BUGATTI VEYRON Reviews

When news came through that the Lincoln Navigator, a large American luxury SUV, would soon be available in Australia, we started thinking… what other foreign badges could we see on local roads?In the case of the Lincoln, the 336kW/691Nm SUV is imported and converted to right-hand-drive by International Motor Cars, the same mob that remanufactures the Cadillac Escalade and Dodge Challenger for Australia.This practice is a costly affair, with the Lincoln Navigator Black Label expected to check in from $274,900 plus on-road costs. For context, the same model in left-hand-drive guise costs $US97,135 ($A$153,961) in the States.Despite the high price, the business case may very well stack up, as a particular group of buyers seem willing to pay a premium for the exclusivity that only a vehicle like this can deliver.Could other car brands make it in Australia's competitive market? These are the ones we'd like to see Down Under.Acura was established in the United States in 1986, and currently offers a range of sedans and SUVs, as well as the resurrected NSX sports car. Its TLX performance sedan is available with a 216kW V6 engine matched with a torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, variable valve timing (i-VTEC) and a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Acura RDX crossover SUV could also be a good fit for Australia, with its premium looks and technology loaded cabin.While the Honda MDX seven-seater was discontinued for Australia in 2007, the nameplate lives on with Acura. Pitched as a premium three-row offering, the Acura MDX plays against the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE.Renault’s budget subsidiary Dacia could also have a place in Australia, as the Romanian carmaker plans to launch “Europe’s most affordable all-electric vehicle” in 2021.Renault has also expressed interest in importing the Dacia Duster-based Oroch dual-cab pick-up.Since its release in 2010, the Duster has been a smash hit overseas, selling in more than 100 countries with a number of engine and drivetrain configurations. The Duster even found a home at the Vatican as the latest Popemobile.With its quirky looks and proven reliability, the Duster could be positioned as a cheaper alternative to the Nissan Qashqai and Mitsubishi ASX, and a pick-up version would certainly garner interest in local showrooms.Volkswagen subsidiary SEAT (pronounced say-art) sold vehicles in Australia from 1995 to 1999, albeit with limited success. It is unlikely that SEAT will make a return to local shores as similar VW sub-brand Skoda is considered the more viable subsidiary.Earlier this year, SEAT revealed its fourth-generation Leon small car, which is based on the same platform as the upcoming Volkswagen Golf 8, and comes in both hatch and wagon body styles.The Leon sports a sleek exterior design and a minimalist cabin, and notably, is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.Its stylish SUVs, such as the Tarraco and Ateca, have also proven popualr in the past.You would be excused for not knowing much about this brand, but in fact Hongqi is China's oldest passenger car manufacturer.The uptake of Chinese cars has been slow in Australia, but with rapid technological improvements in recent years, brands like Haval, MG and LDV have found success on Aussie roads.While the afformentioned carmakers focus on the budget side of the market, Hongqi produces high-end luxury vehicles. As it happens, the Hongqi L5 luxury sedan is credited as the most expensive Chinese-made car ever released.The long and low L5 is often used to chauffeur high-ranking government officials, and is powered by either a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 or a 6.0-litre naturally aspirated V12.Other models in the Hongqi range are based on well-known nameplates, like the Mazda6-based H5 sedan, and the Audi Q5-based HS7 midsize SUV.French hypercar specialist Bugatti may not have a local sales agent, but in this world, money talks.Bugatti's latest model, the Chiron, starts at a base price of around $US3,800,000 ($A5,900,000), and that number gets significantly larger as you add import duties, taxes and freight costs.The Chiron does not comply with Australian design rules, although it's possible that a limited number of units could be brought in as special interest vehicles.Using an 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16 engine, delivering 1119kW and 1600Nm, the Chiron is easily one of the fastest production cars in the world, if not the fastest.With a number of once-popular compact cars being discontinued in Australia, like the Honda Jazz and Hyundai Accent, and others moving more upmarket, there could be an opportunity for a new type of budget-oriented city car.Indian company Tata Motor Cars builds a range of sleek and efficient vehicles in right-hand-drive, but few would pass Australia's much stricter safety standards.But there is hope, as Tata's Altroz hatchback managed to achieve a five star Global NCAP safety rating ahead of its launch this year.Tata has plans for at least two new electrified models as well as a new Gravitas seven-seat SUV to rival the likes of the Mahindra XUV500.

It costs $13m and has a face only a mother could love - meet the Bugatti Centodici.

Bugatti's Chiron hypercar had a tough job from the outset as the French manufacturer's successor to the game-changing Veyron 16.4. First seen at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show the 1103kW quad-turbo W16-powered Chrion looks like an updated Veyron but is actually a new car.

A technological tour de force, Volkswagen arguably kicked off the modern hypercar era when it launched the epic 400km/h Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in 2005.The original coupe Veyron was built between 2005 and 2011, while the Grand Sport (2009-2015), Super Sport (2010-2011), and Grand Sport Vitesse (2012-2015) all followed. All up some 450 Veyrons and special editions were sold, rounded out by a special Grand Sport Vitesse called La Finale.Bugatti showed off a targa-roofed edition of the Veyron at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with 150 of the open-top Grand Sport models being offered to the public in 2009. While the regular Veyrons were already pretty mental pieces of equipment Bugatti started building special editions in 2010, with the 883kW, 431km/h Super Sport kicking things off.As Bugatti only built 30 Veyron Super Sports the French manufacturer soon offered the targa-roofed Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, for those aristocrats who like to spend 10 minutes just saying the name of their latest hypercar. There were 92 Grand Sport Vitesse models sold, while they also built several special edition Grand Sport Vitesse models including the Vitesse SE, Vitesse World Record Car (of which eight were built), as well as a run of special editions based around famous French racing drivers.The base Veyron cost over US$1,750,000 when new, but easily sell for more than this today as collectors recognise the provenance of the first production car to break the 400km/h barrier. Average prices for standard Veyron 16.4 coupes sit around US$3,000,000 per car, though insurance valuations for special editions like the limited-edition Super Sport sit well over US$5,000,000 per-car!

Bugatti has come up with a farewell gift that’s just a little bit more special than a gold watch; a one-off, $25 million Chiron to be named after, and given to, former Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech.According to a report in TheSupercarBlog, the one-of-a-kind hypercar, which will be on the brand’s stand at the Geneva Motor Show next month, has been built for Piech as a very special thank you for his role in bringing VW and Bugatti together, back in 1998.The Piech will no doubt be based on a Chiron and powered by an even more ridiculous version of the engine that is often called his brainchild, the 8.0-litre W16.And let’s face it, anyone who comes up with the idea of jamming two V8s together to form one engine, and sets the ambitious goal of building a road car capable of 300mph (483km/h) deserves some kind of recognition.It has also been speculated that it might look completely different, perhaps a rebodied version of the Chiron, similar to the Bugatti Divo that was shown at Pebble Beach last year.Bugatti will be marking its 110th year of operation at Geneva this year and will also unveil a special-edition 110Ans Bugatti, based on the Chiron Sport.There should be around 20 of those for sale, whereas Piech’s car, notionally valued at $25 million but effectively priceless, will not be, at any price.

French hypercar specialist Bugatti has upstaged even itself, ripping the covers off the coach-built Divo high-performance flagship that is sharper and lighter than the current Chiron.

Bugatti has teased its latest offering; a $7.8m hypercar that prioritises cornering over outright speed.

As the F1 machines thrill the fans trackside at Albert Park next weekend, the big-name marques will make tactical moves on potential buyers in the hospitality precinct.

Supercars stole the limelight this year but the surge of small SUVs was the news behind the hype.

Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.