Bugatti has released details of the latest Special Edition Veyron model to be made. This one is for the Qatar Motor Show this week, and is based on the Grand Sport model, the most powerful open top car in the world.

It gets the same 1015 bhp quad-turbo 8.0 litre W16 engine as the Veyron coupe had, but is speed limited to 224 mph with the roof off. Certainly enough to ruffle even the most gelled-down of hairstyles. Roof on, it is still capable of 252 mph.

Visually the Special Edition model gets a two tone exterior in a not-too-subtle shade of bright yellow on top, with bare carbon below. Black alloy wheels complete the look. The yellow paint is unusual in that it also covers the air intakes for the engine, which are normally shiny chrome. The rest of the normal chrome trim is finished in gloss black. Despite how the look sounds, a car like the Veyron can somehow pull it off and this model looks pretty fantastic. Certainly more exciting than the usual dull grey, blue or black models you can see circling Harrods every summer.

Where it falls down for us is the interior. They could have gone with black leather with matching yellow piping and stitching, but unfortunately not. In this case they have gone for a matching yellow interior as well – seats, centre console, carpets, the tops of the doors and the headliner are all trimmed in the violent hue. Only the dash top and door cards are black leather or carbon fibre to save the eyes a little.

Still, there is no doubt at all that this one-off will sell to someone in the UAE, after all this is the Veyron’s biggest market, even if demand for the world’s fastest car does seem to be waning. All 300 ‘normal’ Veyron coupes have been sold, but of the planned 150 Grand Sports there are still 105 slots left. Production was thought to be ending this year, but Bugatti will keep making the Veyron until people stop buying them – when that will be is anyone’s guess. But there are certainly enough wealthy petrolheads in the UAE, Russia and China to satisfy a large portion of that remaining number.

Bugatti are going to renew the interest in the Veyron at the Geneva Motor Show in March though, with the launch of the Grand SuperSport model (we’re guessing about the name, so it may be different) – a convertible version of the 1200 bhp SuperSport which holds the title of World’s Fastest Car with a top speed of 268 mph. The Grand SuperSport will likely be reined in a little, but will still be a fearsome car.

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DC Design from has revealed first sight of their new supercar at the New Delhi Auto Expo.

Called the Avanti, which is a reference to the Studbaker Avanti from Tintin comics, the Indian supercar will initially be available with a Ford 4-cylinder turbo engine producing 265 bhp, then later followed by a Honda V6 making 400 bhp – modest figures indeed for a supercar.

Not helping matters either is a sprint time to 62 mph in just under seven seconds which doesn’t scream ‘Supercar’. The Avanti doesn’t help itself with a 1,560 kg vehicle weight, though the 6-speed dual-clutch transmission helps with performance.

Manufactured at DC Design’s Talegaon plant in Pune, the chassis is made of aluminium while the body panels are made of fiberglass (GRP). Engines will be prepared in the UK and then shipped to India. Despite our initial supercar scepticism, we’re reminded that the Avanti is intended to be an affordable supercar priced at 30 lakh rupees (£40,000). Once that notion sinks in, this actually doesn’t look so bad after all.

Looks-wise, the Avanti has a certain resemblance to the Ferrari 458 from some angles, though this may just be the red/black paint job of the car in the images. There are also hints of the Audi R8 in the stance of the car, but overall it seems to be a very nicely styled car. Aggressive, stylish and sporty for sure, though we’ve yet to see the rear end.

DC Design plans to produce 200 units per year, approximately one car every two days, with the hopes of gradually building up to 2000 units per year. DC Design is the brainchild of acclaimed car designer Dilip Chhabria and has won critical acclaim for some of its creations. Most famously DC Design created the first Aston Martin V8 Vantage prototype show car for the 2003 Detroit Motor Show, and a one-off Rolls Royce coupe which caused controversy around London.

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Xmas day was alive in Delhi to the sound of 10,000bhp screaming around a race track.

You may not think that India is the most obvious place to have a nice car, let alone a Supercar, but like every country there are petrolheads in India – and there are petrolheads with LOTS of money.

