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From
March 6, 2007
Bugatti Veyron in world's most expensive crash
Jeremy Clarkson called the car ‘utterly, stunningly, jaw droppingly brilliant’. A Bugatti Veyron, one of the rarest and most powerful cars in the world, is involved in a 100mph crash in its first week on the road.
An as yet unnamed driver crashed a rented Bugatti Veyron on Sunday in what is being described as "the world's costliest road accident".
The £830,000 supercar, which Times columnist Jeremy Clarkson memorably described last year as being “as fast as a Hawker Hurricane” was travelling in the wet at speeds in the region of 100mph along a 40mph stretch of the B375 near Chertsey, Surrey when the driver lost control and collided with a Vauxhall Astra before ploughing into a 3ft bank.
The passenger of the Vauxhall was a pregnant woman who has since been released from hospital after tests.
The full extent of the damage to the Bugatti is still being assessed by specialist engineers, but witnesses describe ‘substantial’ portions of the bodywork as having been torn away by the impact.
It is a triumph for lunacy over common sense
The Veyron, the world's most expensive and fastest street-legal car, is one of a planned limited run of 300 examples, of which fewer than 100 have been so far built.
Early prototypes were rumoured to be unstable at high speeds and indeed a Bugatti test driver came close to crashing in the first public showing of the car at the Laguna Seca circuit in August 2003.
The owner of the vehicle, Kumar Soni, had paid a substantial premium for early delivery only a week before, with a view to renting the car as a £20,000 'driving experience'.
The driver at the centre of Sunday’s incident, initially reported as a rental customer but now believed to be the younger brother of the owner, may find that the experience could yet prove even more costly.
Has Britain gone completely green and PC? Aston Martin is going to have to pull up roots. Thank you Moscow for still having a sense of humor. The styling is controversial but the car is a feat of engineering. It will actually do the claimed 250 mph/407 kph, with ten radiators to keep things cool. Bravo Bugatti, shame evil brother.
David, Aspen, United States
That will keep them busy in the design house in Wolfsburg that engineered it all.
The vehicle should have a failsafe "idiot warning light nearby" mounted on the IP it has most other gizmos.
I wonder if the cabrio version will be as strong.
George, Munich, Germany
I think the crash is an insult to the engineers at Bugatti. If I’d spent that much time slaving away at endless calculations to perfect that car only to find out that some trust less idiot had crashed it at 100mph in a 40mph speed limit I know what I would think. Come on that’s just ridiculous. The driver should loose his license no questions asked.
It’s a complete waste of a car that has shown us what were capable of achieving (Maybe not with looks though). What makes it worse is theirs people out there such as myself who would love to have a go in one, but alas probably never will cause rich people (not all) who think their special are going to crash them!
Rich, Reading,
Surely the time has come for creations such as the Bugatti, to be confined to circuits. The once dream of supercar ownership on open deserted roads, is now within reach of far too many aspiring "nuvolari's". If only all the incredibly talented motor designers concentrated their efforts to creating a safe foolproof method of public transport, the world and its inhabitants would be far happier. Don't forget that many of our roads started out as bridleways, and other than surfacing, have changed little ! From one whose family is ' trapped', on a rural highway, by speeding morons. Get well soon young lady !
Giovanni Jacovelli , conwy, Wales
yes its a fast car, but it does NOT look great, I think the crash has improved the looks to be honest. The driver should be punished for exceeding the speed limit by 60 mph!!!. comon I mean sombody has to hang!!!
Rinkoo, Bham,
Irrespective of the value of the car, this moron should lose his license for good. I sincerely hope that the mother and her unborn child are safe and well. I have no issue with speed however driving at 100 mph in a 40 mph zone is criminally wreckless and should be dealt with accordingly.
John Drogan, Upper Ramsbottom, Lancashire
HA HA HA HA, I dont think I have ever seen something sooo funny
Neil Burge, Rushden, Northamptonshire
I'm wondering whether the younger brother was actually insured on it. It would be rather embarrasing if he wasn't and had to write an I.O.U. for £830k...
James, Birmingham,
If it was the younger brother driving I want to know what did him more damage the crash or his brother when he told him he crashed it? and I bet he was just talking about how well it handles in the wet.
steve, london,
It's a pity that such a portable,4-wheel drive and with 1001 hp engine sculpture has been destroyed. Well' this case claims the rule that not every owner of super car is super driver...
Kuba, Lodz, Poland
Whoever the driver is, if the facts are correct, this a reckless driving of the first order and should result in a lifetime ban. It shows total disregard for the safety of other road users.
Brian Lee, Rotherham,
I don't know what's more upsetting, the fact a Veyron was taken out or the fact that it was taken out by an Astra.
Scott Millson, Toronto, Canada
Good headline - made me click on the article, but I can think of many more expensive mistakes; the Millennium Dome, the Iraq War, Titanic, Gigli
Lucinda, moscow, Russia
serves him right - he's lucky the pregnant woman wasn't seriously injured.
Catherine, London,
He paid £20,000 for the experience, yet didn't have the brain power to spend £500 on a track day, where he could have legally test the car to it's full potential. Many four letter words are beginning to form in my head, which I'll leave to your imagination.
RC, London,
I cannot imagine paying £830 thouand pounds for a car like that , and having it wrote off after only one week on the road.the driver of the car must be mortified.
Christine Leek, Cannock / Birmingham, England
The man driving this car should be jailed - for a long time. There is no mention in the article that the pregnant woman this idiot crashed in to, could very easily have been killed.
An absolute disgrace - the incident has hallmarks of Prince Naseem's crash. Where the unfortunate victim of a "supercar" collision, is now severelly disabled for the rest of his life.
Carrie, Leeds,
If ever there was a case for confiscating the car this is it. The driver should be disqualified for so long it will be out of date anyway.
S. Lovatt, Cuffley, UK
£830,000 clearly doesn't buy you the ability to drive.
John Walker, London, UK
The very definition of the phrase 'more money than sense'
How many people in Britain could have had their lives improved immeasurably by a fraction of the money that was wasted on this car? Even more could have been helped in India, for that matter.
Whatever this clown is paying in tax isn't half enough
Gordon, Edinburgh, Scotland
We've seen Stefano Eriksson crash his own Enzo, after running away from the cops in the States. COuld this be another one of those cases?
Tikiyong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia