Bugatti has confirmed that it is to build a high(er) performance version of the open-top Veyron Grand Sport. As predicted, the car will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, which takes place at the beginning of March.
The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse is the product of fitting the 1,200hp 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 engine from the record holding Super Sport model into the body of the Grand Sport roadster. The hike in power, up from the Grand Sport's 1,001hp, is down to four enlarged turbochargers and intercoolers and while it is unclear whether the Grand Sport Vitesse will match the Super Sport's top speed of 430km/h, it is sure to be not only the fastest, but also the most powerful roadster in the world.
To cope with the extra power - and a torque figure of 1,500Nm - the Bugatti engineers have modified the chassis and given the Vitesse the enhanced aerodynamics of the Super Sport. Performance figures have not been announced but a sub-three-second 0-62mph time seems likely.
Bugatti has also neglected to tell us how much the Vitesse is likely to cost, but we would not expect to get much change out of €3 million.