Here’s What It’s Like To Crash A Bugatti Veyron At 245mph

Very, very few people have even driven a car at 245mph, let alone crashed one and lived to tell the tale – which is exactly why this bum-clenching story from one of the prototype Veyron’s test drivers is so amazing
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Crashing is never a nice experience. Even if it’s not your car there’ll be ramifications for you. Test drivers have to push the envelope, though, often in prototype cars that might not be all that safe. This is the story of a boss among supercar test drivers, Italian Loris Bichocci.

Pushing the fledgling Veyron’s engine to its maximum in one of the overall project’s earliest stages, a tyre blew at an estimated 245mph on the Nardo test bowl. Remember, at this time in the car’s life Michelin hadn’t yet developed the production tyre that could withstand the Veyron’s top speed, and the chassis engineering was still relatively primitive.

Here’s What It’s Like To Crash A Bugatti Veyron At 245mph

For those of you who can’t watch the video right now, here’s a transcript of part of it:

“At the end of the second lap… we were playing between 395, 390, 398 [kmh], around those values. Suddenly, out of the blue, I heard like a little [imitates sound] and then boom in a split second.

“I couldn’t see anything. A few moments before the zero-kilometre [point] the front left tyre exploded, and it took the fender with it. The fender raised and brought the front hood with it, which collapsed and smashed the windshield. The glass shattered into a billion pieces.

“I was doing 395-398kmh, or at least 390. I couldn’t see anything at all. When the tyre blew, I was a foot away from the guardrail because the closer you are, the less steering input you can use. In a snap, I didn’t even realise it, I hit the guardrail. This first hit blew the rear left tyre too, and it actually laid there on the ground. I saw the strip after.

“The suspension broke because I hit the guardrail hard. Those who were watching told me that the barrier waved like a flag.”

There’s much more to this fascinating story, so do watch it all if you can.

Source: Top Gear

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Comments

7heDuke

I was part in two crashes in a city and I was lucky to avoid like 5-10 on the Autobahn at fairly high speeds some times. These situations are upredictable as hell and I can only imagine what it feels like when this stuff happens at such high speeds.
Terrifing just thinking about it, nevermind seeing footage of it.

Good thing he got out of there alive. Much respect for testdrivers, those guys are true heros!

06/15/2018 - 11:12 |
122 | 0
CannedRex24

imagine if someone was watching theyd be like

“Pretty sure thats a Lambo dude”

06/15/2018 - 11:26 |
86 | 2

if someone got this reference

kudos to you!

06/15/2018 - 11:26 |
28 | 0
P5 Ford

Misleading title.. there was no clip of the crashing itself.. I feel cheated.

06/15/2018 - 11:29 |
10 | 22
woulditfitonmyhonda

In reply to by P5 Ford

Nah i dont wanna see it crash at such a high speed.

06/15/2018 - 21:37 |
0 | 0
FLixy Madfox

Kudos to buggatti for engineering such a masterpiece that this guy lived!

06/15/2018 - 11:52 |
42 | 2

Dude its like one of the earlier prototypes its literally the reason why he crashed in the first place not the reason that he lived….

06/16/2018 - 23:45 |
0 | 0
Dario

As I said, the source is wrong. This video comes from an italian YT channel called “Drive Experience by Davide Cironi”.
I recommend u guys to watch his vids, he’s really tslented and full of passion, and also all of his vids have english subtitles, as the one above.

06/15/2018 - 13:37 |
26 | 2
TheBagel

Thanks for the transcript of the video. Absolutely scary.

06/15/2018 - 15:40 |
10 | 0
Anonymous
06/15/2018 - 18:04 |
22 | 0
Anonymous

Without brakes, vision and having to use the guardrail to stop the (prototype) car at 400km/h must be terrifying… great video!

06/15/2018 - 19:31 |
6 | 0
woulditfitonmyhonda

And people ask why bugatti needed a special tyre

06/15/2018 - 22:15 |
14 | 0
Anonymous

always leave one man to tell the tale

06/16/2018 - 03:40 |
2 | 0