Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Top Speed
In July 2010 at Ehra-Lessien, the Veyron Super Sport averaged 431.07 km/h (267.86 mph) across two runs in opposite directions — the convention that makes a record official, because it cancels out any help from wind or gradient. Guinness recognised it as the fastest production car in the world. The 48 customer cars are limited to 415 km/h, purely to protect the tyres.
Full specifications
About the Veyron Super Sport
The standard Veyron had already reset expectations at 407 km/h in 2005. The Super Sport went further with larger turbochargers, revised intercoolers and a stiffer, more aerodynamic body, lifting output from 1,001 to 1,200 PS.
At 431 km/h the car covers roughly 120 metres every second, and the limiting factor stops being power. Tyres are the constraint — Michelin developed a bespoke construction for the Veyron, and even so a full-speed run consumes them quickly. That is why customer cars are electronically capped at 415 km/h and the unlocked mode requires a separate key and a specific procedure.
The record was briefly contested when questions were raised about whether the record car's speed limiter differed from the production specification. Guinness reviewed the case and reinstated the record, and the Super Sport held the title until the Koenigsegg Agera RS surpassed it in 2017.
Two-way average recorded at Ehra-Lessien, July 2010. Specifications from Bugatti.