polar opposite, twitchy steering and nearly constant feathering of the throttle to avoid groundlooping on the banked turns and/or tagging the wall, the most stable and controllable of the lot? the Ferrari F40 twins As I said in my OP, for high speed runs, the V is one of the best, for twisty road courses? not so much, then again, a car that’s good in the twisties would not be as much fun on a balls-to-the-wall top speed run… And just for the heck of it, the numbers for the SSC Ultimate Aero; \*\*1:08 @ 245 MPH! \*\* ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/11 "2011-08-05T04:15:16Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The OP is forgetting that the Veyron isn’t just built for straight line speed, it’s also built (from what I can tell), to be a **real car**. It has proper upholstery, doesn’t break down every ten feet, comfortable chairs, cruise control, normal tires, sound dampening, etc. As noted, the super sport version does significantly better, and that’s probably largely because they stripped it down to the essentials and put racing tires on it. The Veyron isn’t simply a masterpiece for going so fast, but for doing it without sacrificing it’s ability to be a nice car. > > I remember reading reviews about the Dodge Viper many years ago, and pretty much every review was negative because the suspension was rock-hard, you burned your leg on the exhaust pipe that went under the door, the interior was crap, etc. While an extreme case, many of the sportiest sport cars are like that (including various Ferraris and Lamborghinis, until Audi bought them). If you owned a Veyron, your driving experience will actually be pleasant, not just fast. Most owners aren’t race car drivers and they aren’t going to take it rallying around with other cars. Gunning it down the Autobahn and picking up chicks are, really, its only purpose. I doubt you’ll find a car more perfectly suited to this task than the Veyron. Excellent point, Sage Rat, I had forgotten that the V was designed to be a blisteringly fast road car that can actually be usable for day-to-day life and without making compromises/concessions to get that blistering top speed… Thing is, I’m a form-follows-function kinda’ guy, so to me, all that nice upholstery, fancy dash materials, flappy-paddle gearbox and the like are basically irrelavent, worse still, they add unwanted weight, my needs are simple, if it doesn’t make the car faster, or handle better or generally _improve performance_, I’m not interested (says the owner of a '07 Saturn Ion 2 😉 ) If money was no object and I could afford _ANY_ car (or cars), I’d have an Ariel Atom V8 for nice days, and a Porsche 911 for rainy/snowy/otherwise nasty days ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/12 "2011-08-05T06:15:01Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > It actually has “airplane tyres” that can only be changed at two facilities in the world. > > But other than that - yes, exactly right - but I would still prefer an Exige, Aventador or Caterham to the Veyron I assume he meant they’re not slicks, and generally are suitable for road driving. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/13 "2011-08-05T06:17:40Z")
At the risk of being nitpicky, the Veyron is not, as the OP says, a W12, but a W16. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/14 "2011-08-05T06:17:54Z")
What kind of controllers do you have for driving in the game? Does it feel like real driving? I don’t really play games, but I have been considering picking up a PS3+GT5 or XBox+Forza for some driving simulation. I’m only willing to pull the trigger if it’s really realistic, though. I doubt I’ll ever use the box for anything else. I lean toward GT5 because I’ve heard the realism of the cars is somewhat better than Forza, and that’s the most important thing to me. I don’t car how PRETTY the cars look, I care about how realistic they are to drive vs. the real thing… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/15 "2011-08-05T10:27:04Z")
And now it’s time to hand it over to our tame Racing Driver. Some say that he is in fact a video game character. And that he secretly loves Windows 98. All we know is, he’s called **MacTech**. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/16 "2011-08-05T10:59:21Z")
The Veyron is very heavy, which limits it’s cornering ability. It would probably be quickest car on the lists above at Monza with it’s long straights, but it’s not so good on a twisty track. It’s a classic supercar, it doesn’t make a great deal of sense as a vehicle or a racing car. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/17 "2011-08-05T14:11:06Z")