Based in Chandigarh near New Delhi, the Cannonball Club is a collection of such enthusiasts who get together for drives and meetings to admire each other’s cars. But when the Buddh International Circuit opened last year for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, it gave the club a new and exciting opportunity – a track day.

The club members own some fantastic machinery from Italy, Germany and Japan, and they have the very latest cars too – in the club currently there’s a Lamborghini Aventador, a Mercedes SLS AMG and a Ferrari 458 amongst many others.

The track day at BIC (in association with RaceTech) saw a massive turnout, with drivers being able to push their incredible machines to the limit on the track which F1 drivers said was the best new track in years. The roads in and around Delhi are awful, which when combined with the heavy traffic and erratic driving styles means that owners of these cars rarely get to use their performance or handling. But as they now have a world class racing circuit on their doorstep we can expect many more track days like this to take place, and we’ll be there to watch (and try to grab a passenger lap or two!).

Images courtesy of Cannonball Club

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLZGQ4gIs5M

Donkervoort has today revealed their new generation sports car, the D8 GTO, a full year after releasing their Christmas card teaser image.

In close collaboration with Audi’s high performance subsidiary, Quattro GmbH, Donkervoort has taken the new 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo engine from the Audi TT-RS and implanted it into their minimalist D8 sports car. Normally the 2.5-liter produces 335 bhp in the TT-RS but in the D8 GTO up to 395 bhp with 450 Nm of torque is available.

With a weight of only 750 kg the D8 GTO runs from 0-62 mph in 3.0 sec and has a top speed of 158 mph. With performance specs like that, fuel consumption is actually quite respectable at 23.5-28.3 mpg.

The body is made of a carbon/aluminium/steel tubular hybrid chassis with carbon fibre/GRP  body panels and comes in a larger size than its predecessors, the closed GT and the open D8 270RS. The GTO is approximately 35 cm (13.8 in) longer and 15 cm (6 in) wider as a result of the longitudinally mounted five cylinder Audi engine. Donkervoort says the GTO is a brand new design as it only share 5 percent of its parts with the D8 270RS and about 30 percent with the GT and therefore is considered a new generation vehicle.

The Donkervoort is a Caterham-alike vehicle, but has always gone against the grain in offering their cars in a closed body style unlike Caterham whose cars are open top roadsters with a makeshift roof for when you get caught in the rain. The D8 GTO is a roadster though, with a hardtop available.

Production of 25 “specially designed” units begins in the Spring 2012 with first deliveries in the summer. Already half of these special models have been claimed by Donkervoort’s best clients. Production of the “regular” versions are expected on European roads starting in 2013. The price of the new GTO is between €100,000 and €150,000 excluding taxes.

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Amid the deafening roar of high-revving engines and an incredibly excited crowd, India arrived on the Formula 1 circuit in style this weekend.

Sebastian Vettel proved he really is unbeatable by storming to his 13th Pole Position this season, translating it into his 11th victory. But the real story this weekend was the track itself. For months the track looked as if it would never be ready – the track was barely dried when the FIA inspected teh grounds. Many believed the race simply wouldn’t go ahead – too many beurocratic obstacles lay ahead and as yet more stories of corruption and taxation issues arose, the future of the Indian GP looked doubtful.

Fast foward to the last weekend in October though, and we are standing among pristine grandstands, an immaculate (if dusty) track and there is the immense buzz of F1 everywhere. Every mall has an F1 car from one manufacturer or another, every billboard an F1 driver’s face. F1 fever has certainly gripped Delhi.

Power outage in a press conference on Thursday earned negative points for the hosts, as did the backed-up drains int he press quarters. A day later, when two dogs entered the circuit and the free practice session had to be stopped, eyebrows were raised. But these were just a few glitches that were easily ironed out. Less easy were the issues with tickets – many turning up to their Rs35,000 (c.£500) seats in the grandstand found someone sitting in their seat with an equally-valid ticket, a victim of fraudulent ticket sales. Luckily many of the corporate seats were left untaken so everyone got a seat eventually.

