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If you love supercars, hypercars, hot hatchbacks, and wild, whimsical car content, you likely know of Jeremy Clarkson. After all, he has spent decades reviewing vehicles, staging wacky races, and entertaining enthusiasts worldwide as a presenter on the BBC’s “Top Gear” and Amazon’s “The Grand Tour.” Now, he heads a show called “Clarkson’s Farm,” a series with enough wholesome general appeal that my parents and parents-in-law both enjoy it. However, his tenure as an auto journo revealed at least one serious miscalculation about the Bugatti Veyron that I bet even he’s excited about.  

Mega-famous TV presenter and automotive journalist Jeremy Clarkson was wrong about the Bugatti Veyron– and we’re happy about it

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May are a few of the biggest names in automotive journalism. From their BBC-facilitated adventures to their comparably short tenure at Amazon, the three British presenters have reviewed everything from sensible European-market hatchbacks to the most savagely unhinged hypercars on the market.

However, one of the benefits of such a lengthy and illustrious career as the most famous automotive journalist in the world is inaccuracy. I know, sounds crazy, right? Well, Clarkson once waxed lyrical with reverence and melancholy at the then-new Bugatti Veyron.

Specifically, the then-Top Gear presenter finished an episode featuring the Veyron with a reflective sentiment. He called the Veyron “very possibly the best car we’ll see in our lifetime.” Of course, it was 2005. The future of the emission-spewing, horsepower-hungry hypercar wasn’t clear. How would he know?

That’s why we’re so glad Jeremy Clarkson was wrong. In the episode, he bests his counterparts in an unorthodox race from Alba, Italy to a tower in London. Admittedly, winning a race in a Bugatti Veyron in 2005 might seem easy. Well, instead of racing another car or a Ducati superbike, May and Hammond cover most of the journey in a Cessna 182 single-prop airplane.

And the race against the airplane is apropos. Clarkson likened the Veyron to the Concorde, a brilliant, albeit short-lived jet airliner. The Concorde, another speed demon, would famously take passengers from London to New York in under three hours. However, unlike the Concorde, Clarkson was wrong about the future of thirsty, ballistically fast hypercars.

I think 2005 Jeremy Clarkson would be delighted to see just how wrong that assessment was. Hell, not only did insane cars like the Aston Martin Vulcan, Pagani Huayra, and Dodge SRT Demon 170 come after the Veyron, but Bugatti itself didn’t stop. After the Veyron, we got the Chiron, Bolide, and other W16-powered monsters.

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).