> [@FoundWaldo](#): > > What kind of controllers do you have for driving in the game? Does it feel like real driving? I don’t really play games, but I have been considering picking up a PS3+GT5 or XBox+Forza for some driving simulation. I’m only willing to pull the trigger if it’s really realistic, though. I doubt I’ll ever use the box for anything else. I lean toward GT5 because I’ve heard the realism of the cars is somewhat better than Forza, and that’s the most important thing to me. I don’t car how PRETTY the cars look, I care about how realistic they are to drive vs. the real thing… I just use a regular controller. Triggers control throttle and brakes, steer with the stick, switch gears and handbrake with the face buttons. But there are wheels and pedals you can buy if you really want to bump up the realism. Just be sure you look at reviews if you do, some of the wheels out there are shit. I haven’t played GT5, it might be even better than Forza 3, but Forza 3 still did an amazing job of modeling the cars and Forza 4 comes out in October so you might want to wait for the reviews before deciding. I don’t think any of them would disappoint though. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/18 "2011-08-05T14:38:32Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > It actually has “airplane tyres” that can only be changed at two facilities in the world. I was talking about the treads, as regards normalcy, not the ease of replacement. I’m not surprised that they’re tailor made, given the needs of the car to run like a normal car. Here’s a regular, four seasons tire: [![](http://tirefu.com/images/02-tires/Pirelli-P6_Four_Seasons.jpg) ](http://tirefu.com/images/02-tires/Pirelli-P6_Four_Seasons.jpg) A racing (slick) tire: [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_urczGSxD7rg/TSS9wr42e4I/AAAAAAAAAPI/nUIsTKE705c/s1600/toyo+r888+large.gif) ](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_urczGSxD7rg/TSS9wr42e4I/AAAAAAAAAPI/nUIsTKE705c/s1600/toyo+r888+large.gif) And a Veyron tire: [![](https://abhishek89.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/2007-bugatti-veyron-wheel-1280x9601.jpg) ](https://abhishek89.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/2007-bugatti-veyron-wheel-1280x9601.jpg) Much closer to the average car tire, though presumably made of something that won’t shred as easily. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/19 "2011-08-05T14:47:07Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I was talking about the treads, as regards normalcy, not the ease of replacement. I’m not surprised that they’re tailor made, given the needs of the car to run like a normal car. > > Here’s a regular, four seasons tire: > > [http://tirefu.com/images/02-tires/Pirelli-P6\_Four\_Seasons.jpg](http://tirefu.com/images/02-tires/Pirelli-P6_Four_Seasons.jpg) > > A racing (slick) tire: > > [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/\_urczGSxD7rg/TSS9wr42e4I/AAAAAAAAAPI/nUIsTKE705c/s1600/toyo+r888+large.gif](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_urczGSxD7rg/TSS9wr42e4I/AAAAAAAAAPI/nUIsTKE705c/s1600/toyo+r888+large.gif) > > And a Veyron tire: > > [Abhishek89's Blog: Image](http://abhishek89.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/2007-bugatti-veyron-wheel-1280x9601.jpg) > > Much closer to the average car tire, though presumably made of something that won’t shred as easily. [From Wiki.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Veyron) > [@](#): > > It uses special Michelin PAX run flat tires, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron’s top speed, which reportedly cost €25,000 per set.[9] The tyres can be removed from the rims only in France, a service which reportedly costs €70,000. 25,000/70,000 Euros=35,500/99,500 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/20 "2011-08-05T17:06:33Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > I’ve been reading up on the Bugatti Veyron recently, mainly because I thought the one in my copy of Forza 3 on XBox 360 handled like crap, huge amounts of oversteer, and it feels like driving a house around the track,… Is this like the guy with the scruffy beard living in his parent’s basement saying that Angelina Jolie’s knees were too bony? Every car in the OP is nicer than anything I will likely get to drive in my lifetime. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > And now it’s time to hand it over to our tame Racing Driver. > > Some say that he is in fact a video game character. > > And that he secretly loves Windows 98. Some say that he is allergic to vowels. And that he still bears the scars from the time a lug nut got cross-threaded on his penis. All we know… ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531/21 "2011-08-05T17:27:56Z")
Here’s Clarkson test driving it. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik9aEet5Um8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-bugatti-veyrons-not-so-hot/591531.md?page=2)