Bugatti and coachbuilding have a history longer than most modern countries. Company founder Ettore Bugatti would build a chassis with an engine, and you could either buy it with one of his own shells attached or send it off to a coachbuilder for something else. The company is even doing something similar today, through its Solitaire program.
But none of that will prepare you for the awesomeness you’re about to see, courtesy of a project from Absolute Motors. Actually, it’s what you don’t see that makes this so cool. They’ve attacked a mint-condition Veyron, removing all its body panels to build the most expensive go-kart in the world. But it’s not stopping here. This is just the middle step on what should be a very wild ride.
This Veyron Is Going To Be Wild
Bugatti Veyron without body panelsAbsolute Motors
The Dutch car builders have created some epic machines, including a tailor-made RS6 tribute to the Audi RS2. This, though, makes almost any other project look like child’s play. Absolute Motors is building the car for exotic car dealer HooG Selections, which is a massive showcase of incredible cars both old and new. The goal is to build something to advertise the company while giving back to the car community that supports it.
The first episode in the series unveiled this (formerly) black and red Veyron, and the vision of this project – an homage to the Type 45, which HooG already had. It’s a racer from the 1930s that used two supercharged straight-eight engines side by side in what it called a U16 configuration.
Now into the second video, the Veyron is more like the world’s most expensive kart. It’s stripped down to the bare chassis and interior, and it’s at the racetrack ready for a rip. It might not do 250 miles per hour anymore, but without any doors, it’ll definitely feel like it’s going a lot faster.
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It might not get doors, either. The first renderings and sketches of the new body show a low-slung door that resembles a doorless cut-out cabin, though some other versions show louvered doors and a new louvered engine cover. Wheels that look like the chunky units of pre-war Bugatti models are planned, too.
Incredibly Custom, Incredibly Fun
Bugatti Veyron without body panelsAbsolute Motors
You might not have ever wondered if a bodyless Veyron could drift, but in this video you will find out. We’re not sure how much weight the body of the Veyron takes with it, but we can’t remember seeing that many people try to hoon a stock car, either.
There are countless choices that go into a project like this. Picking the panels, the details, the colors, and more. Multiple silvers and blues are put under a microscope to try and pick the perfect one, and that’s before the interior. The result should be spectacular, but unlike most project cars, the middle step is amazingly cool, too. The kart trend, which might have kicked off with stripped-down Chevrolet Corvettes turned into Vette Karts, is in full effect.
Bugatti’s original U16 engine put two straight-eight engines vertically in a single crankcase but with two crankshafts. The two shafts were linked at the front, where they had one output, and were drilled for a 37mm gun barrel. Yes, they were aircraft engines, built for use in fighters during the First World War, though the war ended before they made it to service.
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The modern Veyron uses a W16. That’s the same number of cylinders, but set up in a W configuration and fitted with four turbochargers, all powering one crankshaft. The resulting 8.0-liter engine makes around 1,000 horsepower depending on the car and who you ask.
What will the third act bring? We’re sure it will be neat, but it’s hard to beat a Bugatti go-kart when it comes to the cool factor.
Source: Absolute Motors / YouTube