The main surprise for everyone came in the form of the 5km ribbon of tarmac at Buddh International Circuit. All the drivers praised the track, some claiming it to be their favourite track of the season. There are many elevation changes on the track which make for some very interesting racing, with Jenson Button leading the praise saying “It’s one of the circuits which definitely gets a big tick. I’m looking forward to coming back. The Indian people have welcomed us, I’ve never seen so many people smiling before. The crowd have been wonderful.”

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya has championed an event in India since he first brought an F1 car over to the country in the 1980s. Three decades on, this weekend’s landmark event marks the fulfilment of a dream. ”It was like a dream come true,” enthused Mallya. “If I was not glued to what was happening, I might have shed a tear or two out of pride and joy. I’m a relieved man. Racing is in my blood and putting an Indian team on the grid was a huge moment.”

Ex-F1 driver and racing commentator Martin Brundle enthused “I’ll be sad to leave India. For me it’s been very enjoyable and a great success for Indian motorsport and Formula 1. There is a lot of poverty downtown. We can’t change that but a facility like this can be a springboard. Year two and year three will be interesting, though. How many of the cricket and Bollywood stars will be on the grid then? Our following has come on leaps and bounds and this race will be a huge boost for Formula 1 in India.”

Unfortunately the racing itself didn’t quite live up to the promise. The drivers may have enjoyed the fast turns, undulating track and tight corners, but the amount of dust off-line meant that anyone attempting risky overtaking moves would have to be either very brave or very stupid. As a result the action on-track wasn’t too enthralling.

In the end Vettel led all 60 laps, with Michael Schumacher making the biggest position leap from 11th place in qualifying to a 5th place on race day. Alonso and Webber battled quite closely for 3rd and 4th, with Alonso finally getting the final spot on the podium.

Full race results:

We can’t wait to see what the Buddh International Circuit holds in store for F1 next year.

Images courtesy of F1Fanatic.co.uk

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Peugeot EX1

First up, in May 2011 Peugeot took their electric concept car, the EX1 to the ‘Ring. Piloted by Stéphane Caillet, the one-off prototype completed the 20.8 km (12 mile) Nordschleife in 9 minutes and 1.3 seconds at an average speed of 138.3 km/h (85.9 mph):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPdMC0y9Wk

The EX1 concept is powered by two electric motors that produce a combined output of 340 PS (250 kW / 335 hp) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque.

Toyota EV P001

Next, Toyota took their EV P001 vehicle, which is basically a Radical track/road car with a Toyota electric powertrain to the ‘Ring, aiming to smash Peugeot’s record. And smash it they did:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9GR9EVsk-g

The EV P001, Jochen Krumbach completed the 20.8 km (12.9 mile) long course in 7 minutes and 47.794 seconds which buried the previous record by Peugeot.

According to Rob Leupen, Toyota Motorsport’s Director of Business Operations, “This is a very impressive achievement which really shows the huge potential for electric powertrains to deliver fast, exciting action on the race track. There’s no doubt that electric motorsport can be every bit as thrilling as traditional racing and it was an amazing sensation to watch the TMG electric vehicle fly past on the Nordschleife, with only the sound of wind rushing past and tires squealing.”

The P001 features a 41.5 kWh lithium-ceramic battery which powers two electric motors that develop 381 PS (280 kW / 375 hp) and 800 Nm (590 Nm) of torque. This setup enables the 970 kg (2,138 lb) car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph).

Electric RaceAbout (E-RA)

And finally, taking on the big-boys, the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences has announced the Electric RaceAbout (E-RA) has set a new street-legal electric vehicle lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGob7Gs44ZA

Driven by Ralf Kelleners, the student-designed prototype completed the 20.8 km (12.9 mile) long course in 8 minutes and 42.72 seconds. This means it was slower than the Toyota EV P001, but faster than the Peugeot EX1 which did the same task in 9 minutes and 1.3 seconds. But they claim the Toyota entry wasn’t street legal, so claim the record as their own.

