Although auto industry titan Volkswagen Group recently let go of Bugatti, the relationship was bombastic. Volkswagen Group owned the hypercar marque since Bugatti’s rebirth in 2003 and was instrumental in designing and developing some of the fastest production cars in history. Under the control and guidance of Volkswagen Group, Bugatti created the Veyron, Chiron, and all of their many derivations. 

The Bugatti Veyron was a record-smashing behemoth and born of Volkswagen ownership 

In 2005, two years after Volkswagen Group’s hypercar marque re-opened its doors, Bugatti unveiled the Veyron. The car challenged the way the world saw performance cars. Instead of cultivating a high-performance V12 or twin-turbo V8 for the vehicle, Volkswagen Group said “bigger.” As a result, the Bugatti Veyron packs an 8.0L W16 engine with four turbochargers. You read that right. 

The only thing crazier than the Volkswagen Group’s ambitious entry into the world of performance were the numbers the Veyron could achieve. First, the monster produced a tremorous 987 horsepower and 922 lb-ft of torque. That was unheard of at the time. Furthermore, that insanity was channeled using an all-wheel drive system, which was necessary given the savage power. 

Volkswagen Group changed the mold with a big, heavy car capable of outrunning any other production car 

Bugatti’s bruiser could shift its hefty weight to sixty in just 2.5 seconds. MotorTrend says that the closest comparable Ferrari of the time would have required four seconds. Moreover, the lunacy didn’t stop there. The Veyron decimated top speed records with a confirmed 253 mph. 

If the Veyron wasn’t enough, Bugatti unveiled the dramatic Chiron

The Veyron enjoyed a tenure that witnessed the birth of the Grand Sport and the even more unhinged Super Sport. However, in 2016, Volkswagen Group decided to bankroll the next bonkers Bugatti. Enter the Chiron, another record-breaker packing a quad-turbo W16 engine. Although this time, the Bugatti made a stratospheric 1,500 horsepower. Consequently, the Chiron was instantly faster than its predecessor. 

According to Autocar, the automotive cruise missile could dash to sixty in 2.3 seconds and run all the way up to 261 mph. Even more significant than the performance figures, the Bugatti Chiron sold for 2.4 million euros at the time of its release. With the fullness of time, Volkswagen Group oversaw other versions of the Bugatti Chiron, like the Super Sport or limited release La Voiture Noire. Finally, the latest versions of the Chiron and the newest Bugattis are focused on pushing the boundaries of the automobile past 300 mph.  

Now that Volkswagen doesn’t house Bugatti, what is next for the hypercar maker? 

Now, in the capable hands of Mate Rimac, Bugatti has a bright future. However, Volkswagen Group no longer owns Bugatti. As a result, enthusiasts can no longer say, perhaps only jokingly, that the fastest cars in the world are Volkswagens. Still, it is fun to think that the company that will sell you a sensible $20,000 sedan once facilitated the creation of the fastest cars imaginable.

If the Bugatti doesn’t cure your need for speed, scroll to the following article to read about other 1,000+ horsepower cars.