The Bugatti Veyron is the gold standard for supercars. There are but a few cars as fast and none as opulent or expensive as the seven-figure exotic. According to Autocar magazine, Porsche may be getting ready to go head to head with Bugatti using a roadgoing version of the Le Mans racer it is currently developing. Dubbed the GT1, the uber exotic will produce 950 bhp and hit a top speed of 254 mph, a couple clicks over the Veyron's best effort of 252 mph.
The GT1 could be view as a replacement to the recently cancelled Carrera GT, as it will use a modified version of that car's carbon fiber chassis but be skinned with a different body and feature a closed cockpit. The GT1's prodigious amount of power could be produced by either a modified version of the Carrera GT's V10 or a turbocharged version of the Cayenne's V8 with a larger displacement.
PistonHeads reports that Bugatti is already working on a faster Veyron, so Porsche better step on it before Bugatti moves the target.
[Source: Autocar via PistonHeads]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
wolfzr2 @ Jun 30th 2006 8:31AM
Why? Just why?
SkyMan @ Jun 30th 2006 8:42AM
BOING!!!
Steve @ Jun 30th 2006 9:54AM
We will make a car with.....ONE MILLION HORSEPOWER!!!
Ahem......Dr. Evil, sorry but apparently that has already happened.....
Very well, we will make a car with.....ONE HUNDRED....BILLION....HORSEPOWER!!!!
Mini-Me approves!!
Mr. Orange @ Jun 30th 2006 10:10AM
I love that company.
DustinTarditi @ Jun 30th 2006 10:15AM
MiniMe! Stop humping the GT1!
curtisinasia @ Jun 30th 2006 10:36AM
I love reading the comments as much as the auto news, well almost as much. Keep on typen.
Adam Singer @ Jun 30th 2006 10:59AM
Amazing!!! I can't see porsche making the GT1 nearly as opulent as the Veyron though, which is for the best in my opinion.
Corey W. @ Jun 30th 2006 1:03PM
"...and none as opulent or expensive as the seven-figure exotic." You say that like being the most expensive is a good thing.
Although the definition of both terms is subjective, the Veyron is the gold standard for "exotics", not "supercars". Luxury is not mandatory for a car to be considered a supercar, and there are other cars that can equal or better it's performance.
tekdemon @ Jun 30th 2006 1:06PM
Haha Steve, best...comment...ever...
I actually laughed out loud!
Seriously though, since Porsche now owns a rather large stake in Volkswagen and wants to increase their stake, that also means that they own a large stake in Bugatti and will own more of Bugatti soon. Of course the two brands are completely different beasts.
I think Porsche just wants to make sure that their own brand name maintains some serious cachet, they're not really trying to slay the Veyron lol.
Mark @ Jun 30th 2006 2:33PM
isn't the veyron limited to 252mph? so it's hardly its best effort, and anyway, why would you need a car to go faster?
Because you Can... @ Jun 30th 2006 3:04PM
#9, Why does anyone need a 1+ million dollar car? Becuase you can! What more needs to be said?
Keith @ Jul 1st 2006 12:48AM
This would be awesome.
The new 911's are amazing (be it the base Carrera or the Turbo, GT3, and soon-to-be GT2), and makeup for the Cayenne. Having a GT1 as a mega-hallmark car would make it even better!
I love Porsche.
MikeW @ Jul 1st 2006 2:03PM
The bugatti can not hit 252 mph in high downforce mode.
With the supposed 250hp upgrade, it will be able to do so.
And with 1250hp, in low drag mode, 450kph? 280mph? should be the target speed.
Assuming the Michelin PAX do not explode, but if the Concorde could do 250mph on the ground, it shouldn't be that big of a problem.
Andre @ Jul 25th 2006 5:39PM
#13 ... Apparently you never heard about the Concorde tires shreading to only hit the fuel tank afterward.
Sean Duffelmeyer @ Sep 20th 2006 2:55PM
Having a street legal variant of a potentially sucessful Lemans racer seems very appealing. The efforts Porsche put into the 917 program is an example of race car appeal. Owning a street legal variant of a 70 or 71 917 Langheck, which was fully capable of a 246mph maximum sustained speed on the mulsanne, back in 1971 or 72 would have been something. Everyone remembers the impact and sucess of the 917. Perhaps the new GT 1 will put Porsche back into the winners cicle for prototypes.
Rick Durelle @ Oct 14th 2006 5:12PM
A 950+ street legal Porsche!!!!!sweeeeet! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmGT1 aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrgh . Homer S.