As previously reported, the E-RA has a 33 kWh lithium-titanate battery which powers four-electric motors that develop a peak output of 408 PS (300 kW / 402 hp) and 3,200 Nm (2,360 lb-ft) of torque. This enables the 1,700 kg (3,747 lb) prototype to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in six seconds, hit a top speed of 244 km (152 mph) and travel approximately 200 km (124 miles) on a single charge.

With technology in Electric Vehicles progressing at an incredible rate, we can expect the EV ‘Ring lap record to end up being just as hotly contested as the fossil fuelled battles in years to come. Almost every manufacturer will have a fully electric vehicle within a couple of years, so there will doubtless be records for production EVs, racing EVs, and prototype EVs. We look forward to seeing them all.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucgHyzBtjjw

Ford will unveil the stunning Evos concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It is without a doubt the best looking car to come out of Ford for many years, but will they make it?

Wearing the “ultimate expression” of the company’s new design language, the bespoke four-door coupe has a menacing appearance with a bulging hood, LED headlights and an Aston Martin-like grille. This shows the new language Ford is planning to adopt in future models. This means taught surfacing, flowing lines and in this case, some pretty crazy gullwing doors much like those on the Mercedes McLaren SLR - at the front at least. Because this 4dr Coupe stands out from most as it uses gullwing doors on the rear entry too. The rear doors take the rear wings with it, which is a pretty special touch.

Once passengers open the gullwing doors, they are treated to a futuristic cabin which has premium materials and a cloud-based computing system that could be described as the company’s SYNC system on steroids. According to Ford, the Evos “gets to know you and can act as a personal assistant to handle some of the usual routines of a daily commute.” As an example, the company says the car could automatically close the garage door as soon as you leave the driveway. Furthermore, the Evos is also envisioned to have an advanced chassis which downloads map and weather data to adjust the “steering, suspension and braking systems for optimum enjoyment, comfort and safety.”

Have a closer look at the Evos in our Gallery:

In a nod to the green movement, the Evos is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which is equipped with the same powertrain as the C_Max Energi. Details were not released, but Ford has previously said the Energi will have a 2.0-liter petrol engine, an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. This doesn’t sound overly exciting, but the engine and electric motor can also work together to maximize performance.

While the concept will probably never enter production, Chief Creative Officer J Mays said “We wanted the Ford Evos Concept to give a clear message about where Ford design is heading - shaping vehicles that are fun to drive, have a strong premium visual appeal, and above all, are stunningly beautiful.”

You can also take a look at the Evos in closer detail in this handy video from Ford:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7SpE1LJdss

Of course, the chances of Ford actually making the Evos are pretty slim, they have teased us with ‘new Capri’ concepts before, but we can live in hope.

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The majority of the Super – and Hyper – cars all arrive in one massively long convoy from a secret meet in the morning where they can do a hill climb in their pride and joy should they feel like it. The cars this year surpassed all other shows though, with an array of cars worth well over £1m including the Bugatti Veyron, Aston Martin One-77, Pagani Zonda F Roadster Final Edition and Koenigsegg CCXR Edition. There were also numerous modern Ferraris to the tune of 4 x 458′s, 3 x 599 GTO’s and 2 x Enzo’s. But for us here at BOTB News, our favourite car of the show was one that was barely even noticed in relation to the modern metal. Sitting alone in the centre of a field, not roped off, was a 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB look utterly stunning in traditional Ferrari red. Such  an amazing looking car, and to be able to look at it without crowds or ropes around it was an honour and a privilege. And the price tag for this piece of Italian history? A cool £2.5m…

Take a look at the best of the cars on display, the Supercar convoy arriving and lots of shots of the 250 SWB in our rather large Gallery:

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Every year the Goodwood Festival of Speed brings together hundreds of the world’s best supercars of past and present, and invites the public along to watch them attack the famous track up the Goodwood Hill. It brings famous names and even more famous cars to show their stuff, and is unlike any event anywhere else in the world in that the public can see the cars up close in the display areas, and then see them again out on track doing their best to entertain visually and aurally.

This year saw cars from the road and race tracks, including Ferraris old and new, McLarens old and new, Porsches (you guessed it) old and new etc. It shows how varied the FoS is each year when in a matter of minutes you can have an Audi R18 Le Mans winning car followed by a Bowler Nemesis going up a race track.

At the bottom of the page you’ll find our Gallery of the best of the show, but first up thanks to friend of BOTBNews Shmee150, we have some fantastic videos of the FoS stars in the paddock and out on track:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LyM1Ak3tho

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l51FP9Chg_w

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu2917BM2bM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg5L7R7zTn4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX2FaNBuvfQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG9-o8aW8qY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU-2lRUc7M

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB5RzLzY54U

Amazing footage we’re sure you’ll agree!

Here’s the Gallery of the best bits of Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011:

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There are few people who are fortunate enough to own a Lamborghini Gallardo (one way to do so, is of course to enter our Supercar Competitions…), but of those who do there are a select few who feel the need to mess with the automotive perfection that Lamborghini created. One such company offering this ‘service’ is Prior Design. They have, for some unknown reason, decided to try (somewhat poorly, in our opinion) and turn the Gallardo into something resembling the €1m Reventon. Have they succeeded? No, not really. A squashed Reventon front end is nothing compared to what they have done to the rear end – bits of plastic jutting out of the rear, making it stand out in the worst way. We don’t mind publicly stating our disdain for this ‘tuned’ Gallardo – in our eyes it ruins one of the best looking cars in the world. Next!

2. Vorsteiner BMW M3

Vorsteiner have once again decided to focus their attentions on the M3 – a popular choice among tuners. Most add a supercharger, some different wheels, maybe a CSL-esque ducktail spoiler. But not Vosteiner. Their latest creation, named the ‘Candy Cane’ due to the red and white colour scheme, takes the svelte form of the M3 and turns it into a steroid-abused  monster. And not in a good way. Ridiculously large wheelarch extensions are joined by additional bits of carbon thrown at every surface, and a rather awful set of wheels which manage to look too small in the body. The resulting rear end shot (seen in our Gallery) ends up looking so badly proportioned it could be funny were it not for the awful panel gaps left by the badly fitting parts. Another fail.

3. Nissan Juke by Impul

Okay, we’ll admit this one sits on the boundary of the bad/good tuned cars. With a car as hideous looking as the Juke it’s going to be very hard to make it look worse! In fact, this one simply made us laugh, especially the rear spoiler. Impul take what looks like a WRC car rear wing and position it high up on the Juke’s rump, then add in some bigger wheels, side skirts and a strange front bumper extension to attempt to make the Juke look like a rally car. Well, we’re not sure if they succeeded or not as this one just makes us laugh every time we see it! Enjoy!

4. Alfa Romeo 8C Spider by Novitec

So after the pain of the above ‘tuning’ efforts, we think you deserve something nice to look at it. And this is it – the stunning Alfa Romeo 8C Spider tuned by Novitec. With a car as beautiful as the 8C Spider it would be insanity (but not unheard of – see above efforts) to change the bodywork. Luckily Novitec are in full control of their senses, and have kept the bodywork standard. The only visual addenda are a set of wheels equally as gorgeous as the car – a set of Novitec’s own three-piece NA3 wheels in 9J x 21 and 11.5J x 22 dimensions wrapped in Pirelli tires sized 255/30ZR21 and 315/25ZR22, for the front and back, respectively. But this is more about go than show.

Novitec took the supercharger they developed for the Maserati Granturismo S (for it is with this car that the 8C shares its engine) and modified its installation for the 8C’s more shapely nose. Power is boosted on the 444 bhp (331 kW / 450 PS) V8 to a total output of 592 bhp (441 kW / 600 PS) and 588 Nm (434 lb-ft) of torque. The 0 to 60 mph sprint takes just 3.9 seconds and top speed is 190 mph (306 km/h).

There is also an optional sports exhaust which takes the already sonorous V8 to new heights of aural pleasure, and interior refits if that is what takes your fancy.

Have a look at all of our tuned cars in our Gallery:

So do you agree with us? Are the awful cars awful? Leave a comment below and let us know!